Attention the 2022 Philly Maker Faire is April 21. Image is of the bellbot with speakers coming out of the top of his head.

Event Date: April 21, 2024, 10 am – 5pm

Event Location: Cherry Street Pier, 121 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Philadelphia, PA – (March 14, 2024) Following the successful in-person 2022 Philly Maker Faire, the 2024 Philly Maker Faire brings back talented makers/crafters/doers from Philadelphia and surrounding area. Makers will reveal their most grand work at the airy Cherry Street Pier.

This fourth Philly Maker Faire returns with new makers and some returning favorites. Expect to encounter:

  • Innovative demonstrations 
  • Interactive workshops and hands-on activities
  • Design projects and entrepreneurial networking
  • Engagement for all ages from K-12 and university level
  • Business opportunities for local manufacturers and angel investors

The press announcement and other materials can be found at the link: https://philly.makerfaire.com/media-kit/

More information about sponsorship opportunities can be found at the link:
https://philly.makerfaire.com/sponsorship/

Philadelphia Maker Faire is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.

Maker Faire Philadelphia is a Fiscally Sponsored Project of Digital Harbor Foundation.

There is room for more!

If you have a Do-It-Yourself (or Do-It-Together) attitude and want to share your work with a curious and engaged audience, then apply to the Philly Maker Faire. They encourage all makers, from startups and science clubs to inventors and artists to apply. They particularly love exhibits that are interactive and those that show the making process.

About the Cherry Street Pier

Cherry Street Pier is a year-round, mixed-use public space on the central Delaware River waterfront. Built into the shell of a century-old municipal pier, it is a reflection of Philadelphia today—creative, diverse, historic, adaptable, and inspired. To learn more, visit CherryStreetPier.com

Sponsorships and Partnerships Available

The Philly Maker Faire is looking for partners and sponsors to build an even better event in 2024. This is the premier event in the region for innovators to show off their ingenuity to an engaged public. Maker Faire is designed to inspire attendees to create their future. 

  • This is THE opportunity for talented inventors, engineers, designers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to show their creations and ingenuity.
  • Share your message with a highly educated and motivated audience of creatives, trend setters, and early adopters.
  • Associate your name with engaging hands-on experiences which have a memorable, lasting impact.

For more information or to become a sponsor, please contact Emily Silverman at emily@phillymakerfaire.com, or reach us online through the sponsorship page at philly.makerfaire.com/sponsorship

About Maker Faire

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect, and grow this community.

The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2012 celebrated its seventh annual show with some 800 makers and 110,000 people in attendance. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in three years to 500+ makers and 55,000 attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Newcastle (UK), and Tokyo are the home of “featured” Maker Faires (200+ makers), and community-driven, independently organized Maker Faires are now being produced around the United States and the world—including right here in Williamson County.

About MAKE Magazine: MAKE is the first magazine devoted entirely to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) technology projects. MAKE unites, inspires, informs, and entertains a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages. MAKE celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your will. 

Besides the magazine and the faire, MAKE is:

  • A vital online stream of news and projects, blog.makezine.com;
  • A retail outlet for kits and books, the Maker Shed;
  • A steady stream of fun and instruction via our YouTube channel;
  • Make: Projects, a library of projects with step-by-step instructions
  • A publisher of best-in-category titles via Make: Books, including introductions to electronics, 3D printing, Raspberry Pi, Arduino and more.

More info: https://makerfaire.com

Press Contact
Laura Chenault
Co-chair, Marketing Director
Philadelphia Maker Faire
415.430.5748
laura@phillymakerfaire.com

A photo of the playful maker, Simone Giertz. She's wearing a blue shirt, has long red pigtails and a red hat with two popcorn boxes attached.

Phil Shapiro is a maker working at a public library in the Washington DC-area. He loves promoting maker culture and volunteering at edcamps and maker faires. He has been volunteering with Philly Maker Faire since 2021. His most recent maker project, Thunk, a game to promote exercise in a non-tiring way, was shown at the Northern Virginia Maker Faire, in 2019. This new series of blog posts, the most playful makers, will spotlight the makers who have tickled Phil’s fancy. For the 2024 Philly Maker Faire, Phil is working on outreach to schools, libraries, homeschoolers, and unschoolers.

Our first playful maker Simone Giertz

Quite often, the most talented makers are also the most playful ones. In this series of blog posts, you’ll meet some of the most playful makers. Let’s start out with Simone Giertz, who has close to 3 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. Her video that charmed me the most is her “proud parent machine,” a machine that encouragingly pats you on the back after your insert a quarter.

Hearing the story of how she figured out the build for this project is both entertaining and instructive.

If you’d like to lend support to Simone, there are several ways of doing that, but the simplest is just to subscribe to her YouTube channel. If you do not yet have a YouTube account, you can create one in less than two minutes using your Gmail account since YouTube is owned by Google.

