MISFIT TOYS ART: Winter Solstice Press Kit

Elevator Pitch

Winter Solstice (give or take a week): It's time to go home

An interactive frozen lake installation where participants step into a winter fantasy world any time of year. Ice shanty’s, a 50-foot sled, swapping stories around a campfire. Debuting at Black Rock City's 2026 Burning Man by Misfit Toys Art—a crew of 16+ artists and 30+ volunteers.

Quick Facts

Installation Name: Winter Solstice Give or Take a Week
Tagline: It's time to go home
Event: Burning Man 2026, Black Rock City
Lead Artist: Joe Howard
Core Crew: 16+ artists and makers
Volunteers: 30+ participants
Budget: $168,000
Collective: Misfit Toys Art
Contact: media@MisfitToys.art
Website: www.MisfitToysGoHome.art

Description

From afar, walking through the dust, you see a giant scale 60's era Flexible Flyer type sled perched on a mound of "snow", inviting you into a fantasy village. The sled looks down on a series of 50's/60's/70's era ice fishing shanties arranged on a frozen lake.

The Experience:

Each shanty, curated by a different team of artists, draws you into a different world—shadow puppets, vintage postcards, fortune-telling cards, poetry chapbooks, music boxes. Across the lake, a dock and a boathouse beckon, inviting you to swing your feet, bait your hook, or ride in a suspended boat. A fire ring crackles nearby, stocked with firewood, with personnel each night to curate fire and stories. And stuck in the ice is a vintage 1950's sedan where participants can hang out inside and listen to the crackling radio.

The Concept:

This installation explores how play, internal reflection, and community intermingle.

• Play (The Sled): Outward expression—testing physical and mental boundaries, social interaction, teamwork, problem-solving, improvisation
• Reflection (The Shanties): Inward contemplation—sanctuary spaces filled with mementos that bring comfort and joy, places for solitude, writing poetry, deep conversation, games of cribbage
• Community (Fire Ring, Dock, Car): Spaces for building connection and inspiring each other through shared stories of playtime adventures and lessons honed through internal focus

Interactive Elements Include:

• Giant Flexible Flyer-style sled for sledding down the hill
• Artist-curated ice fishing shanties (intimate discovery spaces)
• Vintage 1950's sedan with crackling radio
• Dock and boathouse with suspended boat
• Fire ring with nightly fire and story curation
• Frozen lake landscape tying it all together

The Crew

An actual family of welders, carpenters, designers, electricians, sculptors, communications specialists, and dreamers. We measure twice, cut once, then weld, hammer, paint, wire, and dream together.

Lead Artist: Joe Howard
Previous Works: Builder on "LOVE BLOCKS" and "One Tin Soldier" (Burning Man installations)

Joe has been building with Misfit Toys since 2019—Winter Solstice is his first lead installation. San Francisco-based landscape architect who translates complex ideas into built reality. He specializes in turning biological concepts into intelligent planning and construction, leading trail and park projects with habitat restoration.

We are: Artists and makers who build the impossible
We believe: All skill levels, hearts, and hands are welcome
We practice: Leave No Trace, Radical Inclusion, Gifting

Media Contact

Website: www.MisfitToysGoHome.art
Email: media@MisfitToys.art
Social Media:
- Instagram: @misfittoyscrew
- Facebook: Misfit Toys Art

Press Inquiries: media@MisfitToys.art

Donation & Support

Winter Solstice is built entirely through community support and volunteer labor. Contributions fund materials, transportation, and infrastructure to bring this frozen world to life.

How to Support:

• Volunteer: Carpentry, welding, electrical, crew care, logistics
• Donate: Financial contributions for materials and transport
• Share: Spread the word about this community art project

FAQ

Q: Where will this be installed?
A: Black Rock City during Burning Man 2026

Q: Can people interact with everything?
A: Yes! Climb in the cars, explore the shanties, sled down the hill, play in the snow fort, gather at the fire.

Q: How long does it take to build?
A: Months of planning and pre-build, intensive on-site construction, complete teardown following Leave No Trace principles.

Q: Who can volunteer?
A: Everyone. All skill levels welcome. Carpentry, welding, electrical, crew care, logistics, media, fundraising, or just willing hands and open hearts.

Q: Is this a permanent installation?
A: No. Following Burning Man principles, we build, gift the experience, then completely dismantle and restore the land.

Q: What makes this different from other Burning Man art?
A: The intimacy. Ice shanties create private moments within a public space. Vintage cars invite nostalgia and play. The winter theme provides cool refuge (emotionally and literally) in the desert heat.

Q: Who's Joe Howard?
A: Lead artist for Winter Solstice. Been building with Misfit Toys since 2019—this is his first lead installation. Previously worked on "LOVE BLOCKS" and "One Tin Soldier." San Francisco-based landscape architect who leads our crew of artists, welders, carpenters, and dreamers in building the impossible.

Q: What's the budget?
A: $168,000 to cover materials, transportation, tools, and infrastructure. All raised through community support and volunteer labor.