2015 Placement Map & Descriptions

FINAL2015Placement

Mosaic Experiment: Defying Gravity 2015 Placement Map

ART INSTALLATIONS

ANTI-GRAVITY ELIXIRS Anti-­gravity elixirs aim to challenge the force of attraction by which our bodies fall toward the center of the Earth. The consumption of anti­-gravity potions are the gates of which to enter an alternate world of possible impossibilities. By creating possible impossibilities, we enable ourselves to lose touch with the physical laws of attraction that bind us to reality, and unhinge fantasies of weightless existence of which evoke transformative change.

DEFIANT PHOENIX “Defiant Phoenix” mixes Mosaic 2015’s “Defying Gravity” theme with the Big Burn’s “Man Effigy”. This installation is a family of wooden birds which will be set ablaze. Each reminds us to defiantly soar high above the challenges of life. Their cycle of "life from death" reflects our own experience from default world to burner community.

GALLERY OF THE FOUND Gallery of the Found is a interactive gifting gallery for art and writing. Found in a tiny alcove of trees, the Gallery is place to discover art, poetry, crafts and writing all gifted by our burner community. The Gallery will also feature the Altered Book Project, a creative way for you to make art and poetry at the burn. Find us among the trees... bring or make something to gift, and hang it in the gallery to be found anew. Please, don’t be shy - take a piece of Mosaic art home with you when you depart!

FLYING BADONKADONK MACHINE How does one describe a flying badonkadonk machine? It's mobile musical instrument that anyone can play (if they are tall enough); it’s mounted on wheels, so you never know where it might fly off to. You’ll know it when you see it. Play it! Interactive participation of this mobile musical art is encouraged!

MANIC DYSPHORIA A stately willow with an impossible garden stands beside a clouded sky. The central tree canopy sways fluidly as an unseen breeze imparts momentum to the sculpture; its lifelike actions captivating in their apparent simplicity. The tree has surprisingly chaotic behaviors while still being structurally strong and stable. Lights flow across the limbs and reflect off the cloudy sky. The garden is beautiful but seemingly cannot truly exist, just like people can still hold beauty in times of seemingly impossible hardship. This environment represents the chaos and the beauty in which the severely mentally ill and those close to them live.

REFLECTIONS Reflections is a wooden pergola with a rope suspended bed made of reclaimed wood. Like swinging on a swing set as a child, Reflections defies gravity by offering a feeling of weightlessness, happiness and flying while being safe for burner participants to hang out on and reflect. At night, the effect should be something similar to floating around in space, staring up at the stars.

TAKE MY HAND Take My Hand is a passive interactive piece that encourages spontaneous moments of slow dance. Imagine as you are on one of your walking adventures to check out what Mosaic is doing, with a person you are happy to have in that moment - ­ a friend, a lover, a parent/child/brother/sister, a new acquaintance, a crush, a recent stranger­ - and you frolic across a stand-alone space where you can sweep in and out of a dance at both of your wills. Maybe it makes you nervous, and maybe it gives you butterflies, maybe it feels like the most natural thing in the world... sway back and forth all night or until the end of the song.

Based on the artist’s fond memories of dancing with her father, Take My Hand recalls being spontaneously twirled around and sharing a dance, then letting it end as quickly as it came on with zero awkwardness. This project is being built in hopes to offer a platform to offer your hand to someone and be intimate with another human, the slow dance way.

TARDIS (BIGGER ON THE INSIDE) We'll be making a tardis out of plywood with mirrors (some of them carnival style) lining the interior walls and solar lighting from the edges. The idea is to create a multi-angled infinity mirror effect in which a person can view themselves in ways they were never previously capable. Perhaps even realizing like a Tardis, they too are bigger on the inside.

TEMPLE OF UNOBTAINABLE EXPECTATIONS The concept of the Temple of Unobtainable Expectations is simple, really. Expectations are all around us and in our daily life. We really do take for granted that things will always be the way they are now and they won’t be. Each moment in time is different than another. There is no going back, only forward. So, why not go forward with a new direction? The direction of healing. The Temple’s goal is to help transmute the energy of guilt of expectation into a loving remembrance of who we really are. When we free ourselves of expectation, we make room to express more love and joy. You are invited to interact with the Temple by writing on the outside, or leave unobtainable expectations within on the heart shaped papers provided. The Temple is located in Sacred Grove, and the artist will often be nearby and invites you to reach out to her if you need help letting go. The Temple of Unobtainable Expectations burns Sunday morning as the sun rises.