Note – you do not need to upload your own videos to YouTube to have a YouTube account. It’s perfectly fine to have a YouTube account where you view other people’s videos rather than make your own. Over time, though, you might get a yearning to create and upload your own videos.

From the end of the “proud parent machine” video, Simone shares essential wisdom. “I had so much fun building this. I feel it has taken almost every build thing I know into account. Mechanics, CAD design, woodworking, electronics…”

Take Inspiration from Simone Giertz’ playful making

Take inspiration from Simone Giertz and find a maker project to work on that stretches all of your different skills. Find a maker space and stretch your creative skills together. And in the process of doing all this, be a storyteller. Storytelling is making. Make it a habit to do storytelling every day. Tell the stories of other makers, tell your own making stories, and make up stories.

Simone Giertz Online

Website https://www.simonegiertz.com/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3KEoMzNz8eYnwBC34RaKCQ

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@simonegiertz

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonegiertz/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/simonegiertz/

X https://twitter.com/simonegiertz

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Giertz

Phil Shapiro Online

Open Source opensource.com/users/pshapiro

Pairs Math Game pairsmathgame.com

YouTube www.youtube.com/user/pshapiro

Make: makezine.com/author/pshapiro

Blog philshapirochatgptexplorations.blogspot.com

At the Philly Maker Faire https://philly.makerfaire.com/maker/entry/737

"10 reasons you should come to Philly Maker Faire" in black text on a patterned background

For immediate release: October 12, 2022
Contact: Laura Chenault, laura@phillymakerfaire.com

Event Date: Oct 15th, 10 am 5pm
Event Location: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Philadelphia, PA – (October, 12, 2022) This Saturday at the Independence Seaport Museum, we gather to celebrate makers and creators. 

10. Fun for all ages!

The greatest show & tell on Earth returns for a third year at the Independence Seaport Museum! 

9. Art!

A couple artists include Tommy Mintz, who creates interactive algorithmic time lapse generation of viewers and Yemisi Ajayi, an innovative textile artist working within the realm of traditional Yoruba cloth, motifs, and dying.

8. Crafts!

Come by and meet the folks at Tuft the World learn how to tuft a rug and check out Lynette Rodriguez of Light Bird Crafts who makes hand crafted ceramics inspired by nature.

7. Museum!

Your Philly Maker Faire ticket also allows you to wander beyond the makers to experience the wonders of the Independence Seaport Museum including the Seaport Boat Shop and the powerful Tides of Freedom exhibit which explores the concept of freedom through the lens of the African experience. 

6. Technology!

Check out the First Desktop 3D Hologram Printer by LitiHolo, the South Jersey Combot Robotics, and the Princeton Soccer Robotics team.

5. Make stuff!

Make a light up bracelet to bring home with the Please Touch Museum then head to Blacksmith sponsor Cupola Academy to build a paper circuit.

4. Green Makers!

Epoch Boats is a hardware startup that designs and manufactures hydrofoil electric boats and Baleena is dedicated to reducing microplastic emissions, driving environmental education, and reducing humanity’s collective plastic footprint.

3. Makers!

The best part about coming to the Maker Faire is you get to meet the makers who are just waiting to share what they make with you! 

2. Witness human creativity! 

Experiences spark the imagination — and can change your life – come and be inspired.

1. Meet MythBuster, Jr., Elijah Horland!

Drop by for maker-mischief fun, MythBuster’s style with MythBuster Jr., Elijah Horland to levitate matter with sound and play with the worst video game controllers ever designed.

Text in black says "meet MythBuster, Jr., Elijah Horland and has a photo of a young man with dark hair giving a thumb's up sign.

See you on Saturday!

Saturday, October 15, 2022
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Independence Seaport Museum
211 S Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Meet more makers!

buy tickets now
Rising Makers at PhillyMakerFaire2018

Museums are places where you walk in, experience something, and walk out with new ideas, fresh perspectives, and new wonderings. That’s why the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia makes an ideal location for the upcoming Philadelphia Maker Faire. This spacious museum – approximately 25,000 square feet – will host over 70 makers Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. People will be traveling from other cities to attend – and there will be a large number of visitors from the Philadelphia metro area proper.

Text says Tickets on sale Now and has our bellbot on a row of tickets.
https://philly.makerfaire.com/tickets/

Maker Faires celebrate the human creative spirit in all of its forms – from inventions, to handicrafts, to electronics, to recycling/upcycling, to entrepreneurship. Maker Faires are suitable for all ages. And if you are a maker yourself, the call for makers has been extended. Bring your “show and tell” to share. For most makers, there is no charge to have a booth. If you are selling something, there is a modest fee of $100.

