The World Maker Faire hosts large and small-scale Maker Faires all over the world. These fairs host around 200,000 people annually; in 2017, there were 190 smaller-scale Maker Faires all around the world with 30 larger ones in big cities. Each separate fair is hosted out of a school, community building, or larger convention center. These family-friendly, weekend-long events feature DIY spaces, more 3D printers than you can imagine, robotics teams, costumes, food and retail from around the world. Makers are able to present in panels about STEM and STEAM topics, their focuses are on innovation as they celebrate the past forms of creation as well.

On September 22^nd, the World Maker Faire will take place in Corona, New York at the New York Hall of Science. While there, you can get inspired by all of the projects and art installations focused on electronics, robotics, 3D printing, and fabrication. Some notable Makers who will be there are Possibility Studios – a Makerspace out of NY, Mass Destruction 10 – a New England combat robot building group, and the Fearless Fixers – a group who teaches the users on how to repair day-to-day electronics. To find a Maker Faire that is local to you, visit the Maker Faire website:  https://makerfaire.com/map/

Burning Man is another example of a maker gathering, but this one is on the other end of the spectrum. Where the World Maker Faire takes place indoors and operates as more of a convention, Burning Man is a little rawer. Taking place outside in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, the event starts with an empty desert and ends with what the event-goers refer to as Black Rock City, a temporary city dedicated to family, art, self-expression, and relying on yourself.  Artists and creators from around the world attend this week-long event. The event, which states that it is not a convention but a community, relies on ten principles that explore the values of their community: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace (respecting the environment), participation, and immediacy.

Now through January 2019, the Smithsonian seeks to bring the art of Burning Man to the east coast by hosting an exhibit called “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” at its Renwick Gallery. With room-sized installations and framed photographs of installations that were later burned with the city, you will be able to get a feel of the growth of this event and the culture and community around it. Many of the exhibits feature smaller scale pieces, “Truth is Beauty” by Marco Cochrane, was a 55’ dancer that was recreated to be 30’ so that it could fit within the gallery. Others are VR booths that are set up to digitally walk through a museum of the artist’s full collection of interactive pieces. Also, there are artists who are setting up new pieces entirely for this exhibit, who have nothing but photos to represent their works as they have burned them all. By walking into this gallery, which is mere steps away from the White House, you will truly feel like you’re stepping into Black Rock City.

These gatherings, though very different, are focused around the exact same thing: creating and making together. There is a focus on community and networking that gives you a “these are my people,” feeling when you enter. Though they’re hosted in two different environments: one indoors and the other outdoors, both of them are filled to the brim with people who are unashamed to be themselves. These gatherings and the overall Maker Movement are helping people embrace who they are and share what they’re doing. With the “show and tell” mindset, Maker gatherings are a facet that continues to bring the community together.

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At their base, community workshops are gathering places where people can meet up to use tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and lathes that they might not have at home. Traditionally these spaces have someone scheduled to work or volunteer within the space to assist those who might not know how to use the equipment. As previously mentioned in our Makers & Maker Movement blog post, populations of large cities tend to skip running to the hardware store because small apartments aren’t ideal (or safe) for large projects. Community workshops are a great space to utilize equipment and expertise that many in large cities don’t have space or a constant need for.
Spaces like these were created in reaction to the Maker Culture rise and greatly increase community engagement and development. We spoke with Jessie Tymoczko, who worked at Pittsburgh’s TechShop (as they made their transition to Protohaven), about what she noticed about the community that formed around the workspace:

“TechShop had a ‘hub’ area with computers and tables that were constantly bustling. The tables were communal, so people were often working on different projects at the same time.  That shared space really fostered a helper mentality.  If someone was working on a project and ran into a roadblock it was pretty easy for them to look up and find another maker who would at least have some ideas about what the issue might be, ranging from metalwork and fabrics to robotics and glasswork.” She continued, “I also saw and experienced the friendships that formed in the shop, people would often come to the shop even if they were not currently working on a project because it was a community space and a place for like-minded people to meet up and spend time together. It was really neat to see people of all ages and backgrounds working alongside each other and interacting, kids learned how to interact with adults and on more than one occasion an adult remembered what it was like to find joy in the ‘magic’ of making while working with the kids.”

As for individuals, workshops like this offer a haven for creative types and a sense of community in a large city. They offer classes and tutorial workshops where groups can gather and learn together about anything from making a messenger bag to motorcycle maintenance. According to Tymoczko, most places tend to offer both paid and free events and that safety and basic use classes are required if you wanted to use certain machines. These workshops are not only great for getting out of your bubble to meet others in the city, but they teach skills which can be used for many other things.

Makers in cities everywhere can utilize the sheer size of the space to complete projects with tools which would be a waste of money to have around the apartment, all while having a community around them to offer tips, support, and advice. Community workshops are positive spaces and anchors to the Maker communities of large cities and towns. With the prevalence of the Maker Movement and the help of community workshops, many can grow to become more confident and self-reliant within the world that they’re making.

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