THEME CAMPS

ASGAARD When you feel consumed by the fog of uncertainty, when you feel driven to break free from the oppressors, heed the summons of the heathen horn. This is the home for those who embrace the white frost, a haven for the fighting spirit, consecrated by hearts of fire and steel. Harken the battle cries of our warrior brethren, the strike of the anvil, the lightning crash. We welcome you to Asgaard, to answer the thundering call of the north.

People can come and hang out, listen to our music, dance. We will be playing mostly Nordic and European metal as well as some other music. People are encouraged to express all of the 10 principles, but especially radical self expression.

BIPOLAR DRAGONS The large art "Manic Dysphoria" is integral to the theme camp. It's expected that several people at once can be creating art of the dance through the movement of the chaotic willow limbs and playing with complex light patterns in the limbs via smart phones. All of these activities interact with each other. Cooperation tends to produce the most beautiful actions with the seeming chaos. The floating boulder is there specifically as an art play area for kids. A specific activity is drawing on the boulders with colored chalk. Hopefully this will foster the concept of being artistic without permanently marring outdoor beauty. More introspective interaction is writing/drawing/etc. on cloth that people can quickly glue to the tree trunk and roots. It is expected that there will be additional art to gift that helps carry the discourse about Bipolar Disorder beyond the limits of the Mosaic Experiment.

CAMP BLAST OFF! A place made up of people that love space and all space related things. BYOA: Bring your own alien and no MIB allowed.

CAMP BYE FELICIA! Camp Bye Felicia! is a camp with a unique attitude. We welcome the stranger as long as that stranger isn't a jerk. Anyone thought to be a jerk will get a very loud "Bye Felicia!" from us. We are a camp full of silly grumps. We will have odd and possibly bitchy art lying about. We are also offering an activity called Frankenfurries where you can sew together your own crazy creature out of various stuffed animal parts. We want to spread the message that even though we are at a burn, we don't have to put up with rude jerks. Our camp definitely abides by the Fuck Yer Day mentality!

CAMP CUDDLEFISH Camp Cuddlefish is an aquatic-themed cuddlespace. We also run workshops, usually including Good Touch Games, an experiment in consensual touch gamification that also just so happens to make people practice good consent culture.

CAMP GROWN-UP We are Camp Grown-Up, an art-centric group of cool people from Boston. We come all the way to Ohio to make sure hippies have the things they need to burn successfully - we practice radical over preparedness. We also have a sober adult person on premises all through the burn - so if you lose your shit we'll help you find it.

CAMP NEVER B IV - THE OFFICE An interactive office, play, and teaching area.

CAMP SNAKE OIL Camp Snake Oil will serve the finest in libations meant to give you the pep, vim, and vigor you need to promote health in the body and mind using the oldest and best science. No fancy double blind studies here folks! Just good old fashion know-how! So long story short, we're a bar, which promotes all kinds of interactivity in one way or another.

CAMP CLOUD CITY Camp Cloud City brings out the kid in you. Imagine walking through the clouds into a space filled with toys from your past. Imagine playing games from years past. Imagine drinking tea from toy tea cups. Imagine seeing the stars and moons scattered on the ceiling from your childhood bedroom. Here you can escape from the hustle and bustle of your busy camp life, and retreat into your inner child - free of pressures, filled with joy and innocence.

The camp also hosts several art installations, one of which is the recipient of the medium art grant. You can write a postcard to your future self. Drop it into our Cloud City mailbox, and we will keep it safe and mail it to your future you. What would you like to say to yourself? What wisdom would you like to impart? What would you like to remind yourself? It's all here - waiting for you.

On Friday for a couple of hours, kids are welcomed to the Cloud City to play games led by one of our camp members. On Saturday for a couple of hours, we will be serving an adult brunch where everyone is welcome to participate.

Camp Cloud City serves as a haven. A way to ease your burden and take a few minutes of your day to let the kid in you play again.

