Seeking New Board Members (Application deadline: 10/19)
Will you join us? Deadline to apply or nominate someone is Saturday, 10/19!
Precipitation Northwest is seeking new board members to join our enthusiastic and skilled nonprofit board of directors!
As board members we provide leadership, oversight, and strategic direction to SOAK, BurnOut and all other activities managed by our organization.
Do you have a passion for community engagement, facilitating leadership opportunities and/or interactive art and events? Do you have experience in leadership, accounting or nonprofit legal regulations? Or maybe you have other skills you believe our nonprofit organization could benefit from?
Any community members who think they might be a good fit are encouraged to apply. Please be sure to read the position description and familiarize yourself with the organization’s mission statement before doing so.
Read the Position Description here.
Anyone can apply by simply filling out this form.
Alternatively, if you have someone in mind who you think might be a good fit, you can recommend them by filling out this form.
The deadline to apply or nominate someone is October 19, 2019. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to board@precipitationnw.org.
Post-Event Report: Safety Northwest
Photo Credit: Krissy Sorensen
In April of 2019, we sponsored the first Safety Northwest safety training weekend.
Announced at Town Hall 2019, Safety Northwest was a new event sponsored by Precipitation Northwest.
The event was a weekend retreat about safety & emergency response in festival settings.
While this first year will focus only on coordinating efforts for SOAK*2019 Safety Teams (Fire Safety, Fire Conclave Safety, Medical, Rangers, and Sanctuary), individual members of the community were encouraged to participate. SOAK volunteers and a few folks from neighboring regionals who have attended SOAK were invited. We hope to hold this event again in the future, and to expand invitations to include volunteers from all northwest regionals and festivals.
This event was an opportunity for individuals to gather, become acquainted, and train in a facilitated setting.
Held at the Tygh Valley Fairgrounds, 50 people attended to learn. It was organized by Producers Tacy (aka Hugboss) & David (aka Battalion4).
The venue was fantastic, giving us ample space and a beautiful backdrop for the weekend’s activities. The weekend opened with a Friday night social potluck, and continued Saturday with basic radio training and Incident Command System (ICS) basics. Specific immersion trainings were held on Saturday as well, which included Fire Safety, Rangers, Medical, and Sanctuary. Sunday brought together all teams for a hands-on practice ICS event, where multiple incidents overlapped and challenged all participants to demonstrate what they had learned.
After the event, Producers received positive feedback, and general interest for more opportunities to enhance radio skills and practice ICS on simulated emergencies that are likely to emerge at large volunteer-run gatherings.
In 2020, the Producers plan to invite additional teams from SOAK and other events that have influence on ICS application. We appreciated having participants from Idaho Decompression and SHIFT festival learning on site with us!
For more information about this year or next year’s event, please contact board@precipitationnw.org.
New Burner Barn Announcement: We're Moving!
Bird’s eye view of the new Burner Barn (thanks for creating this image, KosherBacon!)
We have exciting news: The Burner Barn is moving! We love our community of volunteers and know that we have outgrown the old Burner Barn. Precipitation Northwest has signed a new lease at a bigger and better location in order to give us more room to grow and serve the community better. The new location of the Burner Barn is a space in the Pickle Factory, which is located in North Portland near the Kenton neighborhood at 866 N Columbia Blvd.
FAQs:
When the move is happening? We will be moving into the new space the first two weeks of July 2019.
What’s new? Indoor plumbing, bathrooms, a shared kitchen with other Pickle Factory residents, WAY more build space, and a new home for Precipitation Northwest.
What’s the same? All of the best things from the old Burner Barn: SOAK and BurnOut physical assets will be stored here, our SOAK Major Burnable Structure (MBS) crew will be able to work and build there (bonus: they can now be inside and out of the rain!), volunteer meetings for SOAK and BurnOut can be hosted here, and other groups can hold meetings here as needed too.
When will the new Burner Barn be accessible for community meetings and workshops? We anticipate being able to host meetings and workshops for the community starting at the beginning of August 2019.
How can I access the Burner Barn? I have more questions! Please contact our Burner Barn Manager Kosher Bacon at burnerbarn@precipitationnw.org with any additional questions you may have.
