Burning Man Art Finds Unexpected Home At California Winery

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A family-owned winery in Santa Rosa, California, has become an unexpected long-term destination for large-scale art installations from the annual Burning Man festival. Paradise Ridge Winery, located in the Russian River Valley, has been exhibiting sculpture art in Marijke's Grove since 1994. This space is a tribute to the winery's 91-year-old founder, Walter Byck's, late wife, Marijke Hoenselaars, who passed away 16 years ago.

The winery, spanning 156 acres, began actively hosting Burning Man installations about a decade ago. It partnered with the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation to present a two-year exhibition titled The Spirit of the Man, which featured several works created at the festival. Among these was David Best's Temple of Remembrance, a steel structure crafted in nearby Geyserville, which the Byck family subsequently purchased and kept on permanent display.

Many artists grapple with the logistics of transporting and storing their large-scale works after the nine-day event, which draws approximately 80,000 people to Nevada's Black Rock Desert each August. While some art is intentionally burned on the final day, or in the deep playa before the main ceremony, Laura Kimpton, a long-time Burning Man artist, noted that fewer pieces are incinerated now compared to two decades ago. A 2022 report indicated that only 3.5 percent of the playa art was burned.

Practical considerations often drive the decision not to burn. Kimpton explained:“When you have the art burning, you have to have people protecting the propane tanks and each other in four-hour shifts.” Her own burned works at Burning Man included an installation spelling out“EGO” in 30-foot-high welded steel and plaster, part of her Monumental Word Series.“Eighteen years ago, there weren't any big words out there in sculpture except for the Hollywood sign,” she added.“I was a projected-flame artist, propane going through steel. Very few are doing projected flame because it's a dangerous thing.”

Rene Byck, Walter's son, noted that most of the artwork at Paradise Ridge Winery is available for sale. He explained that after their initial show, sculptors began approaching them to display their pieces.“We started saying 'yes' to the pieces we liked,” he said. Hosting these sculptures offers artists practical benefits, including saving on storage costs and providing year-round visibility beyond the festival.“There's a better chance to sell it because people can see it,” Rene Byck stated.

This visibility proved crucial when Kimpton's LOVE sculpture, created with Jeff Schomberg and installed at the winery, became a symbol of resilience during the 2017 Northern California fires that severely impacted the property. The sculpture, which survived the blaze, was later moved to Sonoma Plaza in front of City Hall for the exhibition From Fire, Love Rises: Stories Shared from the Artist Community, marking the wildfires' first anniversary. Kimpton described it as“a beautiful moment in a sad time,” adding,“It was the light in a dark situation.”

Beyond wineries, Burning Man art finds diverse homes, from museums and galleries to private garages and public spaces. The Burning Man Project assists some artists in finding municipal or museum placements, and collectors also acquire pieces.

Source: Observer Arts

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