DEITY CAMP Come to Deity Camp and become a God or Goddess (your choice), complete with immortality ceremony, sacred geometry creation, and a pantheon sound altar that will burn after the effigy. We have some amazing never before heard electronic based sets ready to go with both high and low energy times happening. Come gather and worship around the fire alter, feel or dance at the sound alter, or join in on some cuddle opportunities, and don’t forget to say high to Z(i)us: God of the gods, God of sound, and God of cuddles.

FIRST FIRES First Fires invites you to take a step back in time and a step into coziness. Here we celebrate the first fires of our civilizations that drew people together for warmth, comfort, companionship, and expression. We invite you to relax in our cave dwelling, and leave your mark on our time together by adding to the murals inside. Stop by any time, or join us for one of our events, including a Wild Things Tea Party, Open Mic, and Beginner Fire Spinner Workshops.

FIX YOUR SHIT Fix Your Shit started as advice, turned into a philosophy and now it has evolved into a theme camp. We provided shit-fixing supplies, including sewing kits, basic first aid, things to keep you warm, and more. Need something fixed? Come see us, we’ll do our best to help! Camp FYS is also radically inclusive as our members are involved in a variety of activities, many of which are counter culture. We attend burns, pagan festivals, kink parties and are open to any and all people regardless of gender, orientation, marital status, and blood donor type. We are poly and kink friendly. Several of our members also love to hand drum and that draws in many visitors and people looking to get away from the EDM. We will have many drums with us to loan people and several people with large mouths to draw people in.

FROSTED KRAKEN COOKIES Our flavor engineers have crossed the Indus River and climbed the highest peaks of the Himalayas to fetch the sacred milk of the finest Nepalese cows. We’ve traversed across China in search of the holiest of holy grains. We’ve sought out the oldest of Irish druids in search of divine swine. We solicited the help of the righteous brotherhood of the Canadian Maple. We even had some dolphin bits left over from our last endeavor. Look for our Cookieketeers making the rounds passing out our most sacrilegious treat yet.

HELPING HANDS SUCCORS We are a camp offering a place to stay for new burners, who would like to already have connections before experiencing this wonderful life changing event called burning. We are here to offer help, guidance, answer questions and ensure the newest members of our community have a better burn experience. We also will offer a gifting tree or loan hub where people can register extra supplies they bring, hoping to gift or loan to those who have forgot, lost, broke, ran out of, or didn't plan on bringing. We all need a little help from time to time, and even the most seasoned burners can run into a snag while at an event. There is no shame here. No sparkle ponies, just inexperienced or uneducated future friends.

LAST CAMP With an iron-clad pack-all-the-muck back out plan we intend on setting up a hookah bar for ages 18+. We will have 4 hookahs, wind covers for the bowls for safety, and a variety of flavors for everyone to try. Will have a pillow pile for sitting out to look at the stars or discuss all the things. We want to provide a relaxing place in a quieter area for folks to gather and talk or take a breather.

MOTHERSHIP LOVE Mothership Love Command Center. Welcome Humans! We are honored by your open arms and profuse usage of this H2O substance you keep drinking. How weird. Come hang out and say hi to the Crew and come visit with the Mothership! Make sure to stop by on Burnday afternoon. Our crewmembers have fallen in love with this… grilled cheese concoction you humans eat. We will have plenty of these grilled lactose slices for you all. Don’t believe their lies!

NOTACAMP We'll bring our big metal dome back this year filled with electronics, blinky lights and tons of fun stuff to do! Live music and DJs will be playing in the dome throughout the event. Want to play your own stuff or jam, then stop on by! We're also bringing back Mosaic Radio, 88.5 FM, so bring your FM radio to tune into what's going on in the dome. We also accept submissions for radio programming, so submit something!

PIONEER Much like it was in 2014. We're going to have a book swap (leave a book take a book) under our -better built- front porch. We're also planning on having olde fashioned checkers set up for folks to take a siesta and relax ye olde pioneer style. On one of the nights we're going to have corn on the cob. The following day we're going to teach people what some uses pioneers had for cobs. Other than wiping their butts - making checkers, scrub brushes and other stuff Peppers brain contains.

PRIORITY5 Our vision is to create a space to demonstrate our camps incredibly varied skillset to the community as a whole. We plan on having a bar, to lure people in, and have a large scale sound system to keep them enraptured by our DJ roster. We have a number of fire spinners that will be performing their flow art, as well as hosting at least two events (a talk on cryptography and a bourbon tasting). As a whole, we focus on building strong social ties within the community by enabling unmediated experiences.

