NOW SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS (deadline 11/30/2020)!
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 other events and programs managed by our organization. With the uncertainty of large gatherings in 2021, we aim to support our community's emerging creative ideas in changing times.
Do you or someone you know have a passion for community engagement, facilitating leadership opportunities and interactive art and events? Do you have experience in accounting or nonprofit legal regulations? Do you get excited about grant writing and development? Or maybe you have other skills you believe our organization would 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.
Please apply by filling out this form.
The deadline to apply is November 30, 2020. Interviews will be on a rolling schedule. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to board@precipitationnw.org.
Introducing the Learner Barn!
Introducing Precipitation Northwest's premiere workshop series: the Leaner Barn! At, the Burner Barn, of course! This new program focuses on developing and fostering creative skills for use at festivals, events, and sharing with our communities. Workshops will address technical skill sets used for artwork such as wood projects, LED project's, costuming, fire, robotics, other mediums and growing.
Classes are starting every other week; being held on Thursday nights from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Each workshop will be hosted by a member of the Learner Barn team and feature an expert instructor on the topic.
(Note: with current health policies, classroom space is limited to 10 participants.)
An amazing first round of classes are as follows:
• Intro to Burner Barn policies, usage, and tools.
• Intro to sewing, costumes and design.
• Intro to SketchUP design.
• Maslow CnC router operation, programming and functionality.
• Intro to woodworking.
• Intro to LED lighting.
Check out our website at www.learnerbarn.com for more information and follow the Learner Barn Facebook page, which will have our schedule and links to each workshop’s event. Sign ups required!
Come join us and learn a new craft or advance a craft you already know. Or just come and explore how others do their crafts!
Ideas? Questions? Contact Beacon at beacon@burnoutpdx.com.
The Burner Barn’s Learner Barn (now with masks).
PDX Burner Barn Rebirth!
Precipitation Northwest is happy to announce the rebirth of the PDX Burner Barn in its new home with fresh ideas. The PDX Burner Barn is now offering itself as a center for community activities, camp meetings, interactive classes, fun gatherings and a place to allow your creative side to project.
Do you have a Skillset, Hobby or Talent that you would like to share with the Local Burner Community?
The PDX Burner Barn can help you project your vision. Share your story at the Burner Barn using all the tools gifted for communal use. Teach a class in person or with the virtual streaming rig. Have a camp meeting in the conference area, lounging on the couches or relaxed in the hammock. How about putting on a movie night for your camp on the 75’’ telecommunications rig?
Do you have a project you would like to build but do not have the space requirements at home?
The PDX Burner Barn is here for you. There is a 22x22 workshop with tools and gadgets for communal use. There are skilled stafflings who are able to help you learn how to use tools you may have never used. The PDX Burner Barn has available storage for projects and tools should you need a little more room than your hobby closet.
Project Space Application Here.
Contact us here: burner.barn@precipitationnw.org
*Please note our COVID-19 Policies:
Masks and physical distancing (6ft between humans) are mandatory.
The space is limited to 10 people at a time in accordance with local guidelines.
When appropriate, activities like workshops will be live-streamed to accommodate those participating from home. Please be advised that this means you may be on camera if you choose to attend in person.
Fundraiser for the Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District
The community of Tygh Valley has graciously hosted the SOAK Regional Burning Man event since 2015. The Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District (TVRFPD) has been particularly generous in sending out a Fire Engine and volunteer firefighters to augment SOAK’s fire safety team; providing an extra measure of safety for everybody present.
In past years, the SOAK community has expressed their appreciation by making a donation to the TVRFPD, and this has been a helpful boost to their limited budget. You may have previously attended one of the fundraising cookouts held in Portland, or made a donation when buying ice at the SOAK event. This year we aren’t able to gather together as we would like, but we want to remember our friends in Tygh Valley just the same. They have been there for us in the past, and we recognize that just because the SOAK event isn’t happening this year, that the local communities' need for fire response is undiminished.
If your finances allow you to do so, please consider joining others in our burner community to show our appreciation to the community of Tygh Valley by making a donation to their Volunteer Fire Department.
Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District
Portland Multiverse Excursion
Here’s what’s happening!
Precipitation Northwest is proud to present a socially distanced event to explore and share artwork, creative expression, and positive entertainment in a virtual environment while breaking away from being electronically bound.
This event will “map” out an Excursion of Art around the Portland metro and surrounding area that participants can drive by and view or interact with WITHOUT contacting others or breaking social distance protocols.
The art will be in community spaces such as private yards, commercial lots or spaces, small parks or community spaces. Artists will be asked to ensure that social space and distance protocols can be supported and encouraged around their art.
On Saturday night there will also be a drive through area where performers and art can be setup for participants to experience. Currently there are several locations being reviewed including OMSI, Vancouver Water Front, etc. This event is being organized as a collaborative event with SMART, Seattle Multiverse Augmented Reality Trek.
