A Dusty Little Town Called Black Rock City
Douglas Campbell / Co-Founder & Curator, Mindshare LA

Every year more than 50k people gather on the vast salt flats in the scorching desert north of Reno, NV for a colorful festival called Burning Man. For one week every year, Black Rock City springs up out of the flat cracked earth to become the 3rd largest city in Nevada. The event attracts all types of characters, united by a joy of radical self-reliance, self-expression and a quest for something different. This event will highlight some of the incredible artwork that the event inspires.

Douglas is a community constructor, experience engineer and tuxedo traveler. He co-founded Mindshare LA in 2006 as well as the interactive collective Syyn Labs in 2009. He likes volunteering at an organic farm and wearing tuxedos for charitable escapades.

The Big Art of Burning Man
Dan Das Mann / Artist & Metal Sculptor

Dan Das Mann specializes in both pre-fabricated and custom Metal Sculpture. Art is not art if it cannot be owned and enjoyed, therefore Dan strives to create art that is both beautiful and affordable. Harnessing the incredible power of the Plasma Cutter, he molds our sculpture from sheets of steel or copper in varying sizes and thicknesses. Any space can be filled, and no project is too small (or too big.)

Dan's degree in landscape architecture from Rutgers University is the basis for his fascination with large-scale work. He is a self-taught jack-of-all-trades, and has been involved in creating a large body of work including Ecstasy, Passage as well as a line of sculptures produced for the consumer market. Dan's focus is on the spiritual aspects of humanity and the environment.

The Art of Community: The French Quarter
Ari Schindler / Entrepreneur & Community Builder

In the one week that BRC exists, hundreds of camps pop up and create a slew of projects to share with festival goers. Some design mutant vehicles or large sculptures that grace the cracked playa. Others pour huge amount of man hours into the design and constuction of 'theme camps' centered around delivering unexpected experiences to people. The French Quarter is a replica of a New Orleans street, complete with balconies, well appointed bars and events throughout the week like Mardi Gras, The Jazz Funeral for The Man and Gumbo Night...

Ari Schindler is an entrepreneur whose past extends from psychology to technology, and whose current interests include sustainable living, mobile software, social computing, and conceptual art. Ari's expertise includes software design and development, game design and development, social networks and personal publishing, content production and distribution, sales management, project management, user behavior analysis, and usability testing - experience drawn from his work as consultant for companies such as Twistbox Entertainment, Comedy Central, and Electronic Arts.

The Other 51 Weeks & The LA Regional Burn
Athena Demos / Regional Coordinator for Burning Man in Los Angeles

Were you yearning for a little taste of Burning Man, but couldn't make it to the Playa? Did you go, but find yourself already missing "home"? Then join us this year at the 10th Annual LA Burning Man Decompression Arts and Music Celebration on Saturday October 13th through Sunday October 14th. We will be burning a beautiful piece of art called Seraphim: The Spirit of Unification.

Athena has produced the LA Decom since 2001 - ­ an event highlighting the art and music of Burning Man. She recruited and managed pro bono artist participation. She pllanned, scheduled and produced over 50 independent artists for this twelve-hour art and music festival. She staffed and managed each event with overlapping parties at separate venues with attendees in excess of 7,000 plus. Athena knows how to throw a good party.