This week, Las Vegas is hosting the Americans in the Arts conference titled: Risk and Reward: Balancing Acts in Arts and Community. You can find out more about the conference by following this link: www.artsusa.org/events/200...default.asp

Burning Man is going to be a part of the conference, with Larry Harvey, Christine Kristin (Lady Bee), Leslie Pritchett, and Louis Brill presenting “Burning Man – Emergent Culture”. The presentation will take place on Sunday afternoon as part of the Public Art track for the conference.

To give our local community an opportunity to honor this occasion, there will be a reception on Friday, June 1, 2007, from 6 to 8 pm at the Twelve18 Gallery, 1218 S. Main Street, to welcome Larry, Leslie, and Lady Bee to Las Vegas and where the Black Rock Arts Foundation (the non-profit arm of Burning Man - www.blackrockarts.org) will announce its intention to sponsor a community art installation in Las Vegas. This event will be held in conjunction with Las Vegas' First Friday event, a monthly celebration of art in Las Vegas' downtown arts district.

Please join us for libations and light hors d’oeuvres, a chance to visit with our distinguished guests, and to learn more about the Black Rock Arts Foundation and its mission to build community through interactive art installations. We hope to see you there!

For questions regarding this event, or to find out how you can participate, please contact Joe Olivier (aka Exact Lee) at jro@jroworkshop.com

From the Americans in the Arts Program, here is a description of their presentation:

“Burning Man: Emergent Culture”

Burning Man organizers will discuss the community-based, interactive public art of Black Rock City, a temporary city of 40,000 that exists for one week annually in the Nevada desert. The nature of the art itself will be discussed, as well as its organization, funding, and management. The challenges of bringing this unique kind of public art from the desert to urban environments will also be explored.

Presenters:
Christine Kristen a.k.a. LadyBee, Art Curator, Burning Man
Larry Harvey, Founder and Director, Burning Man
Leslie Pritchett, Director, Black Rock Arts Foundation
Louis Brill, Special Projects Coordinator, Burning Man