The plan includes an online Twitch broadcast event presented by Precipitation Northwest with hosts discussing and interacting with the participants and artists in both areas (Portland and Seattle). Think Macy’s Day Parade. The broadcast run 7pm to 10pm Monday, August 31 through Friday September 4th and 7pm to Midnight Saturday and Sunday evenings of Burn weekend September 5 and 6. During these broadcast we will be interviewing Artists from the community, Leaders of Theme Camps and community leaders to hear how these communities have been affected and what they have done to thrive in these crazy times. An alternate Twitch cannel will host nightly DJs and other musicians to provide a central music theme. Artists in more reaching communities such as Bend, Eugene, etc, will be invited to participate by video feed and alternate interactions.
Artist and Map Plan
Artists from the entire area are invited to participate by submitting their Art pieces or activities and locations. As artists commit, we will develop a map that will be placed online. The map will go live Monday of burn week August 31st.
There will also be a matchmaking program to connect artists who don’t have space to share their art with spaces that do not have art to share.
Each night of the week the Twitch hosts will feature one or more art projects leading up to the event.
There is a signature patch being developed for this event that will be a Prize for an online scavenger hunt throughout the art event. There will only be 50 of these patches.
Details, special events, locations and Art projects will be presented on the Event page as we get close to the event.
This is also a great opportunity to see the Art in our neighboring communities like Seattle, Bend, Eugene, Boise, and Spokane.
Fundraising
Throughout the hosted event, there will be an option to donate to support you favorite artists and the Precipitation Northwest art programs in general.
Click here for more information!
Contact: Dan "Beacon" Forrester, beacon@burnoutpdx.com
BurnOut 2020 Survey Results and Cancellation
Unfortunately, with saddened hearts, we are cancelling BurnOut 2020 that was originally planned for fall this year. This decision was made by Precipitation Northwest.
Following the success of 2019’s BurnOut event, we started the new year enthusiastic about bringing the event back again in fall of 2020. We were thrilled to share the news of Beacon returning as this year’s Executive Producer at our annual Town Hall in mid-February.
We began work on this event earlier than ever before, and collectively held our breath as COVID caused us to cancel SOAK*2020. We watched as other art and community groups cancelled events as well. We hoped that Oregon’s state shutdowns would contain the spread, and moved forward with Beacon to plan a fall gathering with cautious optimism, making sure to prioritize safety and civic responsibility throughout the process.
To make sure we took into consideration the community’s opinions, we collected community feedback through an event survey shared to our website and Facebook page, the Portland Burners facebook group, and the Portland Announce email list maintained by our Regional Contacts. The survey went live on all channels on July 7th. Questions were open ended, designed to help the leadership determine the appetite for a public art gathering and a private decompression party, preferred size and times, interest in volunteering and participating, and how to prepare for and uphold public safety.
In the one week that the survey was open, we received over 120 responses. 20% indicated they would attend, 25% would not. The rest said maybe, depending on details of the safety plan, size/density, and the progression of COVID and personal matters. We appreciate all of the details, suggestions and constructive criticism our community shared. We especially thank all who expressed interest in volunteering as this event could not happen without you. Your feedback was essential for our discussion at the July 14th board meeting.
The survey was closed on July 13th, and discussed at our July 14th board meeting with the whole board and with Beacon. We considered not only the survey results, but also the most recent data regarding the spread of the virus in Oregon. Unfortunately, reported cases in Oregon and Washington are on the rise and state officials have given us an uncertain outlook for the fall flu season.
We considered the health and safety of our volunteers, participants and our civic obligation to minimize community spread. We also weighed the risk of cancellation by authorities, increased production cost, and community members having limited funds and bandwidth to organize and participate fully as our lives have gotten increasingly complex.
Ultimately, while we are saddened by the decision, we believe that this is the best for both our community and for the future of our organization.
We would like to publicly thank Beacon for his hard work and his support through a difficult situation. He worked hard to plan an amazing event for our community, knowing that cancellation was a real possibility from the beginning. We hope to bring BurnOut back in fall of 2021, and we will keep the community updated with event updates via our website and Facebook.
With your help we will continue to envision how our community can gather and support each other and the arts, both physically and digitally. If you are interested in producing or collaborating an event (in person or digital), please begin the conversation by submitting your ideas for an event or program through our website or by emailing our programming committee directly at programs@precipitationnw.org.
Feel free to reach out to board@precipitationnw.org with additional questions you may have about this decision.
Burnout 2020 Event Survey (Deadline Monday, 7/13)
Fire spinners in Director’s Park at Burnout 2019.
Photo credit: Dee Brown
In November of last year, Precipitation Northwest hosted BurnOut 2019 in downtown Portland. With the leadership of Executive Producer Beacon (Dan Forrester), the event successfully brought together burners and community members of all kinds for a celebration of art, music, and community. During the day, individuals and camps brought interactive art and music to Director’s Park to share with the public, free of charge. Later that evening, we hosted a ticketed indoor dance party at Pythian Studios featuring interactive art from theme camps and individuals such as a clothing boutique and photo booth.