Every Maker Faire blends the arts with STEM, whether it be cosplay costumes or neat Raspberry Pi electronics projects. If you’re a geek and proud of it, put the Philadelphia Maker Faire on your calendar. And if you’re not a geek and proud of it, put the Philadelphia Maker Faire on your calendar. And tell others. We build community one conversation at a time.

The creative spirit is contagious. Volunteers have been working for several months to make the Faire a positive, memorable experience for you, your friends, your neighbors, your family, and your school.

Come on down on Oct 15, 2022.

Buy tickets now for Philly Maker Faire 2022

Attendees also receive admission to the Museum’s building.

If attendees would like access to either Cruiser Olympia or Submarine Becuna, they are more than welcome to purchase a ticket at the front desk for the guided tours we offer for both ships. Tour times and pricing can be found here: phillyseaport.org/admissons-hours-of-operation/

Additionally, weather permitting, Paddle Penn’s Landing will be renting swan boats and paddle around the protective basin. https://www.phillyseaport.org/paddle/

Smooth Sailing with Mike Flynn from the Independence Seaport Museum

Mike Flynn

We just posted a new podcast featuring Mike Flynn, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Independence Seaport Museum. Mike is a non-profit executive, specializing in Museum Education. During his time at the Independence Seaport Museum, he has overseen curatorial, educational and other programming at the museum. In 2021, Independence Seaport Museum was voted one of the top ten Best History Museums in USA Today. Listen now https://anchor.fm/phillymakerfaire/episodes/Smooth-Sailing-with-Mike-Flynn-from-the-Independence-Seaport-Museum-e1o25ms

Independence Seaport Museum Online

Website www.phillyseaport.org

Facebook facebook.com/phillyseaport

Instagram instagram.com/phillyseaport

Twitter twitter.com/phillyseaport

Mike on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/mike-flynn-9778ab8

Buy tickets now
Attention the 2022 Philly Maker Faire is April 21. Image is of the bellbot with speakers coming out of the top of his head.

Press release: September 29, 2022
Contact: Laura Chenault, laura@phillymakerfaire.com

Event: 2022 Philly Maker Faire
Event Date: Oct 15th, 10 am – 5pm
Event Location: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Philadelphia, PA – (September, 29, 2022) 2022 Philly Maker Faire returns! The world took a pause, which allowed those who create, to refine skills, and emerge with unprecedented work to inspire the masses. On October 15th, bear witness to the fruits of their labor. Makers will reveal their most grand work displaying their creative wings to take flight at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Tickets available here: https://philly.makerfaire.com/tickets/ 

The third Philly Maker Faire returns with new makers and some returning favorites. Expect to encounter:

  • Innovative demonstrations 
  • Interactive workshops and hands-on activities for fun and learning
  • Design projects and entrepreneurial networking
  • Engagement for all ages from K-12 and university level
  • Business opportunities for local manufacturers and angel investors

The press announcement and other materials can be found at the link: https://philly.makerfaire.com/media-kit/

More information about sponsorship opportunities can be found at the link:
https://philly.makerfaire.com/sponsorship/

Philadelphia Maker Faire is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.

There is room for more makers at the 2022 Philly Maker Faire

If you have a Do It Yourself (or Do It Together) attitude and want to share your work with a curious and engaged audience, then apply to the Philly Maker Faire. They encourage all makers, from startups and science clubs to inventors and artists to apply.  They particularly love exhibits that are interactive and those that show the making process. https://philly.makerfaire.com/call-for-makers/

2022 Philly Maker Faire Sponsors

Current sponsors of the Philadelphia Maker Faire include: NextFab, Independence Seaport Museum, Make: Magazine, Printed Solid, MakerStock, and Cupola Academy.

About the Independence Seaport Museum

Independence Seaport Museum encourages visitors to discover Philadelphia’s river of history and world of connections. An accredited museum by the American Alliance of Museums since 1989, ISM stewards Cruiser Olympia and World War II-era Submarine Becuna and is home to a boatbuilding workshop, interactive exhibitions, and one of the largest collections of historic maritime artifacts in the world. Visitors can explore the historic and beautiful Delaware River first-hand by renting a boat from the museum or by participating in one of our kayak excursions. The Independence Seaport Museum is the premier, year-round destination on the Penn’s Landing waterfront. Visit daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and see our full schedule of programs and events at phillyseaport.org

Sponsorships and Partnerships Available for the 2022 Philly Maker Faire

We are looking for partners and sponsors to help us and build an even better event in 2022. This is the premier event in the region for innovators to show off their ingenuity to an engaged public.  Maker Faire is designed to inspire attendees to create their future. 

  • This is THE opportunity for talented inventors, engineers, designers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to show their creations and ingenuity.
  • Share your message with a highly educated and motivated audience of creatives, trend setters, and early adopters.
  • Associate your name with engaging hands-on experiences which have a memorable, lasting impact.

