Course Descriptions

The Burning Man Event is one of the most vibrant hubs of creative thinking and making in the United States. This three-unit course offers students an opportunity to deepen their artistic practice in an extraordinary setting.  Informed by the ten principles of Burning Man, students will create a series of interdisciplinary performative art pieces on the playa. The ten principles are: radical self-expression, radical self-reliance, radical inclusion, immediacy, communal effort, participation, de-commodification, gifting, civic engagement, and leave no trace. Students with an interest in any arts medium are encouraged to register; no performance experience is required. Before Burning Man, students will organize and plan projects in a workshop setting. Students will also read some of the existing academic literature that describes the performance making culture at Burning Man, view a slideshow of the art of Burning Man 1986-Present with special guests, and explore the lineage of radical Bay Area Artists from the Dadaists through the Diggers through the Pranksters through the Cacophony Society. During the event, students will rehearse and perform group and solo site-specific work, responding to the unique challenges and opportunities of the environment, and tour the major art works with associated faculty at Burning Man. After the event, students will create a reflection or response, in any medium. This course is recommended for people who have previously attended Burning Man and have experience camping in extreme conditions.  This course is not open to students who have CIIS scheduling conflicts with the Burning Man dates. Priority to MFA students