Mission Control has just confirmed with TeleMagicians of the TeleMagica Grounds Teleportation to Mars Site:

Jacumba Hot Springs Spa will give a discount for Mission to Mars participants during DeCom to go down and soak their happy bodies in their magic waters. Instead of the usual $15.00 day use, participants with Mission to Mars wristbands will be able to get in for $10.00 for the day.

Hi everyone!

Mission Control is getting really excited to see everyone next week! Yes, next week! We wanted to express a few things to you regarding parking and general camping for this year’s mission.

We have most camping set in a sand wash (a.k.a. The Landing Site) that is relatively soft. Now, don’t get too excited about the soft sands. Mission Control understands about the soft playa drifts you all had to deal with at BRC this year and the DPW has come up with a solution to help people get their gear to their camping/landing spots. The Landing Site (a.k.a Sand Wash) is recommended for trucks and 4X vehicles only. Another solution may pop up in the next week however; we wanted to let you know. There is not much area for car camping, most cars will be parked on the streets surrounding the venue. Tent camping is highly recommended. The Landing Site is filling out with all sorts of fun things to do and see already. Mission Control feels that camping there will be enjoyable. You will also be able to have burn barrels and fire pits in your camp site, which will be nice since it is getting chilly at night and the TeleMagica Grounds are at 3000 feet.

Mission Control has also had to limit the ability to drive in the sand wash once your truck or 4X is in a landing spot. This is for safety reasons and for the local roaming Martians. They are very scared of the sound of engines and once you land in your spot, if your engine is quiet, you may notice a few coming out to say hello. If you feel you may need to leave anytime during the event, please unload your vehicle at your landing spot and park it on the street.

What we are recommending is that you:

1. Carpool
2. Bring wagons, wheelbarrows, or other small transportation devices to take your gear back and forth to your cars. The DPW will have Mars Gear Transportation Devices to help people also however these are limited and they will need help. If you have any issues, questions, or would like to donate your wagon, wheelbarrow or Mars Gear Transportation device for Sand Wash Duty, please contact the DPW Lead or go to Mission Control onsite.
3. Please realize we are simply putting this out to you now so you will be aware of the situation.

RV’s and other large vehicles will be placed in a different area, near Base Camp. Please fill out the Large Vehicle Questionnaire at the link below if you have not already. You will be placed as space is limited.

http://socalde.com/applications/largevehicle

Mission Control looks forward to seeing you all at the TeleMagica Launch Site for SoCal Decompressions Mission to Mars this year.

Gates open Friday, October 17, at NOON!

Love on Mars,

Mission Control

San Diego Burning Man Art Grant Committee Presents:

The recipients of the 2008 SOCAL DECOM Art Grants!!!

These are in no particular order, we consider all recipients to have
been top notch and to have the interactivity in art we all crave.

1. Don't Look: By Paul Douglas

The art piece is entitled "DON'T LOOK" was inspired by the culture we live in today. It beckons you to look without pretense but not.....So this being said "Don't Look". The piece consists of large and small illuminated arrows with a central focal point with a message.

2. Flyin" Saucer: By Hatfield

Not far from the landing site, an intergalactic vehicle in the form of a flying saucer has crashed to Mars. The fate of its occupants is at present unknown. Amazingly, the saucer itself appears intact, some parts of it still functioning. A new control panel has been created, but your assistance is required to help us unlock the saucer's hidden secrets.

3. The ART Art project: By Vitaly

What is art?
Is it a statue?
Is it a painting?
Is what a critic says it is?
Is it short for a guy named "Arthur"?
What is its essence?

A Zen approach, a tribute to Dadaism and Nihilism, a critique on commercialization and labeling, a lazy excuse for a pun; whatever it is, those are the questions posed by the "ART" art project.

4. The Golden Case: By Spike

We are all captivated by secrets, and mystery. Deep within us all they strike a chord. We seek out knowledge, and crave mystery. The "Golden Case" provides a secret & mystery for all to share. Some will know others will want to know. The "Golden Case" will create beauty, as well as this sense mystery for all the attendees of San Diego Decom, whether they open the case or not. It is an interactive art piece that will create community and draw people together in multiple ways. The "Golden Case" could be viewed as a window into everyone's soul. Everyone has a secret, what's yours ?

5. A Drop-in Life Drawing/Painting Studio: Whim

This is an open participatory space for artists of all ages and skill levels to express themselves creatively through figure drawing/painting. We will provide the materials, you just bring your fabulous selves to draw, paint, and model. The space will be available during daylight hours throughout the weekend and a formal drawing class is planned for Saturday, times will be posted at the event. For questions, contact Whim! at jaymaree@hotmail.com.

6. The Living Room: By Taz and Cooper

Living rooms are denoted by both a function and form. the form has a standardized form factor as displayed by the media and common convention. the coffee table couch and 90 degree associated furniture. entry and exits, windows, art on the walls commonly form the standard box of a room. without the walls conventions still hold. camping groups regularly refer to their communal gathering point as a living room despite the lack of box, or the default world trappings of a living room. Therefore we will make the combination of the cliche furniture and the cliche camping wallless existence. We will define the walls of your existence for you. But we don't need the walls.