For more information or to become a sponsor, please contact James Parson at sjamesparsonsjr@gmail.com, or reach us online through the sponsorship page at philly.makerfaire.com/sponsorship

About Maker Faire

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community.

The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2012 celebrated its seventh annual show with some 800 makers and 110,000 people in attendance. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in three years to 500+ makers and 55,000 attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Newcastle (UK), and Tokyo are the home of “featured” Maker Faires (200+ makers), and community-driven, independently organized Maker Faires are now being produced around the United States and the world—including right here in Williamson County.

About MAKE Magazine: MAKE is the first magazine devoted entirely to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) technology projects. MAKE unites, inspires, informs, and entertains a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages. MAKE celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your will. 

Besides the magazine and the faire, MAKE is:

  • A vital online stream of news and projects, blog.makezine.com;
  • A retail outlet for kits and books, the Maker Shed;
  • A steady stream of fun and instruction via our YouTube channel;
  • Make: Projects, a library of projects with step-by-step instructions
  • A publisher of best-in-category titles via Make: Books, including introductions to electronics, 3D printing, Raspberry Pi, Arduino and more.

More info: https://makerfaire.com

Press Contact
Laura Chenault
Co-chair, Marketing Director
Philadelphia Maker Faire
laura@phillymakerfaire.com

Buy tickets now
Artist Deanna McLaughlin sculpture of 6 life sized feet in silver
Artist Deanna McLaughlin posing on the floor in a red sweater with six life size feet sculptures

This week we’re chatting with artist Deanna McLaughlin. She is a visual artist and designer who makes unique artwork and custom creations. Deanna worked for several years as an art therapist in state mental hospitals and for over two decades as a public school art educator. She was one of five Americans to participate in the First Artist Exchange with the Union of Artists at St. Petersburg, Russia.

What do you make?

Artist Deanna McLaughlin spare parts is a school desk made from repurposed wire racks.

I create one-of-a-kind 2-d and 3-d artworks. I let the idea dictate the materials I use when I set out to figure out how to make my concept or idea work! There are exceptions to this. Sometimes the idea is born from the material I find. When this happens the idea is born from the object itself. I have made pieces from sticks I found in nature, and from objects, people discard as in the “Rara Avis” sunglass lens piece recently on view at Park Town Towers. There is no one set material I create with. I have never found one medium to be the singular best to represent an idea. My preference is to work with found materials. We live in a culture of excess. When possible I use materials that I find or reuse things that already exist and modify them into a new form.

Who do you make it for?

Companions by artist Deanna McLaughlin is a sculpture of two figures connected at the neck with a flat surface

I make art to satiate my desire to make an idea come alive. I love the design problem-solving process. How can I make this idea come alive? That’s really what it is about for me. I exhibit to make sure the objects I make do not collect dust! It’s the process of creating something from nothing that satisfies me most. If I am accepted into a show that’s great but I do not hinge my art-making on the outcome- that would kill the joy of the process. My work is a way of processing the world around us and the irony of our culture.

Where are you located?

Center City, Philadelphia, PA

When did you start making?

This is nearly impossible to answer. I have been influenced to make things for as long as I remember. My parents and grandparents were master craftsmen and makers. Everyone was always working with their hands. Aside from working on the farm and gardening, The women made these beautiful crochet, knit, and sewn pieces, and on grandmother was an amazing quilter. My mom was a seamstress. For many years she designed wedding gowns.

How long have you been making?

Deanna McLaughlin's piece in a la cart exhibit from the Philadelphia International Airport is a shopping cart turned into a chair and covered with ties
a la cart is currently showing at the Philadelphia International Airport

I was sick a lot as a small child.

My mother would put a pile of stuff on the table- random scraps of fabric, paper towel tubes, scissors, thread and needle, glue- whatever we had and tell me to make something. I think it was her way of keeping me occupied. Inevitably, It was fantastic practice for working in public education as an art teacher. Although the arts are not supported in our educational culture, they are essential to teaching problem-solving skills.

What inspired you to make this?

My well of inspiration spans the arc from Nature to our cultural clashes. I hold the spark of the meaning of the outcome at the front of my mind while I work on problem solving the process of giving structure and form to whatever material I have in my hands. (see “What do you make” above).

Deanna McLaughlin's piece in a la cart exhibit from the Philadelphia International Airport is a shopping cart turned into a chair and covered with ties
a la cart is currently showing at the Philadelphia International Airport

What makers inspire you?

Historically I have a fine appreciation for the European masters of course, but I love more those who are less understood- Andy Warhol for instance understood our culture on a deeper level than most give him credit for. I am drawn to those who creatively manipulate materials. Microscopic artist Willard Wigan blows my mind away. His work is exceptional. He designs sculptures on the head of a needle. Microscopes are necessary to view his work. My favorite contemporary is Cornelia Parker. She also focuses on the absurd. It is the absurdity of our world that draws me in and toward others who view the world from another perspective.

