Get The Closet to Burning Man
Donation protected
Hi there! I'm Sara.
For the past year, I have worked to create an interactive, freestanding closet that engages the community in political and social conversations surrounding LGBTQ issues. In June of 2018, the exhibit premiered at the Kentuckiana Pride Festival in Louisville, KY. Over the course of two days, hundreds of people witnessed the stories of LGBTQ individuals, featured in audio and visual art pieces throughout the closet. Participants were also invited to write their own fears and stories in the space, bravely demonstrating that we are not alone in our struggles. The experience inspired connection, tears, laughter and a closet full of LOVE. I then took the long trek to Burning Man in August of last year. The journey was incredible. Now, I would like to take it on a road trip across the country and back into the loving arms of BRC (Black Rock City where Burning Man is held).
I want to continue to share this installation and am calling on the community to help me take this piece on the road to one of the largest interactive art platforms: Burning Man. Along the way, I have an 8 city tour planned to set up the installation across the nation.
The Goal
My objective is to showcase this exhibition on a cross country roadtrip ending at Burning Man. I will continue to document the stories of LGBTQ members from all over the world. Burning Man is a city that is built annually for one week in the desert by 70,000 people from all corners of the globe. Since 1986, artists have made the pilgrimage to the Nevada desert to share their work with an international audience.
I believe that bringing the installation back to Burning Man will provide a personalized voice to the LGBTQ community on a larger scale. It will promote empathy and healing to viewers. It will show how similar our stories are.
9 years ago I went to a talk where an LGBTQ panel told stories from the past. It stuck me then how much I did not know about my LGBTQ history. It was my history and it was disappearing. So, I started recording stories of people in my community. Halfway in I realized that, even though the world is changing, we are still carrying so much fear in our bodies. I decided to build an experience that could facilitate healing and reignite community. Opening The Closet was born. It is a safe space to release your fears similar to a community diary entry. There are also 11 drawers that are filled with various history, past issues, or current issues the LGBTQ community has/is facing.
Please help me to amplify the voices of the individuals that have participated in this interaction! We can change the dialogue around LGBT issues.
The Costs:
My goal is to raise $10,000 to bring this experience to Burning Man. This budget includes transportation, installation, lighting and construction materials. I have provided my budget below to outline the specific costs of facilitating this experience in Black Rock City.
How You Can Help:
I am asking for donations of any dollar amount to manifest this ambitious community-healing project across the country. All funds will go directly towards creating the “Opening the Closet” experience at Burning Man. I have included incentives for donors that contribute $25, $50, $100, $250 and $1,000. It is also a tremendous help to share this campaign on your social media accounts.
Related Articles:
https://voice-tribune.com/_/life-style-2/arts-entertainment/opening-the-closet/
Incentives:
$25: Wardrobe separator with inspirational quote from the Closet
$50: Personalized postcard sent from Burning Man
$100: Documentation package including video from stops along the roadtrip as well as at Burning Man. Also comes with the copies of the original audio recordings that viewers will be hearing in the closet and clips from Kentuckiana Pride.
$250: Fine Art Print of Installation at Burning Man + Documentation Package
$1,000: Private dinner and screening of footage from the road trip and the installation at Burning Man + Wardrobe separator with inspirational quote + Personalized postcard sent from Burning Man + Fine Art Print of Installation at Burning Man
For the past year, I have worked to create an interactive, freestanding closet that engages the community in political and social conversations surrounding LGBTQ issues. In June of 2018, the exhibit premiered at the Kentuckiana Pride Festival in Louisville, KY. Over the course of two days, hundreds of people witnessed the stories of LGBTQ individuals, featured in audio and visual art pieces throughout the closet. Participants were also invited to write their own fears and stories in the space, bravely demonstrating that we are not alone in our struggles. The experience inspired connection, tears, laughter and a closet full of LOVE. I then took the long trek to Burning Man in August of last year. The journey was incredible. Now, I would like to take it on a road trip across the country and back into the loving arms of BRC (Black Rock City where Burning Man is held).
I want to continue to share this installation and am calling on the community to help me take this piece on the road to one of the largest interactive art platforms: Burning Man. Along the way, I have an 8 city tour planned to set up the installation across the nation.
The Goal
My objective is to showcase this exhibition on a cross country roadtrip ending at Burning Man. I will continue to document the stories of LGBTQ members from all over the world. Burning Man is a city that is built annually for one week in the desert by 70,000 people from all corners of the globe. Since 1986, artists have made the pilgrimage to the Nevada desert to share their work with an international audience.
I believe that bringing the installation back to Burning Man will provide a personalized voice to the LGBTQ community on a larger scale. It will promote empathy and healing to viewers. It will show how similar our stories are.
9 years ago I went to a talk where an LGBTQ panel told stories from the past. It stuck me then how much I did not know about my LGBTQ history. It was my history and it was disappearing. So, I started recording stories of people in my community. Halfway in I realized that, even though the world is changing, we are still carrying so much fear in our bodies. I decided to build an experience that could facilitate healing and reignite community. Opening The Closet was born. It is a safe space to release your fears similar to a community diary entry. There are also 11 drawers that are filled with various history, past issues, or current issues the LGBTQ community has/is facing.
Please help me to amplify the voices of the individuals that have participated in this interaction! We can change the dialogue around LGBT issues.
The Costs:
My goal is to raise $10,000 to bring this experience to Burning Man. This budget includes transportation, installation, lighting and construction materials. I have provided my budget below to outline the specific costs of facilitating this experience in Black Rock City.
How You Can Help:
I am asking for donations of any dollar amount to manifest this ambitious community-healing project across the country. All funds will go directly towards creating the “Opening the Closet” experience at Burning Man. I have included incentives for donors that contribute $25, $50, $100, $250 and $1,000. It is also a tremendous help to share this campaign on your social media accounts.
Related Articles:
https://voice-tribune.com/_/life-style-2/arts-entertainment/opening-the-closet/
Incentives:
$25: Wardrobe separator with inspirational quote from the Closet
$50: Personalized postcard sent from Burning Man
$100: Documentation package including video from stops along the roadtrip as well as at Burning Man. Also comes with the copies of the original audio recordings that viewers will be hearing in the closet and clips from Kentuckiana Pride.
$250: Fine Art Print of Installation at Burning Man + Documentation Package
$1,000: Private dinner and screening of footage from the road trip and the installation at Burning Man + Wardrobe separator with inspirational quote + Personalized postcard sent from Burning Man + Fine Art Print of Installation at Burning Man
Organizer
Sara von Roenn
Organizer
Louisville, KY
