The New England Black Rock Desert Camper Regional, Firefly, usually has a giant bug as the effigy, and this year somehow ended up with a woolly mammoth. In that spirit of change and growth, and in line with the “Growing Pains” theme of this year’s Balsa Man, participants at the NE Balsa Man regional will burn a 2′ effigy of a glowworm. This insect symbolizes our hopes for illumination and the difficulties of ecydysis yielding to mature awareness (and becoming a full-grown bug).

Abe Shultz is the regional contact for the New England Balsa Man Regional. He has been attending Firefly for the last four years, as a member of SSRI and Totenkitten. His art has not injured the unwary, but there is always next year.

The regional will take place on Saturday September 3rd somewhere sandy in the Boston/Cape Cod area with the exact time and location to be determined. If you would like to get involved or find out more you can contact Abe at gro.namaslabnull@ENaslab.

The Balsa Man Org continues to encourage new regional balsa burns around the country and the world! If you would like to host your own regional burn and are interesting in receiving a tiny art grant please review our Balsa Regionals page.

Toothpick Man, Near End of the Beach Regional

Keith Schon

Toothpicks, photo by Svenneman

I had a lot of fun last year participating in Balsa Man: volunteering at the Cafe, driving my RC art car around.  But the fact of the matter is, hauling all that stuff all the way to the far end of the beach is a pain in the ass.  It takes a lot of time, preparation, and endurance.  And all the “coping” — sand in my shoes, trying hard to find people… geeze!  I can’t do that every year.

This year, I want there to be an alternative for all those people who can’t get their act together in time for Balsa Man.  I intend to hold an even tinier event:  ”Toothpick Man”.  This will be held in the parking lot, or at the base of the stairs, depending on  circumstances.  The scale for this event will be approximately 1/5 that of Balsa Man, (i.e. 1/80 scale).  It will involve creature-comforts that are simply not available at the far end of the beach.

Grant requested:  $5 * 1/5 = $1

Simply bitsy brilliant Keith! We are more than happy to award you your grant of $1 and we will also be sending you a 1/5th size official regional certificate.

Balsa Big Ben

Balsa Big Ben is 99% complete and we are putting on the finishing touches Sunday.  We’ve been hard at work cutting, swearing, gluing, drinking, sanding, and throwing our arms up in frustration… this last bit was when we found ourselves out of both glue and drink. Oh dear! We have powered through the difficult times and managed to get done without firing any volunteers or having any visits to medical professionals.

The Balsa Blighty Tiny Art Team met last night to review art grant submissions and a £5 art grant was awarded to Super Chicken of Balsa Blighty – a 6-8inch tall Super Chicken/ Rooster. It’s more of a Chicken so we shall call him a Chicken. He is made from several customized sizes of strike-on-the-box matches and clear glue. The frame of his body at least, the exterior of him will be covered in raffia of several colours depending on the location and appropriate colour. Cardboard may also be involved as well as a mysterious 3rd foot to make sure he stands upright.

Our other art projects include:

• Tiny Nowhere Omnibus – scheduled, on-time, public transport and tiny art tours. Complete with tiny passengers. Ding! Ding!
• Greening Balsa Blighty – trees trees everywhere making Balsa Blighty a greener sight to behold for all, tiny or otherwise.
• Mini Quixote’s Cabaret – the playa’s favourite British pub in a wee size!

We have also heard rumours of doves, mini ball bits, a flea circus acting as rangers, and perhaps even a tiny Gladys the Green Goddess. Gladys is part of the Nowhere Fire Service and is a much loved member of our community – more about the big size can be found on the Facebook page

I’m back to sniff some more balsa glue and finish the Big Ben!

I’m so excited for this! And we found a great location too! For location information for Balsa Blighty email gro.namaslabnull@ythgilbaslab

-Cheeky

Balsa Man Japan sits waiting for the burn!

It’s shaping up to be a don’t miss event—and sadly since BART doesn’t yet have a Tokyo station, I won’t be there. If you are planning on going make sure to review the Balsa Man Japan Tiny Map and read the Balsa Man Japan Survival Guide. Some wonderful tiny art and minute vehicles are going to be there, check out the photos below (more photos are on the Balsa Man Japan Flickr Group.

