See how to dress for Burning Man

It's getting close to time for the Burning Man to blaze on the playa of the Black Rock Desert up by Gerlach.

For those unacquainted with the event (it's not a festival, the organizers vow), this is a week-long celebration of "alternate" life styles.

More than 30,000 people will gather at the temporary Burning Man Village to sample art works strewn around the playa, celebrate whatever lifestyle they cater to, listen to all kinds of lectures and religious ceremonies, watch dancing of kinds not common on most public dance floors and hear strange desert music.

It's not free; tickets now are in the $280 range and go up as the Aug. 27 opening day nears. The event continues through Sept. 3.

But meanwhile, you can get an idea of what life is like on the playa by visiting the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno. It's an exhibit of the costumes that Geoffrey Nelson has photographed at the event over seven years in his portable studio during the sometimes strikingly different gathering.

It's called "A Tribe of Artists: Costumes and Culture at Burning Man" and it runs through Nov. 11. But the time to see it is now, just before the event, so you can decide if you want to join in.

Costumes are a big part of the Burning Man, and they range from sci-fi to skimpy to plain old weird. No outfit is too far from reality, no outfit is too risqué, although there is less bare flesh than at most swimming pools.

The exhibit has its own small room on the second floor of the museum and features 25 life-sized color photos of Burning Man inserted in the walls and backlit. One girl wears a Buddhist T-shirt. A man appears as Satan, complete with horns. There's a dapper French chevalier and a man in drag sitting in a wheelchair.

Most of the photos could appear in a daily newspaper, although there is one that has some modest female nudity.

Perhaps the most attractive photo is of a mother and daughter, the girl somewhere in the pre-teen stage. They are both grinning wildly and look like they would be at home in a city park.

In the center of the room is a cluster of mannequins wearing actual costumes. As anyone who has been to Burning Man knows, the costumes often light up and the same is true of the exhibit. A push of a button and the costume comes to life.

If seeing this exhibit inspires a trip to Burning Man, better start on a costume now. Find some glow wires or glow tubes and sew them in.

Maybe photographer Geoffrey Norman will add you to his show next year.

The NMA is about a block from South Virginia Street in Reno, at 160 Liberty. Plenty of parking space. It's open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for nonmembers is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. Call 329-333 or see www.nevadaart.org.

• Contact Sam Bauman at sbauman@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1236.