Beacon was invited back by the Precipitation Northwest board for a second year as the 2020 Executive Event Producer. Work began in early this year to build on the success of last year’s event to create an even bigger and better event for fall.
Then, the arrival of COVID-19 changed everything. The event team and board have discussed at length how to best serve our community and proceed with this event. How can we host public gatherings responsibly as the pandemic continues its spread? It is more important than ever to listen to our community’s needs.
Therefore, we invite you to take a few minutes to complete the Burnout 2020 Event Survey regarding an in-person event in early October. Your feedback will help determine what sort of event (if any) we can host, who is interested in participating, and how to best uphold public safety for our volunteers and attendees.
Please respond by Monday, July 13th at 11:59pm PT.
The form will be closed and feedback will be discussed with the event leadership team at the monthly Precipitation Northwest board meeting on Tuesday, July 14th. Stay tuned for updates and next steps here on our website and on our Facebook page in the following weeks.
Thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful responses!
If you have additional feedback or questions about the event, do not hesitate to contact 2020 Executive Event Producer Beacon at beacon@burnoutpdx.com.
SOAK*2020 cancelled due to COVID-19
SOAK*2018 - Photo credit Preet Gujral
Due to state and national restrictions and mandated measures concerning the unprecedented COVID-19 public health crisis, Precipitation Northwest (PNW) and the SOAK*2020 Producer Team - as responsible stewards of our local burner community and the event - must prioritize the health and safety of our participants and families.
It is with heavy hearts that the board and leadership team have unanimously decided to cancel SOAK*2020.
While heartbroken about this difficult decision, we are looking forward to bringing SOAK back in 2021.
So, now what?
There are many factors in play about what this means for our community. We’ve done our best to be proactive and answer some of the questions you may have now below.
We’re a community, and we will get through this together. We are creative, we are connected, we are quirky, and we are resilient. We can’t wait to burn with you in 2021. Please feel free to reach out to board@precipitationnw.org with additional questions you may have, and we’ll do our best to answer them.
FAQs
Q: Can SOAK be rescheduled over the summer or fall this year instead of waiting until next year?
No. While the team shares an enthusiasm for planning an alternative gathering, planning an event in the short term is not realistic or possible in light of Oregon’s Executive Orders 20-05 (Prohibiting Large Gatherings) and 20-12 (Stay Home, Save Lives) and the CDC’s guidelines on mass gatherings. With the community's help, there may be an opportunity to have another event in 2020, but it would not be SOAK. Currently, BurnOut 2020 is still being planned.
Q: I am a current lead or volunteer for SOAK*2020, and I’ve already logged a bunch of hours. What happens to these hours? Do they still count?
Yes! Any of the hours completed during the SOAK*2020 event season will roll over and will apply to SOAK*2021. Any current volunteers should contact their department lead to make sure that any and all hours completed for SOAK*2020 have been accounted for. Any volunteer tickets that were deferred from 2019 that would have been applied to SOAK*2020 will be rolled forward to SOAK*2021.
Q: I was awarded an Art or Community Provision. What happens to my money? Do I still qualify for it?
All awarded artists will be contacted personally in the next few days by Sepia with additional details and instructions. We will reach out to awarded artists at the beginning of the SOAK*2021 event cycle to check on their availability for attending next year’s event, to see if there have been any changes to their project’s scope, and with further instructions regarding streamlining their application process. Our priority is to ensure artists continue to have the funding they need for years to come. Please know that we are being sensitive to the needs of artists who may have already allocated personal funds to an art project for this year. For questions related to provisions, please contact sepia@precipitationnw.org.
Q: I was awarded a subsidized ticket this year. What happens?
All people interested in receiving subsidized tickets for next year's event will need to reapply. These ticket sales were never opened for 2020, so no subsidized tickets were actually sold.
Q: I am a theme camp - what happens to us?
All theme camps will need to reapply next year.
Q: What about next year’s theme?
We plan to keep the 2020 Theme (Some Assembly Required) to make use of the already constructed art and planned camp infrastructure, as well as this year’s Major Burnable Structure (MBS), “DIYMBS.”
Q: How about an alternative thing that weekend - [local event, campout, expanded burnout, etc] Anything fun in the works?
We’re looking forward to the time when “safer at home”, “social distancing”, and the quarantine are just memories and there is a safe time for us all to get together in community. As plans come together, these will be shared on PNW’s Facebook page and Portland Announce listserv. We are brainstorming what virtual gatherings could look like. If you have ideas for an event and would like Precipitation Northwest’s help to make it happen, please fill out the Event Proposal Form on our website.
Q: I have more questions - who do I talk to?
Please reach out to board@precipitationnw.org with additional questions.