Cat Bus for Balsa Man Japan, photo by cabcab

Lamp fighters, back stage, photo by ijinden

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

Steve Courtney, Regional Lead for Black Rock Balsa Man

We are proud to announce that Steve Courtney has stepped up as this year’s Black Rock Regional Lead! Steve and his desert pals have a small camp they call the Fandango Village where they have generously offered to host the Black Rock Balsa Man Regional:

“As a second-year participant in the Black Rock Balsa Man regional, I have a little bit of experience, and a smidgen of enthusiasm that I intend to bring to the event. Please stop by the Fandango Village bar to help in Tiny Art-Building Happy Hours, from 5-8pm on Wednesday and Thursday before the regional burn. 3:30 and Esplanade.”

While I personally know nothing of this desert many seem so fond of, I imagine Fandango Village bar is a nice cozy camp with a small shade structure and a couple camp chairs—I mean really what more do you need?

Black Rock Balsa Man Regional

Friday Sept. 3rd
5pm-6pm be on time as basla burns fast!
Fandango Village, 3:30 & Esplanade
facebook event page

Participate:
Make Tiny Art in the Desert!

Fandango is inviting tiny artists to join them at the Fandango Village bar for Tiny Art Build Happy Hour on Wednesday, Sept 1st and Thursday the 2nd, from 5-8pm. Facebook event for the Tiny Art Build Happy Hour

We also encourage people to come to any of the upcoming bay area Tiny Art Build Parties and make tiny art before they leave for the desert.

Everyone here at Balsa Man HQ are truly thrilled that Steve Courtney and his small coterie of camping pals have stepped up offer a modicum of fun to those camping in the Black Rock Desert. last year’s Black Rock Balsa Regional seemed like it was a itty bitty blast! We hope that this diminutive event inspires these desert campers to get up off of their camp chairs and one day make their own event—maybe even something bigger than Balsa Man!

Tiny artists and DTW volunteers are asked to show up early for set up. The Balsa Man Japan burns at sunset with other tiny art burning shortly thereafter—balsa burns in a blink of an eye so be on time! Clean up will begin after all tiny art is burned (around 8pm). Balsa Man is a Leave No Trace event so please help the DTW with their clean up efforts.

More information can be found on the Balsa Man Japan Survival Guide.

Participate!

There are several ways to participate to make Balsa Man Japan the grandest tiny spectacle ever:

• Create tiny art! Tiny artists should check out the Balsa Man Japan miniature art reference guide.
• Join the DTW (Dept. of Tiny Works). Help set up the tiny village of Balsa Man Japan!
• Help build the Balsa Man for Japan!

For more information on how you can participate contact gro.namaslabnull@napajaslab

You can stay abreast of all the Balsa Man Japan updates by following their twitter @balsamanJPN or RSVP to the Facebook Event

Balsa Man is having it’s first East Coast Regional in Philadelphia! The city of brotherly love will have it’s very own Philly Balsa Man Regional Burn on Sept 4th!

Leading the charge as the Philadelphia Regional Lead is the excellent Andrzej “Yeti” Bejnar. Who like the other two Regional Leads is also an experienced desert camper—what is it with these desert campers? That’s three in a row now!?!

Where & When

Philadelphia Balsa Man will be on Saturday, 4 September 2010. RSVP to the Facebook Event Page.

Tiny artists and other participants should arrive by 6pm. If you arrive too late you will miss seeing all the tiny art. The location will be along the Riverfront with exact details to be announced.

The main Philly Balsa Sculpture will burn shortly after sunset. Balsa burns fast so arrive on time!

Participate & Make Tiny Art!

Philadelphia Balsa Man is a participatory event and we encourage you to get involved. For more information on how you can participate please contact Andrzej at gro.namaslabnull@yllihpaslab.

Also, Andrzej will be hosting a Balsa Man Philly Regional gathering and Tiny Art Build Party on August the 6th from 6pm till 2am or later @ BookSpace at 1113 Frankford Ave. Philadelphia Pa 19125. Some art materials will be on hand for people to make tiny art, but artists are encouraged to bring their own supplies too. BookSpace is actually a great place for people to come down anytime and make tiny art!

August 6th is also the First Friday (of the month) open gallery night on the Frankford Ave Art Coorridor so it’s a good opportunity for people to meet and collaborate on making tiny art for Philly Balsa Man as well as meet for other art projects.

Andrzej "Yeti" Bejnar

Other build events are also being planned at coffee shops like Higher Grounds Cafe (Psst, hey Andrzej I hear coffee stirrers make great art materials!) and other local art centers.

It sounds like there is already a horde of minuscule excitement brewing in Philadelphia, to Yeti tell it:

“There is a large community of [Black Rock Desert campers] in these parts from many walks of life and art. Tiny art, tiny hoolahooping, tiny poi, tiny nurners, tiny tiny. Its all tiny-good and will be all tiny(ish)! We are really psyched.”