What’s next for you?

I left teaching because I believed there are other ways I can educate beyond four walls. I am creating educational works of art. I am working on a series of playful remakes of board games from the 1970’s that will teach historical facts. I am also proposing a public artwork based on the 30 Articles of Human Rights. A document the USA signed in alliance with 48 other countries after WWII and which few are aware of. Regardless of the materials, I intend to continue creating works of art that bring attention to the absurdity of our culture.

What would you like to ask the maker community?

How did you find me?

What connections did you make at Maker Faire?

I met some new makers who were working with materials I had used a lot in the past- resin based works. I learned about some new resin products which peaked my interest for learning more. I really do love learning about new materials. It ignites me!

Deanna McLaughlin's piece in a la cart exhibit from the Philadelphia International Airport is a shopping cart turned into a chair and covered with ties
a la cart is currently showing at the Philadelphia International Airport

What was the best moment for you as a maker?

The best moment of the day was when a man walked up to my booth. He saw the leather settee shopping cart with a side table I had brought for part of my display and just stood there staring at it for the longest time. When I asked him if he had any questions, or thoughts about the cart, he said “ My wife is in a wheelchair and I am looking at this for ideas for her!” I was blown away- I had not thought about how someone would consider adapting what I had done to a wheelchair, or to use one of my carts as a wheelchair option- I was very touched by that moment.

Anything else you want to add?

I also teach yoga. It has been a very big part of my life for many many years.

Artist Deanna McLaughlin PHL Exhibition – a la cart at the Philadelphia International Airport

Deanna McLaughlin's a la cart exhibit from the Philadelphia International Airport is a shopping cart turned into a chair and covered with ties
a la cart is currently showing at the Philadelphia International Airport

Deanna McLaughlin – a la cart is now installed at the Philadelphia International Airport at Terminal A-West through the end of 2022!

Artist Deanna McLaughlin Online

Art Links
Website https://www.deannamclaughlin.com

Furniture
InLiquid https://inliquid.org/artist/mclaughlin-deanna/
Artsy https://www.artsy.net/artist/deanna-mclaughlin/works-for-sale
Jewelry https://www.cartrageous.com/
Instagram @cartrageous

Yoga Links
Yoga https://www.taketimetobreathe.com/
Twitter @yogaah
Instagram @take.time.to.breathe
Email deanna@taketimetobreathe.com

On the Podcast: Taking Time to Breathe and Talk Design with Artist Deanna McLaughlin

Listen to Taking Time to Breathe and Talk Design with Artist Deanna McLaughlin on the podcast today!

A photo of Jeremy dePrisco performing. Jeremy is sitting with an acoustic guitar and a colorful video behind him.

We turned the tables on Jeremy dePrisco: Musician, Producer, Technologist, our Music Director and podcast co-host and put him in the hot seat. Listen to the podcast here and scroll down for his answers to our Q&A.

What do you make?

I create recordings – music, soundscapes – and produce music and audio for others. Sometimes I make electronic gadgets and noise makers. I also produce events from time to time, or help others produce events, both live and virtual.

Who do you make it for?

Anyone really. I’ve worked with a number of bands and solo artists, but I also do voice over work. I once did a project for a hospital system that needed material for a training module. A friend of ours was doing a project on dialects and pronunciation, so I recorded material for her.

A lot of my background involves theatre, either from a sound design/foley perspective for composition. That has transitioned well into podcast stuff.

I tend to be “sub-industrial”, meaning I operate under the radar a lot of the time. This is partly by choice, but also because I look for specific projects that interest me. The commercial music industry has never held much interest for me.

When it comes to my own creative output, I still look at things every much as “before 2010” and “post 2010”. Up to 2010, I still considered myself a singer-songwriter, performing mostly guitar/vocal pieces. After 2010, I moved much further into the electronic and experimental realm. The two audiences rarely overlap.

Jeremy dePrisco: Musician, Producer, Technologist performing on stage. Photo is of a man holding a guitar with video art behind him.

Where are you located?

I’m currently in the Norristown area, west of Philadelphia.

When did you start making?

Back when the first series of Star Wars movies were coming out, I would make ships and displays for them out of whatever was around. Somewhere I have pictures of all this stuff, including an old console TV cabinet that had a Jabba the Hutt throne room on top and a Rancor pit in the bottom – complete with trap door.

Later when I got into Dungeons & Dragons, I would make castles and pirate ships out of boxes and cardboard that my dad would bring home from the factory where he worked. At one point I was also creating my own games too.

My dad was a big influence on making, since he was usually experimenting with electronics and ham radio. So sometimes we’d make things together or he’d help me with ideas (like drilling out the trap door for that Rancor pit). There was always an endless supply of boxes.

How long have you been making?