SACRED GROVE "The Place Where People Meet to Seek the Highest is Holy Ground."

Our vision for Sacred Grove at Mosaic is to intentionally and energetically interact with a designated space to create “the Sacred.” In a Blessing Ceremony, all are invited to imbue the space with the gift of our own sacred energy, gratitude for the sacred energies present in the space, and an interest in mutually awakening and expanding these energies together in the space. We will summon within ourselves: trust, acceptance, and openness to change and expansion.

Throughout the course of Mosaic, we will work and play in that sacred space, and offer it up to whomever would like to do the same. As Mosaic draws to a close, we will offer a Blessed Ceremony, to conclude our personal experience with the space, and also take it forward into the next chapters of our lives.

We promote radical inclusion by opening the space to all at any time. We also open the idea of what is “sacred” to be explored by all who enter the space with awareness of its intention. We promote radical self-expression by celebrating all forms of self-expression as sacred. We promote communal effort by supporting each contributor in manifesting their offering to the Sacred Grove. We promote participation in the space through both physical and energetic offerings that will be described in an intentional schedule posted at the entrance.

We promote immediacy by encouraging experience that drops participants’ energetic expression/ reception down from headspace into heartspace and root-creativespace. In the same vein, we encourage participants to fuse any intention that they carry together with openness to whatever is present – to fully and sacredly experience the beauty of the NOW experience.

THE SECRET GENTLEMEN’S CLUB The Secret Gentlemen's Club is an oasis of leisure and sophistication, a bulwark of civility against an increasingly savage world. Here a Burner can embrace their more cosmopolitan side, engaging with other like-minded individuals in an atmosphere of refinement and urbanity.

Whether enjoying liquid refreshments lovingly concocted by one of our expert cocktail craftsmen, playing one of our outsized lawn games, voicing their innermost thoughts through participatory art installations, testing their skills at classic arcade machines, or simply engaging other Secret Gentlemen (keeping in mind that ladies can be the most secret gentlemen of all) in scintillating conversation, Mosaic participants will find The SGC a most welcoming environment for expression, repose and intellectual edification.

Proper attire required (or will be provided).

SKRAMBLES**!* Born from confusion and tempered by mild incompetence. Home of the world famous "Now we dance! Now we fight!" Dance/Fight party (now with fewer stuffed animal related injuries!). Absolutely no eggs. All hail String.

SPIRIT ILLUMINATIONS We believe in creating a space where a person’s body, soul and spirit are free to connect to the Creator of the Universe. We provide a safe place where one can interact with the spirit through creative art, dream interpretation, readings, and healing.

SUMMER CAMP REJECTS PART DEUX Were you the outcast at summer camp when you were a kid? Now you can be the popular one! This camp is for all of us who were not accepted. We will have interactive projects such as coloring books, fabric paints, beading and LEGOS! We will be hosting a Lego Build Party on Saturday from noon to 3 PM. Dragoon DailyFlame, camp mascot and all around good Dragon will also be in attendance.

SYNCITYUM An Ann Arbor/Detroit based theme camp with bar, sound and whatever fire Ohio allows us to bring.

UNDER SEAGE Under Seage is collaborating once more with a bunch of wonderful people and camps to create Ocean Motion Village! With Art, Music and an interactive space for performance, spiritual expansion, TED talks and cuddle space, if you are not having fun, you're doing it wrong! So come play and learn.

WHITE RABBIT White Rabbit offers a safe, chill space to enjoy. We have gallery space to display art. Art supplies and paper to create art. Hookah. Quiet, and chill music, as well as an interactive art installation.


Many thanks to Lady D, our Placement lead, for her hard work coordinating our village.  Huge thanks to Lindsey Pepper of Pioneer camp for the gorgeous graphic design!

Questions? Email our placement department at placement[at]mosaicexperiment[dot]com.

Weather Preparedness & Self Reliance

Regional burns expose us to all types of weather. Burning Man faces the unique challenge of camping in the desert -- Mosaic Experiment challenges us to be prepared for October camping in Ohio. What can you expect? Anything. That means sunny days and chilly nights, light rain, heavy rain, wind, hail, cold. One day you might be happy running free in a tank top. That night, you might be wrapped up in a sleeping bag with three layers of pajamas cuddling for warmth. One thing most burners have in common: we're proud of our ability to survive unpredictable weather, outdoors, without trips to the local store for last minute items -- and we do so with style while having a great time. Showing up prepared (and the process of getting prepared) teaches us how to take care of ourselves responsibly, so that we can make the most of our time burning together.