Andrzej promises more information over the next coming week. We will post that information here as we receive it but the best place to follow is the Philly Balsa Man Regional Facebook event page.

If you’d like to get involved, please contact Andrzej “Yeti” Bejnar at gro.namaslabnull@yllihpaslab or find him on facebook.

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Balsa Blighty is the first transatlantic Balsa Man regional in London, England. Lead by Miss Cheeky, Balsa Blightly aims to bring tiny art to the Big Smoke—giving Balsa Man a bit of British flavour!

All tiny artists in the tiny town of London are invited to join Balsa Blighty and show off their tiny art in a big way. Tiny art enthusiasts are welcome too.

Where & When

Balsa Blighty will be on Saturday, 4 September 2010.

Tiny artists and other participants should arrive by 6pm. If you arrive too late you will miss seeing all the tiny art and might only be faced with ashes.

The sunset is at 7.40pm and the main Balsa Blighty sculpture will burn shortly after the sun can no longer be seen. All other tiny art will burn after the main Balsa Blighty burn. Tiny art should only be burned by those that created it.

Location to be announced at a later date. Follow the facebook event page or the @balsablighty twitter stream for more announcements.

WANTED: Tiny Art for Basla Blighty!

Are you a tiny artist?
Do you love tiny art?
Do you find your artistic dreams are not being met on a small enough scale?
Do you think big things in small size?

Balsa Blighty encourages tiny artists of all sizes to make tiny art. Please contact gro.namaslabnull@ythgilbaslab if you are planning to bring tiny art or if you would like more information.

Tiny art should be, well tiny, and at least close to 1/16th scale. Tiny art should not dwarf the main Balsa Blighty sculpture. Your burn should be as tiny as your art – there should be no bonfires.

Participate!

Balsa Blighty is a participatory event and we encourage you to get involved. For more information on how you can participate please
contact gro.namaslabnull@ythgilbaslab

Leave No Trace

Balsa Blighty is a leave no trace event. Please ensure that the ashes of your tiny burn are cleared up as well as anything you may have brought with you. As it will be dark during this time we encourage you to bring a torch or a headlamp with you. Please also bring a bin liner or carrier bag for your rubbish.

Friendly Notices

Balsa Blighty is a BYOB event. We encourage you to bring with you whatever you might want to drink whilst you enjoy the tiny art. And since we all know sharing is caring, we encourage you to bring some to share with others.

Please do not play Godzilla amongst the tiny art. Be mindful where you are stepping.

To stay abreast of the event, follow the facebook event page or the @balsablighty twitter stream.

Tokyo Balsa Regional

Leading the effort to bring a small bit of joy across the Pacific pond is the amazing Makibee, a Freelance art-loving ex-mountain guide who just gave birth to 2nd generation Black Rock Desert camper! Makibee also runs #BURNINJA, a community of people in Japan who love camping in the Black Rock Desert… why they would come all the way to the United States to camp in a dry, dusty and dull desert I have no idea. No matter what their camping habits are, I can’t say how thrilled we all are at the Balsa Man headquarters that Makibee is heading up the Tokyo Balsa Regional! Japan very well seems to be full of people who have mastered the art of tiny and cute 10 times over, so I can’t wait to see the minuscule masterpieces that are sure to be born at their Balsa Burn.

More information about the Tokyo Balsa Regional will be forthcoming. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer or make tiny art for the regional you can contact Makibee at gro.namaslabnull@napajaslab

London Balsa Regional

Across the Atlantic Pond we have the marvelous Miss Cheeky, a veteran Black Rock Desert camper herself… what is it about Balsa Man that attracts all these desert campers? Anyways, besides being a person who likes to camp where it’s dry she is an avid Roller Derby girl with the London Rollergirls and crafter of adorable yet slightly creepy dolls—correction, Miss Cheeky is a specialist and only crafts doll faces. With her creative crafting skills I know she”ll be able to make a pint-sized wonder of an Balsa event! And with her roller derby moxie, she’s more than tough enough to handle any can kick all the riffraff out no matter how big they are.

More information about the London Balsa Regional will be forthcoming. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer or make tiny art for the regional you can contact Makibee at gro.namaslabnull@nodnolaslab

Also more regionals are in the works in other parts of the United States so stay tuned to the Balsa Blog! If you would like to host your own Balsa Regional please contact our Regional Director at gro.namaslabnull@slanoiger