For the past 20 years during the week prior to Labor Day, Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is transformed into a temporary community celebrating the Burning Man Art Festival. Sierra Nevada College is having an exhibition of 14 life-sized photographs and three mannequins documenting day and nighttime Burning Man costumes.

For the past five years, Geoffrey Nelson has set out to document the most creative and unusual of these costumes that he encounters during the festival. A Tribe of Artists: Costumes and Culture at Burning Man will be on display from Sept. 20 through Nov. 18 at the college’s Prim Library, main floor.

Drawing more than 50,000 participants from around the world, the Burning Man Festival is known for its fire, sculptures, theme camps, and its unusually attired participants. The photos are primarily shot in a portable, tent-like photographic studio that he transports and constructs on the playa where Burning Man takes place. Dealing with overwhelming dust storms, heat, and extremely loud “art cars,” Nelson has photographed more than 200 participants since he started the project in 2005. From these photos emerged this unconventional show, A Tribe of Artists: Costumes and Culture at Burning Man.

Nelson has been a professional photographer for more than 30 years, beginning his career in the Bay Area. He graduated from the UC Berkeley and has widely exhibited throughout the United States. Nelson has published a number of books.

Library Hours: 8am-10pm, Monday-Thursday; 8am-5pm, Friday; 10am-4pm Saturday; 2pm-10pm Sunday

For more information or to schedule a group visit, contact Betts Markle at emarkle@sierranevada.edu or (775) 881.7511.