SOAK*2019 Artist & Civic Provisions Awardees
We are pleased to announce this year’s Artist & Civic Provisions awardees! The following update was written by Sepia, our SOAK*2019 Artist Provisions Administrator about the process. It was shared on Portland Announce and we’re resharing here on our website. Thank you to Sepia, our passionate group of TAG volunteers, and our community of talented and created artists for participating in this program!
Please make sure to check out the beautiful slideshow of the funding recipients by clicking below:
“Hive minds have been synced! Congratulations to 16 art projects and 19 civic projects awarded funding by the SOAK*2019 Talented And Gifted Peer Review team!
How do SOAK Provisions work? Once applications are collected into a slideshow, a committee of volunteer peers called Talented And Gifted gather to review proposals and vote on awards. The committee is open to volunteers through the same channels as other SOAK volunteer opportunities.
SOAK*2019 Civic Provisions (New this year!)
TAG ran our first Civic Provisions process this year. TAG chose to add $130 from art provisions. Total dispersed for civics: $1,130 to 19 applicants. Fire, camp signage/decor, community-need projects funded:
Bear Naked Tramp Studio
Best Butt
Black Rock Gladiators
BROTHel Camp
Campbiguous
CSB
Fiery Flowers and Zen Garden
Fleetwood Mac & Cheese
Krampusberg
Letter of the Day
Over F*ckin’ Rated
Radiant Chaos
SPACE POTTY
Tectonic
Tiki Camp
uASS Local #2
Universal Eggsperience
Yall's Camp
Yellow Bikes
SOAK*2019 Artist Provisions
This year, the budget of Artist Provisions was $6,870. All funds are intended to fund art projects directly. The Artist Provisions Administrator guides the funding process, and provides a philosophical and historical, non-voting perspective. The committee makes final funding suggestions based on guidelines like interactivity, creativity, safety, reliability, skill, uniqueness, and in consideration of how the project aligns with the Ten Principles or theme.
The following works of art are funded, in part, by Precipitation Northwest & anonymous Donor-Participants!
The 2019 Awarded Art Projects are: (Click here to see the full slideshow, with photos!)
PROJECT: The Janky Arcades by Dave Halbeck aka Schooner (Repair+update)
Artist Statement: Compulsion, Obsession, and Enthusiasm. I want video gaming to be social, and spontaneous, appealing to all ages.
PROJECT: Alternity by Roy Trammell aka TheWiz (Repair)
Artist Statement: I create art to make the world a more interesting place, and to bring meaning and purpose to my life.
PROJECT: Dimensional Dreams by Becca Priddy aka Shiny (New)
Artist Statement: Art is an outlet for many people, and I'm lucky to be able to put my art into physical form. Art has been very therapeutic for me, helping me focus my anxiety and depression. This year I am creating a piece, with other artists, to help share places of calm and peace. I have a very difficult day job, so building a project based around mindfulness and relaxation is pretty awesome.
PROJECT: Drippin Disco by Alexander Griffith aka Xander Thumper & Amy Thompson (New)
Artist Statement: I am a full time Fiber Artist by day. When my GF and I lived in San Diego years ago we made several large scale disco balls for Youtopia. I think the last one was in 2015. They were highly well received.
PROJECT: Sequinfluence by Kristen Dunn aka Trashfence (New)
Artist Statement: I make art to deepen my connection with myself and the world around me. I make art to reflect how I see the world and what I want to see in the world. I make art to briefly decorate the void.
PROJECT: Brain Storm by Sarah Vitak aka Dingo Starrr (Repair)
Artist Statement: I am a maker, scientist, science communicator, and artist. I delight in the intersection of art, science, and human interaction. I love sharing the joy and wonder of science with people and in particular I like bringing that joy through non-traditional means. As an artist I love creating experiences. I want someone to be completely immersed by my art and feel like they are walking into a different world. I design my art to facilitate connections between people, encourage play, and spark curiosity.
PROJECT: Temple of the Five by Frank Broyles, Calvin Bryen & Temple Crew 523 (New)
Artist Statement: I've burnt a lot of stuff at SOAK. 3 temples, a tree (that we built), thunderbridge...My favorite thing is to convince people to spend months building something and then setting it on fire in front of them.
