by Michael Gosney,
Be-In Producer

Certainly, the altar as art form has turned up more and more in recent years. But it was at a beautiful rave put on by Friends and Family in Oakland last summer that I was so inspired by the work of these altar-artists. It occurred to me that an altar area, a chill space yes, but mainly an exhibit of inspired altars would be a fitting addition to the next Be-In, particularly given Number 9's cultural diversity theme. After making a few inquiries, I came to meet Claire Corich, a fount of altar know-how and light. I asked her if she would like to be the coordinator of a collaborative piece, and she was enthusiastic. Claire invited several altartist peers, and a few more emerged from this year's Be-In circles.

We had planned to add QuickTime VR shots to our website reportage, with a staged room that had the panoramic camera set up in the center. This became the Virtual Altar Room.

I invited our resident QTVR mavens Dianna and Ginger, who had already been capturing SF's monthly Anon Salons "live," to take charge. As you can see here, they did. Dianna worked with the Be-In netcast team to produce a more comprehensive virtual exhibit of the Altar Room, which you have entered. Welcome!

The Altar Room proved to be the jewel of the Be-In this year. At least the most visible jewel. I have heard many comments about the affect it had on people, all positive. And general praise for the artistic quality and feeling evidenced in the work of our "altar goddesses," as I heard them referred to. One commentator observed that this was the first time all these underground rave goddesses had put their energy together in one place. It's that "gathering of the tribes" thing at work again.

On Be-In set up day, with people running every which way, artist Landon Elmore brought in his cool signs for the various areas: Blendo Station, Bridge, Digital Frontier, Avatar Teleport...and Virtual Altar Room. He took his eyes off the Altar sign for about two minutes; it vanished. We could not believe that someone would steal it right then (after the show might be cool, but now?). How unlike Be-In participants to do such a thing. Later that evening when I came around the corner and discovered the Altar Room in all its mysterious glory, I realized how very fitting it was that this special space did not have a glossy sign above the door. It was a space beyond names.

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