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The Yellowstone Burners are an all-volunteer group based in Cody, Wyoming that creates collaborative public art. We are a registered Wyoming nonprofit and our main project is an art car, or mutant vehicle, titled Saddle Up!. It can hold 130 gallons of water and at public events, we provide participants with free hydration and fantastic views from our upper deck. We provide water at the Yellowstone Beer Fest and this year we are also working with the Beartooth Music Festival creating art for their stage and offering hydration from our bus. We produce three events during the year; Voodoo On The Bayou (Halloween), Steampunk Wonderland (New Year's Eve), and Agape Gala (Valentine's Day). We also bring our Saddle Up! mutant vehicle to the annual Burning Man gathering in Nevada. Everyone is welcome to join us in creating events, making our mutant vehicle, or volunteering to support our partner events!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is public art?
Public art is art in any form that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. Learn more here about public art.
What is public art?
Public art is art in any form that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. Learn more here about public art.
What is collaborative art?
Collaborative art is different than traditional art in that someone in the group will come up with an idea, or multiple people work on an idea, and the project is created as a group. People work together to build the piece, often dividing up ownership of different parts with guidance from the person or people who came up with the idea. Credit for the piece goes to the group rather than an individual artist.
Traditional artists often find inspiration from joining a collaborative project as it challenges the idea of art being a personal representation of the individual artist, work with other artists to realize a common vision instead. It helps us keep our egos in check and it changes the way we view art.
Collaborative art is different than traditional art in that someone in the group will come up with an idea, or multiple people work on an idea, and the project is created as a group. People work together to build the piece, often dividing up ownership of different parts with guidance from the person or people who came up with the idea. Credit for the piece goes to the group rather than an individual artist.
Traditional artists often find inspiration from joining a collaborative project as it challenges the idea of art being a personal representation of the individual artist, work with other artists to realize a common vision instead. It helps us keep our egos in check and it changes the way we view art.
What is an art car?
An art car is a vehicle that becomes a piece of art, like a parade float. Some are modified to such a degree that the base vehicle is not immediately recognizable. Typically, that level of modification is a mutant vehicle. Some art cars are able to drive around with participants on board, others may drive to an event location but remain stationary while allowing people to climb on board. Visit photographer Scott London's page to see a wide variety of art cars.
An art car is a vehicle that becomes a piece of art, like a parade float. Some are modified to such a degree that the base vehicle is not immediately recognizable. Typically, that level of modification is a mutant vehicle. Some art cars are able to drive around with participants on board, others may drive to an event location but remain stationary while allowing people to climb on board. Visit photographer Scott London's page to see a wide variety of art cars.
What makes your events different?
We produce a Halloween and New Years Eve event in Cody, Wyoming and there are a few things that make them different. For starters, we transform our industrial shop spaces to fit our theme and we make most of our decorations. For Halloween, our shops and bus become a spooky New Orleans inspired swamp with hanging moss and lighting effects. Our New Years Eve event is even more elaborate with our Alice in Wonderland theme with a steampunk twist. We always have food at our events, dance music, options to be crafty or artistic, encouragement for interaction (people always make new friends!), and a feeling that its a house party...but better. Costumes are highly encouraged at all events. We are also completely donation based and no one will be turned away if they can't pay. We do ask participants to arrive before 10pm and stay with us for the evening (this discourages drinking and driving), and our events are typically for ages 21 and up.
We produce a Halloween and New Years Eve event in Cody, Wyoming and there are a few things that make them different. For starters, we transform our industrial shop spaces to fit our theme and we make most of our decorations. For Halloween, our shops and bus become a spooky New Orleans inspired swamp with hanging moss and lighting effects. Our New Years Eve event is even more elaborate with our Alice in Wonderland theme with a steampunk twist. We always have food at our events, dance music, options to be crafty or artistic, encouragement for interaction (people always make new friends!), and a feeling that its a house party...but better. Costumes are highly encouraged at all events. We are also completely donation based and no one will be turned away if they can't pay. We do ask participants to arrive before 10pm and stay with us for the evening (this discourages drinking and driving), and our events are typically for ages 21 and up.
What is 501c3 and fiscal sponsorship?
501c3 is a specific IRS designation for a certain kind of nonprofit that is allowed to be tax exempt. Not all nonprofits have 501c3 status, in fact, Yellowstone Burners are a registered Wyoming nonprofit but we have not yet applied for 501c3. An organization that is tax exempt, however, can accept donations and the IRS allows the donor to deduct that amount from their taxes, if the taxpayer itemizes their returns. A 501c3 nonprofit can also sponsor other organization's projects that fit with their charitable mission, making that project also available for tax deductible donations. They help monitor the project and ensure that the funds are being used for the allowed charitable purposes. This arrangement is called "fiscal sponsorship" by the IRS. Please visit the National Council of Nonprofits for more information. In 2018, we were fiscally sponsored by a company called Hatchfund and donations made through that campaign were tax deductible. Receipts for those tax deductible donations would have been sent to each donor by Hatchfund. Yellowstone Burners would like to apply for 501c3 status at some point, as that allows us to apply for federal grant money, among other benefits. We will announce when those plans move forward.