PROJECT: Community Bloom by Donald Heer aka Mega and Martin Held (New)
Artist Statement: SO this is my first time doing art for an event that is not tied to my theme camp. I'm pretty excited about getting to spend all of my time on something that while others will get to enjoy it, I have full control over. I really hope to make something that intrigues people and can act to bring them together for even a few minutes. I want to make something that has maximum impact while being reliable and low resource cost.
PROJECT: Lightning Cube by Colin Barringer aka Dr. Responsible & Mike MacHenry, Melissa Barringer, David Besley, Sarah Vitak (New)
Artist Statement: My purpose in life is to bring people joy and solve problems for them through the medium of engineering. My source of greatest joy is to collaborate in the construction of art with others, particularly if said art requires solving complicated or interesting engineering problems. Making art is also an opportunity to meet people who may be interested in working with me, inspired by me, or simply interested in the output of what I'm doing.
PROJECT: Night Flowers by Chance Corbeil aka Chance Ci (New)
Artist Statement: I’m an artist making magical spaces and sculptures that breath, fly, swim, and constantly change. Flowing colorful light moves through my art and environments, always fresh and new. I want art to feel alive. Transforming spaces with light and art can influence us to explore and discover what makes that space special. We take time to be in the moment and participate. I want to make more magical spaces with our community for us to explore.
PROJECT: We Have Hives by Courtney Sherwood aka Space Cadet (New)
Artist Statement: My approach to art is generally rooted in puns and a sense of mischievousness aimed at provoking consternation, amusement or groans.
PROJECT: Labyrinth of The Mind by Shawn Estell AKA pinky, Holly Heredia aka Redirect & Tristan Roberson (New)
Artist Statement: I’m a professional artist of 15 years who works with public art installation and the performing arts all my career. I love to work with community and have the work I do be interactive and open to anyone of any age or cultural background.
PROJECT: Synapse by Rachel Glaves aka Capra (New)
Artist Statement: I explore creating the feeling of altered "inside" spaces; the feeling of entering and existing in a changed, magical dimension where different rules apply. I aim to create emotional reactions to and within those spaces using a variety of senses.
PROJECT: The Chromosphere by Christopher Condrat (Repair)
Artist Statement: I'm attracted to, and try to create, interactive art because it enables the audience to participate in the art, becoming a part of it. I feel interactive art is at its best when it involves interaction not only with the piece, but between participants, creating a shared experience.
PROJECT: Portal by Chance Corbeil aka Chance Ci & Chris Pitzer aka Chrispy (Update)
Artist Statement: Art is about the joy of making. It's about exploring ideas and about using materials in new and novel ways. It's a way we come together with our close friends to spend time working together - the work that ties us together. It's about dreaming for a world that's better and more beautiful and working to make it happen. <3
PROJECT: Bag of Ice by Michelle Bobo aka Bobo & Jesse Banks (New)
Artist Statement: The inspiration for this project is to add a layer of art and experience around ice sales at SOAK. Buying ice at Burning Man generally involves a wait process, but it also involves music and dancing and the participatory experience of meeting new people as you move through the line. SOAK rarely has a line, but it also lacks this shared element of fun and participation. I wish to change that!
Slideshow of funding recipients: https://spark.adobe.com/page/MD1LpdleLCtlJ/
I wish to thank the 24 voting-members of this year’s peer review team! Way to step up to support the arts and your fellow burners! Thanks for your participation & HeArt!
Hive Five,
Sepia”
Call for Applications: SOAK Event Producer Shadow Program
We are starting the process to identify potential candidates who might be interested in becoming a SOAK*2020 Event Producer. While the full SOAK*2020 Producer position description and application process has not been announced quite yet, we want to invite those in the community who are already interested in the position to learn more about what the job entails during the current event cycle.
We understand that event production may seem complicated or intimidating, but this program lets potential candidates see "under the hood" during SOAK*2019 in order to help you decide if the position might be a good fit. Selected applicants will spend time "shadowing" one or more Producers before, during and after the event for a first-hand look at the job. Dates and times will be communicated in advance.
*If you think you might have what it takes to produce SOAK*, please write two thoughtful paragraphs about why you would be a great candidate for the SOAK*2019 Producer Shadow Program.