The living room is as normal the place of static existence. the relaxation, the communal, the recharge, the couch potato. stylistically we will act in opposition. all the internal to the room art will be of humans in action. the running and jumping, the falling and climbing. all the human-form actions recreated in the location of recline and relaxation.

7. Cabbage Patch Kids Air Cannon and Shooting Gallery: Maguyver

This project takes an everyday item like a cabbage patch doll and changes it's identity. Good art brings about new perception and causes people to question how they see things. Hopefully this project will cause people to re-examine, and re-invent their perception of, and relationship to, all things which they take for granted, thus opening pathways to new concepts, and new views of reality by re-shaping already formed ideas, and opinions about items that have not changed physically in anyway. Art is not just what you see, but how you see it !

8. The Art Creation Station: Kiwi & Bet~C

A Creative Interactive Art Experience. A 10x20 carport decorated and lighted, filled with craft materials ,costumes glue guns and paint……and more! What the art means to you and what you are trying to communicate to participants...

9. The "Exquisite Corpse" Lifesize flipbook: Catspiracy

For millennia, native people in this area sent their youth on vision quests to local desert mountain peaks to undergo hardship and to seek the wisdom and guidance of their Spirit Helpers. We find the relics of these Vision Quests on "puberty rocks" and in "shamanic rock art" in local ancient archaeological sites. These spiritual paintings frequently depict human figures with the heads of other animals, spirals, or lightening bolts. Each depiction holds a spiritual investment and reveals that we are, all of us, human and non-human alike, akin. People today may feel fragmented and torn in pieces depending upon our default world roles and responsibilities. The Post-Modern movement tells us that we may pull ourselves together into compilations or social constructs from disparate sources, as heard in the musical arts of "mashing" and sampling audio tracks. Although it may seem superficially to be cut-and-paste child's play, this enterprise yields satirical delight to both onlookers and participants, and can shine an illuminating ray into our collective unconscious. The Lifesize Exquisite Corpse Flip-Book will allow everyone to both participate in creating heads/torsos/legs--with their attendant psycho-social burdens--as well as to delight in mixing / matching others' creations into unique constructs of their own design.

10. Xxtreme Greatness Corporation (XGC): Matthew Lust

Many people have asked for the efforts of XGC, but the only acceptable team to possibly warrant our aptitude is that of the greeter station. As greatness based company we would like to incite a competition to guarantee ultimate greeting energy and maximum Xxtremeness. With your help we can achieve this goal. We developed a competition amongst super fabulous teams from all over the planet of red, for what will be known from now on as the Glitter cup. The best team will be voted upon by all Exodus space pods, and also crowned during the DPW punk rock Karaoke competition.

The Techno-Magicians at Mission Control have selected the launch site for the Mission to Mars Southern California Decom. There was some early confusion due to metric vs. standard measurements, but now all Techno-Magicians are using the same ruler, and everything has been coordinated.
We have teamed up with the people at TeleMagica Grounds, who have the Magica-Technology to Teleport us to Mars on schedule.

The launch site is in Jacumba, about 80 miles east of downtown SD just off the 8 freeway. As you go south past the onion fields, and through the town of Jacumba, there may be a slight shimmer in the air when you enter the teleportation field. Do not be alarmed, it is just the feeling of going to a new home for the first time.

Once you have passed the Greeters you will be transported to a magical landing site on Mars, TeleMagica. The TeleMagicians have scouted the landing site, and discovered some Sacred Land, a Pyramid, left by the ancients, some sculptures, and
an ancient Martian Rail Road track along with some rail cars. There is also a large section of the landing site that has not been terraformed, and will provide a great space for tent camping.

Book your flight soon! All of the $20 tickets have been sold, and the $40 tickets are running out quickly. Please go to the Tickets Page to reserve your seat. All tickets are purchased through PayPal. If you do not have a credit card or bank account for PayPal to use, please contact Mission Control for alternate payment methods.

It appears that the ancients were expecting us. It also appears that the ancients were fascinated with art, and want their world to be filled with art. They have left instructions, and oddly, $1,500 to assist Earthlings in bringing their art to Mars.

Please see the the art grants information for information about how you can receive an art grant. The last (Earth)day to submit a proposal is 9/15 – This coming (Earth)Monday.

Mission Control would also like to plan for any art, theme camps, fire, Recreational Space Vehicles, Performers looking for a place to perform, any activities or performances, or anything else they may need to plan for. Please go to
the Questionnaires Page to find the questionnaire related to these items. Mission Control will place all art and theme camps as best fits the need and the landing site.

The Tele-Magicians were able to create a bubble of Earth air on Mars for our comfort, but the space is limited and some of the landing area is sacred or very fragile, so no mutant vehicles or bicycles will be allowed to roam the site during the mission. Stationary Mutant vehicles are welcome, and should use the Theme Camp or Art questionnaire.

Martians are friendly and hard working people, but they could use some help with various activities. If you would like to volunteer, please complete the Volunteer Questionnaire.

Thank you,
Mission Control

Decom 08

Southern California Decompression

Burners Mission to Mars.

