How was your slight smidgen of experience? Let us know! Each year after the event, Balsa Man staff play video games, read books, and generally procrastinate as a means to avoid having to do anything to do with Balsa Man. This year we promise to at least think about it a little, maybe when we are in the shower.

This year our theme of “Growing Pains” became quite literal what with the chaos of ticket sales, our very hastily trained Gate staff, and the necessitated moderately dramatic relocation. There are may questions and small hurdles for Balsa Man going forward and we would like to hear your feedback — as long as it isn’t excessively loquacious.

A general response highlighting the most prominent feedback will be posted later on the Balsa Blog. We want to hear from new and old Balsars alike. Please email your comments both good and bad to gro.namaslabnull@kcabdeef or in the comments below.

Thanks for taking the tiny amount of time to contribute your thoughts. We promise our intern will at least glean what you have to say. Looking forward to 2012!

After getting rave reviews and plenty of thank you intoxicants for last year’s issue of Dress Warm, the Dress Warm staff has decided to release an issue for Balsa Man 2011! They had this to say:

Really this is the last time — we swear on our grandmother’s grave. We worked are asses off on this issue so you all better actually read the whole thing this time!

In case you missed last year’s issue of Dress Warm here’s a PDF of the issue! Dress Warm, September 2010 [pdf]

Pre-release copies of the 2011 issue of Dress Warm will be available at tonight and tomorrow’s Balsa Social! Of course, Dress Warm will also be available at the Balsa Man event and the Balsa Black Rock Regional.

And here is a exclusive sneak peak at the cover for the 2011 issue of Dress Warm!

Save the Tiny Man, photo by sninky-chan

Balsa Man is hosting two pre-burn Balsa Socials after work this Thursday and Friday. We encourage all you tiny art enthusiasts to come enjoy a beer and meet your fellow balsars! A Balsa Man representative will be on hand for sales of tickets, stickers, and patches.

San Francisco Balsa Social

Thursday 6pm at The Sycamore
2140 Mission, between 17th & 18th
Great beers, and delicious tiny sliders!

Oakland Balsa Social

Friday 6pm at The Trappist
460 8th Street
Amazing Belgian specialty beers! The distinguished tiny artist Morleyroarly, lead artist for The Temple of Baby Steps will be there!

Many tiny artists came out of the woodwork and showed up at last night’s Tiny Art Party! Billfrog was there whittling away a block of balsa making the egg chair for his art grant awarded project  Big-Assed Worms.

 Suzanne Forbes was there creating her largest sculpture yet, a huge phoenix. You may remember Suzanne from some of her gorgeous works from years prior like the magnificent Balsa Betty.

Many tiny artists were thankful for the balsa wood and tools provided by the Black Pebble Arts Foundation — which we were able to provide thanks to our donors! New tiny artists such as Tom Cauchois were able to show up with only a ounce of an idea and leave with a finished art project!

At the end of the evening Tom had finished his COLINWOOD sign. We interviewed Tom and he had this to say…

My affection for Balsa Man triggered the connection in my brain and heart to combine a “take” on the famous “Harveywood” sign, the name of Colin, founder of Balsa Man, and how his passion for art has turned Baker Beach into a thriving tinytropolis full of art.  I also hoped to create an art platform that would honor all of the fabulous artists whose works have thrilled me since my arrival on baker beach for the first time.

Granted we have no idea what this “famous Harveywood sign” is — when pressed he said it was a in-joke among Black Rock Desert campers — but hey at least it means something to Tom.

The BPAF looks forward to seeing all this tiny art and more at this year’s Balsa Man!

We hear at Balsa Man Org is overwhelmingly excited to announce that the excellent Angelica Aguilar has volunteered to head up San Diego’s first Balsa Man Regional! Angelica is a multi-talented Ecologist, SFX artist, and geek, and a totally bad-assed hoop dancer.

And here she is to announcing the San Diego Balsa Regional in her own words…

San Diego Balsa Man Regional Lead and bad-assed hooper Angelica

San Diego will be hosting it’s very first Balsa Man event on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 5:30pm.  The event will take place at one of the bonfire pits on Fiesta Island (look for the pit with the Balsa Man!).  This year’s man will be 2.5 feet tall, with a fire pit as the base, to celebrate one of San Diego’s favorite summer past times.  The man will burn 7pm, just before sunset.

We look forward to all the tiny art that the community will bring.  Please remember that the burning of artwork, along with cleanup, is the responsibility of the artist.  However, because the man base is a fire pit, we will also permit tiny art to be thrown in after the man falls.  We have a couple tiny DJ sets lined up already, and will have supplies available with which to make tiny s’mores!

More information can be found on the Facebook event page. If you would like to get involved or have questions about the regional you can email gro.namaslabnull@DSaslab.

We are overwhelmingly excited for this year’s Temple! We weren’t even sure for a while there that there would be a temple this year.

Unfortunately, when grant committee member Sunshine saw the front of the postcard she suddenly leaped out of her chair and ran out screaming “Not Happy Birthday!!! Not Happy Birthday!!!” The last time Sunshine reacted so vehementally to an art grant request was for the Roving Hoagie back in 2009. After waiting a whole 6 minutes for Sunshine to get back, the committee decided to go on without her.

Temple of Baby Steps by Morley (front)

Temple of Baby Steps by Morley (back)

Ms. Morley Roarly, the artist who submitted this proposal, was involved in 2009 with the Balsa Man Krew and is a well recognized tiny artist. We are honored to have her take on the mantle of building the temple for 2011.

Some on the committee were concerned by the lack of any sketch or even hint at a design, but in the end it was agreed to award her the grant based on her meticulous handwriting and the theme-perfect name The Temple of Baby Steps. Congratulations Ms. Morley Roarly, the Black Pebble Arts Foundation has awarded you a nearly-full request of $34.90! *

*Randy Razorwire demanded we minus 10¢ for misspelling the word bourbon.