The Generator Maker Space located off of Oddie Boulevard is home to many local artists. It’s a place for metal working, textile work, sculptures, a gymnastic area, van renovation, 3d printing and more. As Aaron Arao reports in this audio feature it has life beyond Burning Man the rest of the year.
A handful of metal workers are in a corner of the maker space in Sparks, Nevada, right near the border with Reno.
The Generator is always in motion. It’s your typical commercial warehouse, but lined with various sculptures, textures, fabrics, paints, desks, privacy tarps, and more.
The room held 27 Burning Man pieces this year alone. Some sculptures built here have surpassed the typical two story home when fully assembled.
Front desk administrator and social media coordinator, Lain Snyder, is one of seven people that help keep this nonprofit going, year round, and not just for the Burning Man production months.
“I love all the different art I get to see made. I think it’s incredible to watch people come in here for the first time and see that all of this is made by a person. That is just such an endlessly delightful thing for me,” Snyder said.
Right after the entrance, underneath a towering bronze sculpture of a crowned snake, makers are making their own halloween themed mini golf course for this month's upcoming events.
While busiest in the run up to the end of August start of Burning Man, the Generator is a year-round space.
Despite the small team Snyder loves the people she works with. They are her best friends, she says. She loves the community and interactions she has everyday.
A 55-year-old Mongolian Burning Man artist, who goes by Sturo, entered the Generator three years ago after moving to Nevada from California.
He had his hesitations about moving here, but the people and community at Burning Man and the Generator called him to stay.
Sturo has made two spiritual inspired pieces for Burning Man 2023 and 2024 described as “larger than life.”
Sturo says he’s motivated and inspired by the vibrations of the universe.
“It’s not only my project, we're just collaborating together,” he said. “A lot of the different professionals were involved in my project. That's why I’m kinda happy and blessed to meet beautiful people.”
He firmly believes that the world’s best artists today are those that work together.
Woodworker and Research Technician at the Desert Research Institute, Eric Lundin, has different motivations for his art. He does it for no other reason than he simply enjoys it. He used to sell jewelry made with the rocks and crystals he found in his research, but now focuses on making his own teardrop trailer for camping.
“Just nonprofits in general are kind of like a great place that brings people together,” he said. “Like, I kind of got started with the nonprofit sector in, like, the 2020 election, when there was felt like a lot of division.Whatever lines get drawn on social media platforms or, hell, even in school. When you come to a place like this where people are just nerding out on whatever they're nerds about. Those lines kind of disappear. Yeah, it’s nice.”
Snyder the receptionist says interested artists or volunteers can find workshops and opportunities through the Generator’s website. They can also come with an idea and find a team to make it a reality.
Audio, Photos and Reporting by Aaron Arao shared with Our Town Reno