I’ve been making music in some form since about the age of 12. In high school I got a 4-track cassette recorder, and that spawned my love of recording and experimenting. As I learned to play guitar and bass more, I also started writing songs. I always looked at recording as an integral part of the writing process. To this day I find it difficult to separate them.

What inspired you to make music?

Lately, I think it’s been the exploration of the unknown and the unusual. I don’t think it was always that way though. I think early on, music was something I did to try to replicate a song or an artist’s style. I think lately it’s a lot more about creating something different.

I’ve seen a notable shift in the type of music I’m creating. With Americana, Folk, or Blues forms, I would usually create to express something on my mind. That material would be shaped further by live performance, and being around other musicians in a community.

In the past couple years, my focused has moved – consciously or otherwise – to much more instrumental and abstract work. Part of this was a reaction to my last two moves, and later to the pandemic.

Jeremy dePrisco: Musician, Producer, Technologist with his wife Audra dePrisco in a shot of their duo, Freaknadorable. Photo is of a man and a woman holding instruments and smiling.

What makers inspire you?

There are some prolific Kickstarter makers out there that inspire me, and I’ve tried to get involved when possible.

My musical influences tend to be schizophrenic. Some favorites include Tom Waits, Ian Anderson, Jai Uttal, Beck, Ry Cooder, Bjork. East Asian and West African music… particularly groups like Tinariwen and old Afrobeat from Fela Kuti. I’m also inspired by mavericks like Harry Partch and Ken Nordine.

Omri Cohen is a German electronic music artist who specializes in VCV Rack, a virtual modular music application. He’s actually been instrumental in teaching the community at large about the application through his tutorials. He’s very knowledgable and inspiring in what he shares.

Ryan Earnhardt from the YouTube channel Creative Sound Lab comes to mind. He focuses on recording tutorials and techniques, but in a very low-key and non-hyped way. I actually got to meet him during a trip to a festival in NC a few years back. He thought it was funny, but it was kind of like meeting a celebrity.

Steve Mokris, is a multimedia artist from Ohio. I met him via the electro-music community. He created Project Ruori with some other musicians and multimedia artists, and I think they had an impact on how I’ve approached visuals since 2010. I particularly liked their way of using humor to address the mundane and bureaucracy.

Tanner Serpa from SerpaDesign has been very inspiring to me lately, but not because of anything musical. He runs a YouTube channel that specializes in terrarium and aquarium builds, and the stuff he does is just amazing. I’ve learned a lot from him as I’ve tried to bring my love of plants indoors. We can’t have a large garden right now, so this scratches the itch.

We also watch too much Netflix… Abstract: The Art of Design, and PBS series about Craft in America come to mind. We’re also big fans of Forged in Fire, the blacksmithing show.

I’ve also been inspired by many of our guests on the podcasts, particularly the educators working with multimedia.

What’s next for you?

I feel like I am just settling down after relocating in 2019 and again in 2020. Combined with the pandemic, that’s made it very difficult to establish roots and get into a groove. But things are looking up, with some new STEAM offerings I’ve put together for programs like VCV Rack and Touchdesigner. I just scheduled a two-part Touchdesigner workshop with an arts center in Columbus, OH for January and February 2022. I’m also scheduled to do a digital media workshop with the Crefeld School in Philly this spring.

I’m playing bass and mixing a project for Paul Loomis, a folk singer out of Central PA. I’m also editing content for some audio books, and have started a new collab with a sax player.

Of course, there’s the Philly Maker Faire Podcast. That’s been a good experience. There’s been some discussion of a music-focused event for people we’ve interviewed on the podcast, and I am excited about those possibilities. The idea is still coming together. We just need to find the right crew to pull off a quality hybrid event.

I’ve got enough material for a couple different solo releases, but I am also my worst critic in terms of letting stuff out into the wild. I have a set of unreleased tracks for “Government Inspector” a satirical play by Russian-Ukrainian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. So maybe that will be released. In addition, I’ve been working on a collection of pieces that include manipulated spoken word performances. It’s turning into a full hour of sonic madness, and I am really having fun with it.

I continue to learn about electronics from time to time. A few years back I started exploring Brain Computer Interfaces, and have recently been getting deeper into that via the OpenBCI platform. Most of this is just for personal learning, but I’ve also found some collaborators who are willing to explore together in their spare time.

What would you like to ask the maker community?

How do we bridge the gap between academic makers and amateur or self-taught makers? It seems to me there’s still a huge divide there, and often people that aren’t working at the academic or PhD level don’t have access to the same resources or get left behind.

Also, how can I get more involved as a collaborator or educator to share what I’m doing or combine resources?

How are folks tackling hybrid events? Do they need help?

What was your favorite exhibit at the Faire?

I always come back to the Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders and especially the life-sized R2-D2. I was like a giddy little kid when I saw that up close!