How can you up your Radical Self-Reliance quotient? Plan ahead for everything. Anticipate dramatic changes. A good question to ask yourself: what kinds of things do you pack beyond the obvious "umbrellas, sweatshirts and raincoats"? How are you planning to prepare for wind? Do you have good stakes for your tent and shade structures? Do you have an extra tarp? How will you survive a cold night if temps drop into the 30s?

R A I N

Rain at Mosaic

In 2014, we thought it would be helpful to start a thread on our Mosaic Facebook Group asking our community to share the ways in which they prepare their art, theme camps, tents, and selves for the inevitable October rain in Ohio.

Here are some of the best recommendations our community members responded with:

  • Good solid rain boots

  • Have a SPARE pair of rain boots

  • How to waterproof your boots with wax: http://youtu.be/htyNHX6afQM

  • LOTS of warm socks!

  • Pack your clothing in a Rubbermaid container.

  • Pack an extra outfit inside a Ziplock bag in case your tent floods. Pack bedding in trash bags if it's raining on arrival day, so it doesn't get wet between car and tent.

  • Waterproof your tent and clothing (the spray can stuff from Shoe Carnival is said to be good enough.)

  • PREVENT TENT LEAKS: When you leave your tent, make sure nothing is touching the sides. Anything touching the tent sides creates a place for rain to gather and enter the tent rather than roll off. Pull all crap toward the center!

  • Put a ground sheet or tarp under your tent and ensure it doesn't extend past the sides of the tent. If the tarp is sticking out around the sides, it will gather rainwater and pool under your tent.

  • Better yet, put the ground tarp inside the tent under your bedding.

  • Have lots of tarps and rope!

  • Don't build art projects out of cardboard for events when it might rain. 

  • Warm cocoa, hot cider, miso soup. YUMMY during cool rainy camping adventures.

  • For cold rain and damp nights, use a light weight sheet or blanket to cover air vent under rain fly and then tarp away!

  • Vitamin C! Airbornes!

  • Extra tie downs and stakes for your tarps!!!

  • Wool, fleece, warming clothing

  • Rain suit! Something like this

  • Check out this article with tips from engineers: Storm Proofing Your Tent

W I N D

Rain isn't the only likelihood. You should also prepare your structures for wind. When high winds pick up, EZ Up shade tents that aren't staked down can go flying and become dangerous. Are you bringing a dome or other large shade structure? Make sure you've researched and planned how it will stand up to wind. Some tips:

  • Make sure you secure your tent to the ground in a way that it will not come loose. Buy higher quality stakes than the simple metal ones that come with your tent.

  • Wind over time will cause your tent to move up and down and side to side, therefore your ground stakes need to be checked frequently to see if they are working.

  • Properly angle your stakes and guylines. If wind is up-rooting the pegs, use longer ones, and remember to hammer them in so that the point is closer to the tent than the head.

  • Keep in mind that anything lying around your camp that is not secured down, like garbage, plastic bottles, paper, art or anything else, will get blown during high wind. It is your responsibility to take back everything that you bring in, from the largest structure to the smallest bottle cap or cigarette butt. Keeping everything secured means you won’t have to spend time searching for it later.

C O L D

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It's possible that we might experience cold weather at Mosaic. If it's cold and damp, body chill is even more likely. How to not just survive, but thrive?

  • Cold Weather Clothing: Make sure you pack the basics: long sleeve shirts, long pants, a hooded sweatshirt, parka jacket, warm socks, gloves or mittens, a beanie. Layer your clothing so you can add/subtract insulation as needed.

  • Avoid cotton materials as they trap and hold moisture close to the body, reducing any insulating value. Undergarments of polypropylene are ideal for wicking away dampness, while over garments should be made of wool. If you layer, it's easier to adjust your comfort level as temperatures change.

  • Air mattresses trap cold air underneath you. Layer a fleece or wool blanket on top of your air mattress to insulate your own body heat.

  • If you are hanging near a camp­fire, make sure that your outer layer of cloth­ing is less likely to end up ruined if struck by an errant ember.  Wool is one of the best, most fire-resistant nat­ural mate­ri­als and is great for this.

