Not willing to leave this summer lacking in all that is tiny, the excellent Felix Strates is hosting “With a Cherry on Top” the Minneapolis Balsa Man Regional (Summer Edition): Sept 4th, 7-12pm in Minneapolis (exact location to be determined.

For more information check out the Facebook invite: Minneapolis Balsa Man Regional Summer Edition: With a Cherry on Top or email Felix the regional lead at gro.namaslabnull@psmaslab

Don't Fuck with Paul Balsa Bunyan by Rubin Starset

Sunday marked the first annual Tiny Shanty’s Tiny Fire Arts Festival! It was the first Balsa Regional of 2010 and the first ever Midwest Balsa Regional. The regional balsa burn also marked the closing of the magical Tiny Shanty and which was one of the star attractions at the Art Shanty Project, an art festival on the beautiful frozen Medicine Lake.

Cali “Starfive” Mastny was the organizer and creative mastermind behind the entire Tiny Fire Arts Festival including the amazing Paul Balsa Bunyan! I was especially tickled to see that her majestic Tiny Star Tree which had been at both the Black Rock Balsa Regional and the Balsa Man main event was also in appearance in the Tiny Shanty! For her amazing dedication and hard work, I personally presented her a tiny check from the Black Pebble Arts Foundation for $20!

The Minneapolis Burn Report!

by Colin Fahrion
Near dusk, the excited participants converged for the Tiny Fire Arts Festival as snow gently drifted down. The amazingly detailed Paul Balsa Bunyan Man was raised upon a beautiful metal petal which rested—naturally—upon stack of logs. Near the foot of the Balsa Bunyan Man, small matchstick men gathered.

The murmurs in the crowd soon turned to an uproar as the tiny fire conclave sauntered forth swinging their puny fire poi and stubby fire staffs! It was an exciting performance—I must say both in numbers and skill the six member Minneapolis fire conclave bested the two member Balsa Man conclave.

After the tiny fire performance, Cali stepped forth and lit Paul Balsa Bunyan. Like the Balsa Man burn, it was a chaotic firey and explosive feast for the eyes which was both all too brief yet still rich and fulfilling. As the fireworks died down, the crowd ran forward lit their tiny sparklers and ran around the embers!

It wasn’t over though as other tiny art was on hand including:

• The magnificent Temple of Modest Ability, by possibly maybe famous David Just-Ok
• The Scornicorn, a mean balsa unicorn with a vicious red tipped horn, by Rubin Starset
• The lovely Tiny Dangles mobile by Rachel

It was a magical amazing tiny burn, everyone walked away with smiles on their faces. Personally, I was overjoyed by it all and came away brimming with fresh ideas about how to improve Balsa Man itself. I thank Cali Mansty, the Tiny Shanty crew, and all the wonderful Minneapolis Balsa Burners who I met and made me feel at home. I came home to San Francisco creatively inspired and many a friend richer.

More photos & video:

• Tiny Fire Arts Festival video (same video embeded above; Vimeo link)
• Rubin’s Tiny Fire Arts Festival flickr set
• Strangepuppy’s Tiny Fire Arts Festival flickr set
• Starfive’s Tiny Shanty 4th Weekend flickr set

Tiny Shanty’s Tiny Fire Arts Festival

Sunday February 7th, dusk

A tiny art festival dedicated to the great art of small proportions. Take a stroll through our tiny (frozen) garden of art, and then join us for the burn. We will set afire an approximately two foot tall figure of art, appropriate to Minnesota, as well as any other tiny art people would like to burn.

Tiny Shanty itself is a lovely minute mansion out on the ice. The inside of the shanty is cozy and also doubles as a gallery space for a number of tiny art pieces contained within it’s walls. It was crafted by an amazing team of artists including the fabulous Balsa Man tiny artist and tiny grant recipient Cali Mastny, aka Star5, who crafted the beautiful Tiny Star Tree!

The Tiny Star Tree is especially significant as it was the only piece of tiny art to appear at both the Black Rock Balsa Regional and the main Balsa Man event! All of us here at the Balsa Man organization are thrilled to see such a talented tiny artist go on to produce such hugely diminutive art!

I myself, Colin Fahrion, am overjoyed as I will be heading out to Minneapolis this Friday to take part in the wonder of the Tiny Shanty and the Tiny Fire Arts Festival! Stay tuned to the Balsa Blog as I will be writing about my experience and plan on interviewing Cali and the rest of the Tiny Shanty team!

Also, rumor has it that a special press conference is planned this weekend in Minneapolis where the Balsa Man 2010 theme may possibly be announced!