I am a Nevada resident and my second burn was my first installation:  America Empowering the World…Again. My expression was never aired but it was to be about America leading the way into green technologies. I borrowed some money, took two months off from my sculpture business and carved a 10’ futuristic Statue of Liberty. Then I placed her, ¾ complete, on a specially configured display/demonstration trailer. I set off with some of my very contemporary, floor-sized fine-art works for the playa to share the process of my art…

When I arrived, I was unexpectedly greeted by people who loved my sculptures and especially Liberty! The always-willing citizens of Black Rock City helped me circle the Lady on her trailer, with 5 of my heavy floor-pieces. We set up the scaffold and canopy and I commenced my work for the next 4 days, trading fantastic knowledge with the people who climbed up to rest on my scaffold!

Saturday night I watched the legitimate burn of the Man from my scaffold with a dozen or so enchanted spectators. I left the lighting generator humming at about 2:00 AM to go sleep. The next morning I returned to an awful sight. The Lady was a cinder; my trailer, 2 chainsaws, many power and hand tools, generator and scaffolding were standing chars; everything bent, melted and mangled!

The arsonist(s) had dragged the generator to the trailer, removed the gas cap and dumped it upside down on top. They thought to bring a pocket-sized canister to ignite and toss. It now lay on the ground, bent and charred like everything else. This was no random act of passion, it was calculated destruction.

The next 4 days are a blur to me, like some fantasy scavenger-hunt on a bicycle, without a tool, in search of carpet, blankets, timbers and ratchet straps---and a vehicle to rescue the crème of my life’s work from the vast, desolate playa which would not host a city in another few days!

The hands, hearts and resources of many kind people helped me package and load my sculptures, along with the beloved freedom icon onto a borrowed mutant vehicle. After 4 stressful days, in a blinding dust storm we scurried them away to the nearby BRC staging ranch and off the playa! Whew….

When I arrived home, tattered, grubby and torn, a slew of very welcome emails and images of the artworks and devastation awaited me! People offered gifts of service, council, resources and money.

Now I am battling American Family Insurance Company, which is stalling and denying. Compensation for my loss will be a long time coming, if ever. Thank god for the Burn community and their perpetual good nature…

My gratitude will be evident in future creative contributions: I hope to stabilize the uncarvable-if-I-tried charred textures on Lady Liberty with bonding resins.  I will carve a new title in her base: “Survivor”.  I hope to use her presence at regional Burn events and her images on the internet to promote awareness, intolerance and vigilance, in order to head-off further problems…

Terrorists attack a culture's beloved symbols and then use the free media attention given their nastiness to force their social and political agendas...and they don't just go away.  This year's politically-charged theme will come at the end of a long, spiteful election cycle.  Don’t call me an alarmist, just call me careful...

Matthew (Timeless) Welter