  • Hydrate, then hydrate some more: You may not feel thirsty in cold weather, but staying hydrated is just as important in cold weather as it is in summer. Drink water (warm or cold), hot tea, or hot chocolate—the latter also provides high-calorie fuel for your burn adventure.

  • Be ready for condensation: As you breathe in a warm tent on a cold night, condensation will form on your tent, even if it's a four-season model. There's not a lot you can do about condensation, but the next morning be sure to dry out your sleeping bag before using it again. To minimize condensation, you can vent your tent at night—it won't hold in heat as well, but it will stay dryer.

  • The old wisdom of stripping down before you get into a sleeping bag doesn't make sense. Put on everything you brought before you turn in for the night. And if the campfire is still going, heat some water, pour it into a heat-proof water bottle, and snuggle into your bag with it.

  • Hot Hands and Mylar Blankets are a quick lifesaver on a cold night. Open a pair of Hot Hands, shake them, and throw them in the bottom of your sleeping bag. Cover your bag with a mylar blanket. You'll sleep like a baby all night long.

rainbowtent

The key to enjoying Mosaic Experiment is to #BurnResponsibly. This means taking action before you arrive to be prepared. The time is now to get ready!

Have a comment on this list or another suggestion we should add? Let us know at info[at]mosaicexperiment[dot]com.

Mothership Love-Raiser: August 29

mothershiploveraiser[I N C O M I N G  T R A N S M I S S I O N]

MOTHERSHIP LOVE-RAISER Saturday, August 29, 2015 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

$10 gets you all this, all night

Necto Nightclub - Red Room 516 E. Liberty Street Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104

FEATURING THE SOUNDS OF:

DEZIGN | House, Classic Hip-Hop, UK House & Garage M I X T A P E | Cosmic Disco & Trouble-Funk / Soulful House EGGS BLACKLY | House & UK Garage

The Mothership Love crew is reaching to our friends and burner family to join us in a night of fun and dancing while supporting this year’s Mosaic effigy team. We will be beaming down to host an event in the Red Room at Necto in Ann Arbor pushing the boundaries of reality! We will also have our scale version of the effigy on site.

If you are unable to attend but still want to donate, please take a look at our Indiegogo campaign.

About the Mothership Love: The Mothership Love is an effigy project like no other! Using the power of FIRE we will make the fifteen foot tall effigy defy gravity in a multitude of ways. Utilizing science and ingenuity as our tools we aim to create a highly interactive and engaging experience before, during and after the burn.

2015 Defying Gravity Logo

websitelogobannerIntroducing the Mosaic Experiment 2015 Defying Gravity logo! Skennedy (Scott Kennedy) of Cleveland, Ohio gave his time and talent to craft this logo for use by the community. More on his process and inspiration:

I was asked to do my part in creating a logo for this year's Mosaic Experiment, based on our theme.

We talked about Defying Gravity, and Everyman made some suggestions for how that might look, and I ran with it.

The idea here is that a person with wings has leapt from a ledge, bridge, or tree into the air, surrendering themselves to the wind just before the incredible effort of flying, of resisting the irresistible.

Defying a force of nature is hard work, but there is a joy in that defiance, in controlling your own destiny for as long as you can, even if you know that eventually you will land, and have to start all over.

To me, that is what we do when we carve a space for ourselves to experiment with art and society - often walking a tightrope of regulations designed by the rest of the world to avoid risk and conflict so that we can embrace those things, together.

Without conflict, there can be no change.

And so the Defier pushes away from the cultivated, safe farmland for something stressful, intensely joyful, and all too brief.

Sound familiar?

See you at Mosaic.

--Skennedy

This image is available for any creative project your burny heart desires. Ideas include screen printing, stickers, etchings, engravings... anything you can imagine!  Several file types available here.

2015 Tickets Announced!

ticketsDid you get the news? Ticket sales have been announced! Tickets for Mosaic Experiment go on sale on Brown Paper Tickets on Wednesday, June 3 at 12 pm. For adults (age 13 and over), tickets are $75, and child tickets (12 and under) are no cost, as a gift to the community. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE: http://mosaicexperiment2015.brownpapertickets.com/

This year, your Mosaic organizers are intent on making our burn even more incredible. We’ve got our minds on sustainability of the event, not just for 2015, but for years to come. Since our February planning retreat, we’ve been thinking ahead, making goals, researching possibilities, creating budgets… all in the name of planning a safe, sustainable, well-organized event where creativity and community reign.