Data received in recent months from the Red Planet indicate that life could survive on Mars. A group known as Burners have volunteered to make the first large scale mission. Authorities were apprehensive at first to let non-government agencies make this trip, but after careful analysis of the Burner community it was made clear that this group of people is extremely resourceful and capable of dealing with the unknown.

Burners are going to dispense with the glossy space program as we know it. Mark your calendars for the 18th of October when the Burners will group at a Top Secret Location to begin this project.

So get your space suit out of closet and start practicing your space walk!

Attention all Mars Defense Forces

Southern California Area; North American Continent; Planet Earth.

Recent information intercepted from this group called "Burners" indicates that their "Mission to Mars" Decompression event will be launching from the Telemagica Grounds in Jacumba California,with a launch window of October 17th-19th.

This event will begin on Friday, October 17th at 12:00 PM
and be completed on: Sunday, October 19th at 5:00 PM

Continue monitoring this site for additional situation information as it is made available.

The event is at Jacumba, CA about 80 miles east of downtown
San Diego, just off the 8 freeway. For more directions check here:

http://www.telemagica.com/teledirections.htm

For more information or questions about this event contact:

vixxen@sundburn.com

THE ART GRANT COMMITTEE HAS MET AND ALL GRANTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND THE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. IF YOU HAVE APPLIED, EXPECT A RESPONSE SHORTLY.

IF YOU DID NOT APPLY, YOU HAVE MISSED THE LAUNCH WINDOW FOR THIS YEAR, BUT STAY TUNED FOR NEXT YEAR!

2008 will be the first year in which the San Diego Burning Man community will be awarding grants for the purpose of partially funding specific art projects for the San Diego Regional Decompression event. We will primarily be looking for work that stands on its own as sculptural installation independent of performances or activities, although these may accompany the installation. Our intention is to help and motivate artists in San Diego and its surrounding areas. We want these projects to be created specifically for Decom. The grants are not intended to fund Burning Man projects or those for other events. However, whatever the artist chooses to do with the piece afterwards, be it sell, donate, repurpose, or dispose of, is up to the individual artist. We are extremely happy in being able to give back to the community and hope this will pave the way for future San Diego festivals.

A few questions you may have:

How many grants will be awarded?

This will depend on the number of applications received. Most likely between five and ten.

When may I apply for a grant?

The deadline for grant proposals will be Monday September 22. This will give you plenty of time before Burning Man, during the festival and afterwards to think of ideas and projects. Whether you attend Burning Man this year or not, we hope you will be inspired by some of the wonderful creations seen on the playa, and will want to create some of your own for our regional event here.

When will I know if I've been awarded a grant?

Final decisions will be made no later than Monday September 29. We want to give you as much time as possible to build, construct and create your project. Decom will most likely be in late October so this will give you an entire month to do so.

Should I be awarded a grant, how much will I receive?

This varies with particular projects. However, grants normally pay for only a portion of production costs. We pay for material costs, but not for time/labor. Our budget for grants for this event will be $1,500. We will fund between five and ten projects giving $150-300 each. Depending on the size of your project, this may only cover some of the expense. Our goal is to "help out" with the finances, so do not view this amount of money as limiting in any way.

When and how will I receive money?

Once your project is accepted to receive funding, we will contact you by phone and verbally go through the regulations regarding setup, tear down, contingencies, etc. We will need you to sign a contract as well stating such information. A check will be mailed to you shortly thereafter for the amount of the award less $50. This $50 will be given after the event to assure that you do indeed bring the artwork and clean it up afterward.

What are the San Diego Regional Art Grant Committee criteria for awarding Art grants?

• it can reasonably be described as art
• Whether we like it.
• Interactivity with people and the environment.
• The thoroughness of your proposal.

Your proposal should include the following:

1. Cover Sheet: Artist name, address, phone, email and title of artwork.

2. Physical Description: including dimensions, materials, and sound component (if any).
3. Philosophical Statement: What the art means to you and what you are trying to communicate to participants. PLEASE BE BRIEF.
4. Itemized budget: list all expenses for material costs, including transportation. Research your costs carefully and be specific. Do not list "contingency costs" or "artist's fee" as we do not cover those expenses. We fund material costs only. You must total your costs and give us a final number.
5. Do you have an adequate crew to build, install and clean up your project? Please describe your support team as it relates to the creation of the art, support and dismantling/cleanup. Describe the roles and skills needed even if you do not have a complete crew at this time.
6. Timeline - PRE-EVENT construction schedule which reflects your budget e.g., when materials will be purchased, when stages of construction will be completed, etc.
7. Leave No Trace: A well thought out breakdown and clean-up plan and schedule. YOU MAY NOT LEAVE ANYTHING AT THE SITE. A performance deposit of $50 will be withheld from your grant until after the event. If your site is not clean, this amount can be withheld.
8. Detailed drawings, sketches, and plans, hand-drawn or computer generated.

We look forward to creating a responsible yet comfortable setting for artists to share their work in. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the San Diego Regional Art Grant Committee.

Applications and questions can be submitted via email to sdbmartgrants@gmail.com