Artists plan to bring more art projects to Reno

RENO (AP) - After building a temple for the Burning Man festival in downtown Reno, Nev., a pair of artists has launched a company that will aim to bring more art installations to the city.

The duo hope to base their International Arts Megacrew in Hobson Square, Chris Hankins said because of the excitement their Temple of Transition project generated.

Hankins, 56, and other artists built a scale model of the three-tiered, 120-foot Temple of Transition in the historic Reno Brewing building in Hobson Square. They also did most the labor in Reno before building the temple on the playa where Burning Man is held.

When the project began in May, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell and City Councilman Dave Aiazzi welcomed Hankins and made a strong impression on the artist.

"Getting here and having that meet-and-greet and meeting everybody that was inspired by having it in Reno, the support was mind-blowing," said Hankins, who is from Auckland, New Zealand. "It was hugely possible to do this."

About 50 local people volunteered to help with the project, Hankins said.

"The enthusiasm has been huge. The biggest surprise has been the consistency of the volunteers. You could instantly recognize that they were in it for the long haul," Hankins said. "They made themselves at home. That's been amazing."

Hankins said the company allows them "pursue other public art installations, private art installations and put ourselves out there for commissions on artwork, mostly on a large scale."

The temple was hauled in pieces earlier this month on 20 flatbed trucks to the Black Rock desert, where about 140 volunteers from around the world helped with construction.

During the festival, which begins Monday, people can leave messages and mementos at the temple to help them move on after the loss of a close family member or friend, Hankins said. The temple will be burned on the morning of Sept. 4, which is the day after "The Man" is burned.

Burning Man dates to 1990. The Bureau of Land Management has issued permits for the festival on an ancient dry lake bed about 120 miles north of Reno since 1992.

Last year, more than 50,000 people visited the temporary town known as Black Rock City.

The proximity of Reno to the festival makes it an ideal spot to tackle major projects tied to Burning Man, said James Horkan, who helped design and build the Temple of Transition and is a co-owner of International Arts Megacrew.

"We're going to see is it's much easier to build big stuff here than it is anywhere else," Horkan said. "And you're not trying to do something crazy like rent a warehouse in San Francisco."

---