Take a look at what’s new and exciting for 2015:

  • A BIG INCREASE IN ART GRANTS! We’ve budgeted $500 for Youth Art Grants, $500 for Medium Art Grants (plus two fundraisers for even more funds, to be held in Cincinnati and Indianapolis this summer), and $2000 for Large Art Grants. A total of $3000 to support more art!
  • MORE FUNDS FOR EFFIGY: We previously announced a budget of $500 for the effigy (as we offered in 2014.) Well, hold on to your hats, y’all, because we’re increasing that budget by $500... for a total $1000.
  • INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE: Let’s face it. We need to safely shelter our fabulous volunteers from the unpredictable Ohio weather in October. firesafetyWe’re making sure that our front Gate has a shade structure that doesn’t fall apart, that our Greeters are sheltered from sun and sleet while hugging your necks, that our Fire Safety team has the gear needed to protect us, and that DPW (Department of Public Works) has the tools and supplies they need to create signage, lighting, and other common use areas. These tools, structures and gear have to be housed somewhere, and a central storage space maintained and inventoried by the organization saves individuals from taking on this financial investment and liability. It’s worth it, don't you think, to be able to reuse these resources year after year?
  • LEGAL FUNDS: We’ve taken an important step this year in garnering legal counsel to help us navigate sensitive situations that impact everyone at an all-ages burn, to further investigate fire safety laws in Ohio, and for general counsel as needed.
  • FIREWOOD INCLUDED FOR ALL: As you might know, our landowner prefers that all firewood be purchased from one approved source, and that no firewood be brought into Reclaim from across state lines (for environmental reasons). 2firepitThis presents a challenge. Last year, we budgeted $600 to provide firewood for everyone at the burn. Sadly, by late Saturday night we were all a little chilly… so this year, we’ve increased the firewood budget to $1000. Firewood will be freely available for pickup onsite to all campers with registered campsites.
  • GIFT TICKETS FOR CHILDREN: No cost for child tickets (12 years and under.)
  • LOW INCOME TICKET PROGRAM: Last but not least, this year we are implementing a low income ticket program. A limited amount of lower cost tickets will be made available, to help some of those who might have difficulty affording the increased ticket price. We love ALL of our Mosaic family, and are sensitive to financial issues. Please read all details & apply by June 17, 2015: Google Doc PDF

LK029_8144As our Experiment grows, we grow along with it. Each step we take towards responsible growth ensures that we burn brightly and safely together for many years to come. Want to get involved in shaping Mosaic Experiment's future? Check out our volunteer lead positions.

Interested in learning more about how planning, organizing and budgeting for a regional burn works? Want to read about last year's burn, and how we made some of these decisions? Check out the Mosaic Experiment 2014 Afterburn Report.

More questions about ticketing? Be sure to read the 2015 Ticket Information for all the details you need, and mark your calendars to buy tickets starting June 3rd at noon.  For questions not answered here, email tickets[at]mosaicexperiment[dot]com.

2015 THEME: Defying Gravity

DEFYING GRAVITY: Mosaic Experiment 2015 Decades ago, we began our ascent into the unknown cosmos. While fighting against the very real force of Earth's pull on our new celestial bodies, we were also challenging our notions of the solemn, once sacred Space. An untouched realm was interrupted; this ripple effect shifted status quo to include the impossible, the unhinged. We could now touch our fantasies. The veil had been parted.

There are hints at this weightless existence here on our earthly sphere. Insects defy the laws of gravity: chunky bumblebees fly with inexplicable wings using brute force; ants climb walls, overcoming resistance with their miniscule weight. Plant shoots unfurl and trees stretch towards the sky, aided with the movement of water and nutrients by the phenomena of evaporation.

GRAVITY: The force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth. Also: of a serious and solemn nature.

DEFY: to challenge the power of; to resist boldly.

Mosaic Experiment continues this year on a reclaimed strip-mine - or is it a portal to a new time space, our temporary home in the cosmos? Here, “reality” is up for debate. We may encounter visions of galaxies, nebulae, and newborn stars that melt in our hands, messages of light transmitted across sound, laughter expressed through prisms of color, knowledge of otherworldly sentience, small doors leading to vast spaces. Beyond the looking glass sphere of Earth, this dimensional shift brings about curiouser and curiouser visages, where anything is possible and even the stars aren't the limit.

