Burning Man Project Funds 75 Art Installations for 2026 With $1.3 Million in Grants

The 2026 Honoraria Program is funding 75 art projects — from artists across 15 countries and 17 US states — with $1.3 million, part of the nonprofit's nearly $6 million in annual arts funding.

Burning Man Project announced its 2026 Honoraria Art Grant recipients on March 19, funding 75 projects with $1.3 million, part of the organization's nearly $6 million in total annual arts funding (the rest self-funded by artists). Selected artists represent 15 countries and 17 US states, with 25% of projects led by artists of color, nearly half led by female or nonbinary artists, and 7% by first-time Black Rock City participants.

The selections reflect the 'Axis Mundi' theme: 41 tree-themed proposals were submitted, with six ultimately chosen, alongside works exploring mountains and the human form, and 14 projects incorporating fire elements. Katie Hazard, Burning Man Project's Director of Art, described the range as running 'from octopi to treehouses to a flame-breathing garden gnome.'

The 75 funded pieces join roughly 400 total art installations typically found across Black Rock City each year — the Honoraria Program specifically supports ambitious projects that might not otherwise get built, rather than funding the event's art scene as a whole.