501c3 is a specific IRS designation for a certain kind of nonprofit that is allowed to be tax exempt. Not all nonprofits have 501c3 status, in fact, Yellowstone Burners are a registered Wyoming nonprofit but we have not yet applied for 501c3. An organization that is tax exempt, however, can accept donations and the IRS allows the donor to deduct that amount from their taxes, if the taxpayer itemizes their returns. A 501c3 nonprofit can also sponsor other organization's projects that fit with their charitable mission, making that project also available for tax deductible donations. They help monitor the project and ensure that the funds are being used for the allowed charitable purposes. This arrangement is called "fiscal sponsorship" by the IRS. Please visit the National Council of Nonprofits for more information. In 2018, we were fiscally sponsored by a company called Hatchfund and donations made through that campaign were tax deductible. Receipts for those tax deductible donations would have been sent to each donor by Hatchfund. Yellowstone Burners would like to apply for 501c3 status at some point, as that allows us to apply for federal grant money, among other benefits. We will announce when those plans move forward.
Who can join Yellowstone Burners?
We actively seek and encourage new people to join our group and help with creation; everyone is welcome! We may look for someone who has specific skills we need for a project, such as welding, stained glass production, or sewing but we also teach people coming in who may not have a specific skill already. We are happy to teach the entire process of creation from presenting a concept that others can understand, to creating a detailed budget, to organizing volunteers and managing a timeline to make the creation a reality. If you've never held a drill or a saw, join us and we'll teach you!
We actively seek and encourage new people to join our group and help with creation; everyone is welcome! We may look for someone who has specific skills we need for a project, such as welding, stained glass production, or sewing but we also teach people coming in who may not have a specific skill already. We are happy to teach the entire process of creation from presenting a concept that others can understand, to creating a detailed budget, to organizing volunteers and managing a timeline to make the creation a reality. If you've never held a drill or a saw, join us and we'll teach you!
Who is in charge of this group?
The group’s founders are April Jones and Todd Evans who reside in Cody. April works as a massage therapist and marketing professional. Todd is an HVACR specialist. They moved to Wyoming over two years ago, having been deeply involved in creating large-scale public art for many years. They are excited to bring this style of art to their new home; Saddle Up! is meant to honor the rich history of horse and rider while providing a unique experience to all who climb on board.
The group’s founders are April Jones and Todd Evans who reside in Cody. April works as a massage therapist and marketing professional. Todd is an HVACR specialist. They moved to Wyoming over two years ago, having been deeply involved in creating large-scale public art for many years. They are excited to bring this style of art to their new home; Saddle Up! is meant to honor the rich history of horse and rider while providing a unique experience to all who climb on board.
Why don't you charge to enter, or sell things from your art car?
We want to provide a unique artistic experience that is a gift to our community. We feel it's important to have experiences from time-to-time that are free from commodification. Donations from our friends, family, and community businesses are their gift to us and to you. Who doesn't love receiving a gift?.
We want to provide a unique artistic experience that is a gift to our community. We feel it's important to have experiences from time-to-time that are free from commodification. Donations from our friends, family, and community businesses are their gift to us and to you. Who doesn't love receiving a gift?.
What's up with the "burners" part of your name?
The group gets its name from an annual gathering in the Nevada desert called Burning Man; people who attend are called “burners”. This week-long gathering of 70,000 people showcases hundreds of pieces of large-scale collaborative public art including spectacular art cars that are modified to an extreme. Todd and April met by working together on art projects for Burning Man and have attended the gathering together 4 times. They help others in the Cody area who may be interested in attending and run a camp at Burning Man called Yellowstone Burners. They also bring Saddle Up! to the gathering and provide free water for all who come on board.
The group gets its name from an annual gathering in the Nevada desert called Burning Man; people who attend are called “burners”. This week-long gathering of 70,000 people showcases hundreds of pieces of large-scale collaborative public art including spectacular art cars that are modified to an extreme. Todd and April met by working together on art projects for Burning Man and have attended the gathering together 4 times. They help others in the Cody area who may be interested in attending and run a camp at Burning Man called Yellowstone Burners. They also bring Saddle Up! to the gathering and provide free water for all who come on board.
Why do you create this type of art?
We believe that these kinds of art projects are a way to build community and make connections with others that can last a lifetime, while bringing a little splash of color to our neighborhoods and a smile to our day. In short, we do it because it's fun! Join the Yellowstone Burners today or consider making a donation, and help us bring collaborative public art to Park County, Wyoming
We believe that these kinds of art projects are a way to build community and make connections with others that can last a lifetime, while bringing a little splash of color to our neighborhoods and a smile to our day. In short, we do it because it's fun! Join the Yellowstone Burners today or consider making a donation, and help us bring collaborative public art to Park County, Wyoming