What connections did you make at Maker Faire?

Prior to moving to Philadelphia, my wife and I were involved in the Bloomsburg Mini Maker Faire in Central PA. It was organized there by the local Children’s Museum.

In 2016 and 2017, my recording studio sponsored entertainment. My wife and I also had a table selling pepper jelly and some other things from our garden. In 2018, I mixed things up a bit and took a contraption that I called the SCI-FI-LOPHONE, which was based on the dadamachines project on Kickstarter. Their device consisted of MIDI controlled solenoids that can be used to play music or create an installation.

I couldn’t participate in the Central PA event in 2019 due to our move to Philly, so I was itching to meet some people in the community there. I went to an event at Tiny WPA, on Lancaster Ave, and then later found the folks at NEXTFAB who were planning the Fall maker event at Pennovation.

The 2019 Maker Faire was a blast. I was playing in two bands, had a solo set, and helped coordinate the two stages. I continue to stay in touch with many of those artists and the folks I met there, including Jono from Plynth.

What was the best moment for you as a maker?

At the 2019 Maker Faire, seeing the stages come together, and knowing that we added something special to the event with the music/sound.

Jeremy dePrisco: Musician, Producer, Technologist online

On the podcast: https://anchor.fm/phillymakerfaire/episodes/Jeremy-dePrisco-Musician–Producer–Technologist-e1cf43k

At the Philly Maker Faire: Tales from Imperial Towers and Fricknadorable

Website http://www.jeremydeprisco.com/

Bandcamp https://jeremydeprisco.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JeremydePriscoMusic

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jjdeprisco/

SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/jeremydeprisco

Twitter https://twitter.com/jeremydeprisco

Fricknadorable https://fricknadorable.bandcamp.com/

Teensy Audio Project https://www.jeremydeprisco.com/teensy-audio-project-demo/

Jeremy dePrisco: Musician, Producer, Technologist in front of a video display at the Philly Maker Faire
Jeremy at Philly Maker Faire 2019
Photo of beautiful, traditional Yoruba fabrics form Talking Textiles with Yemisi

This week we’re talking textiles with Yemisi Ajayi who produces textile art for fashion and interior spaces including wearable arts, silk scarves and soft furnishings. Yemisi goes into more detail on the podcast about her process and her culture.

A photo of Yemisi with some of her fabric. Talking Textiles with Yemisi Ajayi

What do you make?

I am a textile artist, I produces textile art for fashion and interior spaces including wearable arts, silk scarves and soft furnishings.

Talking textiles with Yemisi Ajayi; a photo of brightly colored fabrics.

Who do you make it for?

I produce my work for client who want one of kind product, eco-friendly fabric and want to showcase textile story in their collection.

Where are you located?

Philadelphia, PA.

When did you start making?

I started since 1991 in Nigeria and 2016 in Philadelphia PA

How long have you been making?

Thirty-one years.

What inspired you to make this?

I am inspired by the women who produce traditional pattern (adire) cloth using old techniques.

Talking Textiles with Yemisi Ajayi who is working on a fabric design.

What makers inspire you?

Faith Ringgold, African American Artist.

What’s next for you?

I look forward to my exhibitions and collaborating with other artists.

What would you like to say to the maker community?

By working together we can build a strong maker community.

What was your favorite exhibit at the Faire?

I love them all but I like the Philadelphia art/craft makers.

What connections did you make at Maker Faire?

More clients.

What was the best moment for you as a maker?

Designing and producing works. And also exhibiting my works at art events.

Yemisi Ajayi online 

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/yemisi-ajayi-4aa83714/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yemisi_art/

Website https://yemisiajayi.wixsite.com/website-9

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Arisimiart

Twitter https://twitter.com/yemisiajayi1

Email yemiart@yahoo.com

On the podcast: Talking Textiles with Yemisi Ajayi

Listen to Talking textiles with Yemisi Ajayi on the podcast today!

Ray Baccari's playable porcelain records. The photo is white thick records on a white wall.

This week on the blog, we’re chatting with artist Ray Baccari. Ray is a visual artist creating socially engaged work, and is also known for interactive, sound-based sculpture and installation. Ray was on the podcast last fall! Go check it out.

What do you Make?

I primarily make sound-based sculptures and installations that usually require some level of participation from the audience. These sculptures and installations take a lot of different forms. Usually, they are grounded in honest materials and recognizable forms – like a vinyl record or a gramophone.

Ray Baccari surrounded wooden megaphones.

Who do you make it for?

It was a regular discussion in grad school as to who your audience is. My mentor Tom helped me understand that I’m my first audience. If I’m genuine in my interests and concerns, the work I make will attract its own audience.

Where are you located?

I live in West Philadelphia.

When did you start making?