To apply, please submit your paragraphs to programs@precipitationnw.org no later than Wednesday, May 15, 2019.
All submissions will be reviewed, and all applicants will be notified as to whether or not they have been selected. Participation in this program is exploratory (for your benefit as well as ours), and doesn't equate to an application for the open position or a guarantee that the position will be offered to you. Persons selected for the program will be sent a schedule and expectations, and can then either accept or decline the opportunity.
Please contact programs@precipitationnw.org with any questions about this program or the role.
Call for Applicants: BurnOut 2019 Producer
Do you love throwing a great party? Are you passionate about the Portland burner community? If so, the Precipitation Northwest Board of Directors wants YOU to apply for the volunteer position of Burn Out 2019 Producer!
Event Overview: BurnOut is the officially sanctioned post-Burning Man Decompression event for Portland, Oregon and the surrounding areas. This event brings the principles and energy from Black Rock City to our region. It is meant to give local burners in the Portland area an opportunity to celebrate our community and culture, while providing a creative and interactive space for them to network and build connections with other like-minded people in our region. The first official Portland Decompression was held in 2004, and has taken place nearly every year ever since. It is 100% volunteer operated.
Burn Out 2019 Sneak Peek: New this year, the Burning Man Project has encouraged Precipitation Northwest to collaborate with the International Sculpture Festival as a way to attract new artists and participants to our event, while also exploring a new way to fulfill our mission to bring more participatory art to the larger Portland community. The board is excited to explore this opportunity! The 2019 one-night event will be held on Saturday, October 12th at the North Warehouse.
Burn Out 2019 Producer Position Summary: Help your fellow community members connect with each other through art, music, and a communal experience. This is a wonderful platform to give a gift back to your community. While event producers are responsible for managing all aspects of the event, this position will be directly supported by the Precipitation Northwest Board, our three Burning Man Regional Contacts (RCs), and past event producers.
Producers will work under the direction of PNW and RCs to…
Plan, oversee, and produce the Burn Out 2019 event
Hire, manage, and work with volunteer department leads (including attending & leading production team meetings as needed)
Oversee and manage overall event budget
Act as point of contact and reference for event vendors
The BurnOut 2019 Producer will work closely with a Precipitation NW Event Liaison (aka main point of contact on the board) to make sure the event is a success.
Click here to view the full position description and details.
Time Commitment: Burn Out is coming up fast - you’ll need to be ready to hit the ground running starting in mid-June. Based on input from past producers, here’s an estimate of the time involvement for this role:
6 months to 3 months prior to the event: up to 15 hours per week
3 months to 2 weeks prior to the event: up to 25 hours per week
1 week prior to the event: up to 30 hours per week
During event: on call 24 hours & stays until last person is out or other arrangements have been made with LNT (Leave No Trace) team
To Apply: Please read the full position description before applying. Then please send your resume, 2-3 references, and a cover letter outlining your desire and experience for the Burn Out 2019 Producer role to programs@precipitationnw.org. The deadline to apply is midnight on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
After applications have been reviewed, qualified candidates will be contacted for in-person interviews with the Precipitation Northwest Board. Our goal is to have this position filled by June 13.
Please contact programs@precipitationnw.org with any questions.
Post-Event Report: TownHall 2019
The 2019 Burning Man Portland Townhall event was held on Saturday, February 16 at the TaborSpace Dining Space & Annex. This annual event is sponsored by Precipitation Northwest and organized by Portland's three Regional Contacts (RCs) as part of their volunteer work for the national Burning Man Project (aka BMORG). This event is a way for RCs to share information about the how, what, where, when, and why of Nevada’s Burning Man event, culture, and community. It is also a way for local burners (or those interested in learning more about us!) to meet with others in the community, learn more about local happenings, and get information about the annual regional event, SOAK.
This year's event was was attended by community members both in-person and online via live stream.
The day started off with a social potluck (new this year!) which featured an informal speaker series where theme camps and artists could share about their projects. Break out sessions followed the potluck.
Next was the RC presentation, which included a Q&A and a presentation on topics related to the larger Burning Man culture and Burning Man 2019 in August.