How will you leave gravity behind?


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Mosaic Experiment 2014 Afterburn Report

Mosaic 2014 Afterburn ReportIt is with much gratitude and excitement Mosaic is now ready to share with our annual year-end report, providing our participants with an up-to-date overview of the 2014 Mosaic event, our organization, our objectives, and the obstacles we encountered trying to achieve them.

Our hope is that this report with help provide a context for understanding the organization and people behind the event. “Mosaic Experiment” is the name we use to define the scope, scale and dynamic nature of what we all do together. Whether or not you attended the event, we ask that you take a moment to review our year long struggles, achievements, and lessons learned. Each team lead volunteered to take time out of their busy schedules to document their experience for future leaders of our organization. Perhaps one of them will be you?

Mosaic Experiment 2014 Afterburn Report [Google Doc] [PDF]

All Tickets Are Officially Gone!

Sold All The Tickets!Mosaic Experiment has become the first Ohio regional burn to hit its ticket cap before sales were scheduled to end. In fact, the event isn't for another month! Roughly 200 tickets sold within the two weeks leading up to the ticket tier pricing change from $50 (Tier 1) to $75 (Tier 2.) This is shocking to all of us as there has never been a ticket scarcity for an Ohio burn since the first ones started 7 years ago (in 2007.) Mosaic has had them on sale since April and have been promoting them since March.

We started notifying people of a ticket sellout threat 2 weeks prior to the start of September as we saw an increasing number of them selling every day right up until Tier 2 hit. By then there were less than 50 remaining and they all sold within two days. In total, that's 350 tickets sold in just over 5 months. By contrast, our closest large regional burn to Ohio is Lakes of Fire and their 1,600 tickets were all gone within minutes of their first and second sale, both of which happened within the same week!

What can we do now? Not to fret, one of our organizers put together a Mosaic Ticket Exchange Facebook group. As the event nears, many people who secured their tickets early in response to our warnings of tickets selling out will find themselves unable to attend and will be putting up their tickets for sale here. There obviously won't be enough for everybody who still wants a ticket, but there is still hope for those holding out. If you're persistent and attentive enough, you'll stand a very good chance of getting one.

How can we raise the cap for next year? One word: volunteer! Our cap was determined in January 2014 by last year's organizers who met and guessed the number of participants we felt we could safely handle based on the number of volunteers from our inaugural year. For every extra 100 people attending, you need at least another 30 volunteers (roughly 2/3rds of the entire Lakes of Fire event is made up of volunteers!) For example, you can't justly accept 100 participants if you only have 1 greeter working a couple 6 hour shifts. Gate would be crashed, no one would be tagged entering the event, and no one would be verified as an actual ticket holder. You'd need much longer shifts (not fair to the volunteer greeters) or many more greeter volunteers to remedy this problem. If you have 500 people, you need more rangers to scout the land for potentially dangerous behavior. Having only one person on call day and night wouldn't be cutting it anymore. You'd need more Emergency Service volunteers to be on call , and more Leave No Trace people to educate the masses on picking up after themselves so the organizers don't get stuck doing it afterwards (more people = more risk of MOOP!)  At the moment I'm writing this, we still see a lot of empty volunteer slots needing to be filled. If we find a sudden boost in volunteerism before the event begins, or even at the event itself, we will feel more confident raising the cap. Want to help make it easier for more people to attend next year? Volunteer this year!

Why not raise the cap now? Aside from the note above about our critical need for more volunteers this year, we are also bound by a contract with the property owner stating we would have no more than 350 for this year's event, and we also stated this on our insurance policy. To permit more would violate both our signed contract with the property owner and our insurance policy.  Best thing to do now if you're a lucky ticket holder is to volunteer for a couple shifts at Mosaic, and if you already are, encourage your campmates to do the same. There are many slots still available, most importantly Emergency Services, Rangers, and Greeters, but we definitely need a stronger Leave No Trace presence this year or we may not be permitted back on this property. PLEASE spread the word and encourage everyone to pack it all out! Help make our event cleaner, better, and ultimately bigger, by volunteering right now!