I’ve been building with Legos, tinker toys, Lincoln Logs, and K’nex for as long as I could remember, so I’d say about 4 or 5 years old.

How long have you been making?

I’ve been doing large-scale work for about seven years. I’ve been making art for about 16. I’ve been a lifelong tinkerer and taker-aparter.

Ray Baccari's giant megaphone is a large black cone that is large enough to sit in.

What inspired you to make this?

I enjoy answering fleeting questions and solving problems. I also really enjoy figuring out how things work or are made. The best way I’ve found to do that is to make it yourself.

What makers inspire you?

I have a long list of Youtube makers that I follow; Michael Alm of Alm Fab, Adam Savage, and Bob Clagett of I Like to Make Stuff are among the top ones I watch. There are several Artists I studied in school that make up the taxonomy of my work. John Cage, Christian Marclay, Zimoun, Terry Adkins, and Benjamin Patterson.

What’s next?

Get into the studio and keep making problems and solving problems. I’ll keep a lookout for new opportunities and take them as they come. Currently, I’m working out getting my piece Go-Between down to Western Carolina University for an exhibition in February. 

What would you like to ask the maker community?

I don’t have anything specific to ask, but I would like to say that I’m always open for a good chat and happy to talk about the process and concepts behind the things I create.

What was the best moment for you as a maker?

I have a couple, big and small. My thesis exhibition is a big one because it culminated three years of work and research. Also, receiving my first major professional commission when I first moved to Philadelphia last year was pretty big for me.

Ray Baccari artist online

Website: www.raybaccari.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ray_baccari/

WCU liv lab on Instagram: instagram.com/wculivlab/

Ray Baccari artist on the podcast

Find the Philly Maker Faire podcast is on your favorite streaming service today! https://anchor.fm/phillymakerfaire/episodes/Ray-Baccari-Visual-Artist-e1adm52

Jawnaments by Susan murphy. The picture is of an ornament of the 13th Street street sign with it's distinctive rainbow stripes.
Susan Murphy makes Jawnaments. This pictuers is an ornament of the Kohr Brothers' sign. It's a blue arch with an ice cream cone in the middle.

Susan Murphy makes Jawnaments! Read on to learn about the origins of these Philly – and beyond – themed ornaments. We chat with her extensively about her process and inspiration on this week’s podcast.

What do you make?

I make hyper-local Christmas ornaments that feature iconic and much-loved foods and places in Philly and other cities!

Who do you make it for?

I started making Jawnaments for neighbors and Fishtown residents but have since expanded to selling to anyone who loves Philly or their hometown!  We have customers from all over the US!!!  

Susan Murphy's Jawnaments are featured on an evergreen in this photo.

Where are you located?

I make all Jawnaments at Nextfab locations in Kensington and South Philly. I operate a small studio there as well.

When did you start making?

I started making Jawnaments in December 2017 (but have been a maker for most of my years).

How long have you been making?

I have been a maker of all sorts of things for most of my life.  Starting with hand-sewn Halloween costumes in high school to earrings and jewelry while commuting via train from Baltimore to DC… and most recently — custom handbags (in the 2000s).  I am also very crafty around my house!

What inspired you to make this?

Someone was searching for an Arctic Splash ornament on the Fishtown Facebook page… five days before Xmas in 2017. Since none existed, I figured I would make one from scratch—and I offered a small quantity for sale .  That’s how Jawnaments started!  Now I offer over 60 styles and sell via Etsy, my website and pop-up locations in Philly!

What makers inspire you?

I am amazed by the woodworkers at Nextfab.  I’ve seen folks make everything from drums to furniture to gift items and even a boat!  The commitment, patience and detail orientation is amazing. 

What’s next?

I plan to keep expanding the Jawnaments collection to other cities while working my day job (I teach undergraduate business classes at the University of Delaware)!  

What would you like to ask the maker community?

How has technology made your “making” easier or more efficient?  

What was the best moment for you as a maker?

I received a wonderful, handwritten letter from a Jawnaments customer in 2019.  He wrote about how Jawnaments made him laugh and how he enjoyed the reactions he received from friends and family when they saw his Christmas tree.  That made me realize that even a little ornament can create happiness for folks.  To know I had a hand in that means a lot.

Jawnemtns by Susan Murphy. This image is the Ponzios sign in distinctive red with a clock replacing the O in Ponzio's

Anything else you want to add?

I am always looking for ideas for Jawnaments and welcome all suggestions!  Just contact me at susanbmurphy24@gmail.com.

Susan Murphy and Jawnaments online

Website: https://www.jawnaments.com/

Email: susanbmurphy24@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jawnaments

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jawnaments/

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Jawnaments

Susan Murphy on the podcast

Find the Philly Maker Faire podcast is on your favorite streaming service today! https://anchor.fm/phillymakerfaire/episodes/Susan-Murphy-Jawnaments-e1925mi

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