Precipitation Northwest presented next, sharing about the following:
A general overview of the board’s structure
How the board functions internally and gets things done
How the Board is involved with BurnOut and SOAK Producers
How the board works with Regional Contacts (RCs)
Who the new 2019 board members are (welcome Sarah, Dale, and Danielle!)
A brief overview of board finances
A brief overview of business responsibilities as a 501c3
In addition to the presentation, the board also had a short Q&A session to answer questions from the community.
The final session of the day was presented by SOAK*2019 Event Producers (Honeybee, Pablovex, and HugBoss), who did a fantastic job providing information and updates about this year's regional event. This year’s theme is Hive Mind, and will take place May 23-27 in Tygh Valley. Find out more by visiting the SOAK*2019 website or checking the SOAK*2019 Facebook event page.
The board is happy to sponsor this annual event and looks forward to participating next year. This event is not only fun, but it is an important opportunity to improve communication, increase transparency, and foster collaboration with our community about the work we do. We welcome and appreciate those who attend, participate, and provide feedback and support to us at these and other events.
Thank you to Purple Communications for their professional ASL interpretation services. We are glad to have their help to continue to improve accessibility for our beloved and diverse community!
Finally, a special thanks to our three RCs PornStar, Ice Queen, and Tank Girl for organizing the schedule of events. We are so grateful for their continued support of Precipitation Northwest and for their dedication to helping our shared burner community grow and thrive.
Click here to see the full 2019 Burning Man Townhall presentation.
Post-Event Report: SOAK*2019 Leads Retreat
Last weekend (February 8-10), the Precipitation Northwest board attended the annual SOAK Leads Retreat. This event happens every year and is considered the official kickoff for the year’s SOAK event.
Organized by the SOAK Producers, this retreat has traditionally been attended by all of the SOAK Department Leads, as well as the RCs. Last year (2018), the Precipitation Northwest Board was invited to attend for a few hours to share updates and discuss things like event finances. Following last year’s event, Leads and Producers decided to invite the Precipitation Northwest board to stay and participate in the whole weekend starting in 2019.
The Leads Retreat is a chance for this year’s Producers, Department Leads, and the Precipitation Northwest Board to gather and prepare for the upcoming event and plan the weeks of hard work ahead.
This year’s retreat was held at Mount Hood Kiwanis Camp, and was attended by 6 of the 7 Precipitation NW board members, all 3 SOAK*2019 Producers, and 36 of the 38 Leads. Tzara, one of the three Portland RCs, also attended.
Here’s an overview of the agenda for the weekend. This agenda is set by the Producers, designed to orient new and returning leads about the upcoming year.
Friday arrival & overnight
Saturday presentations & breakout sessions (9am-6:30pm)
Sunday presentations (9am-10:30am)
In addition to discussing things like resources and budgets, the day also included time for each department to review 2018’s After Burn Reports (ABRs), which are reports written by last year’s leads that summarize important learnings and recommendations for how to improve over last year.
The Precipitation Northwest board presented 2 different sessions - one on Saturday morning about their organization, recent updates and developments, and a chance to address some questions that came up from (or since) last year’s event. The second session was on Saturday afternoon, and was all about finances --- specifically about how the Producers and Department Leads work together to propose both individual department budgets AND an overall event budget request to the board, which the board then reviews and approves.
In addition to a wide range of important event production discussions, there were two sessions on Saturday that the board was particularly excited about. First, the Producers prepared a short history lesson about the Portland burner scene and the precursors to what we now know as SOAK. This was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to hear about the legacy and history of our vibrant Burner community!
The second session of note was an open discussion with the Leads about their thoughts about the future of SOAK. This rich and passionate conversation gave all in attendance (board, Producers, Leads, and RCs) a chance to share their ideas and dreams for not only the SOAK event, but also for the broader Portland burner community. The board would like to thank all those who shared their thoughtful and creative ideas - this sort of feedback is extremely helpful when considering how they can continue to serve the community.
A special thanks to KosherBacon who volunteered his time to prepare and organize meals for the team over the entire weekend, and RC Tzara who joined us for the weekend to share ideas and wisdom!
Overall, Precipitation Northwest left the weekend inspired by and grateful for the hard work and dedication displayed by everyone who help makes SOAK happen, and deeply appreciates the opportunity to be working alongside such passionate and dedicated volunteers!