Starting today and running through June 18th, makers across the country will be sharing their skills, building new things, and celebrating the maker movement as a whole to create a “Nation of Makers”. Week of Making began last year when President Obama challenged the nation to “join us as we lift up makers and builders and doers across the country.” The maker movement plays an important role in education, lifelong learning, and entrepreneurship. It encourages creativity and invention.
In Rochester, we have a strong history of innovation. We support STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Week of Making is a perfect fit for Rochester, and we are partnered with the White House Office of Science and Technology as a Maker City.
During the Week of Making, June 12-18, many events will be taking place across the greater Rochester region, including:
10am – 4pm
Rochester Mini Maker Faire Kickoff (Rochester Museum & Science Center): Our kickoff event to announce the call for applications from makers, crafters, tinkerers, and artists for our second annual event and to celebrate the start of the National Week of Making. The kickoff event will take place in the Eleanor Eisenhart Morris Ballroom at the Rochester Museum & Science Center at 10am. After the kickoff, attendees are invited to visit the science museum where several local makers and makerspaces will be showing off their work.
10am – 3pm
Second Saturday (Hungerford Building): Mellow open studio event where you can shop and engage with artists while they are at work on their projects. Shopping directly within an artist’s studio is one of the best way to support your creative community.
11am – 2pm
Father’s Day Craft Make-and-Take (Dan’s Crafts & Things):
Join Dan’s Crafts & Things this Saturday to make this fun paper tie craft for Father’s Day! This make-and-take runs from 11am to noon and 1pm to 2pm.
1pm – 4pm
Make Greeting Cards (Rochester Makerspace): Make your own greeting cards using stencils and potato prints! Materials will be provided. Free event!
2pm
Sunday Crafternoon (Rochester Makerspace): A gathering where you can meet, socialize, show off your projects, share ideas, and be inspired. The form of Crafternoon is very open; there is no lesson, no one central project being worked on. It is a bring-your-own-project event and you are welcome to bring any type of project to Crafternoon – knit/crochet, papercraft, metalwork, beadwork, jewelry, scrapbooking – anything as long as it’s portable for you! Crafternoon is free and everyone is welcome.
6pm – 9pm
Robots! Robots! Robots! (Rochester Makerspace): It’s Robot Night at the Makerspace. We have some robots that live at the Makerspace, and some that will be visiting. Feel free to bring your own, and we’ll make it a robot party!
6pm – 9pm
Maker Show & Tell Night (Rochester Makerspace): Drop by and see what people are making at the Rochester Makerspace. Do you have something you’d like to show? Email the Makerspace and they will get you on the list.
7pm – 10pm
Hack Night (Interlock Rochester): Weekly meetup for Interlock Members (and their guests) to come and visit, work on their projects, or share what they’ve been working on. It’s open to visitors but the First Tuesday’s of the month are the best time to visit if this is your first time.
6pm-8pm
STEM Expo (Greece Athena Performing Arts Center): 6th Grade students of Greece Athena Middle School and community organizations will be showing off their STEM related projects. Everything from 3D printing to using DNA for storage. Open to the public!
6pm – 9pm
Wall Art for a Purpose (Rochester Makerspace): Bring Recycled, New or Create-on-the-Spot Paintings / Pictures / Wall-hangings. The Makerspace will then be donating all of the collected/created pieces to the residents at the local YWCA. Drop in for a short bit or stay and create the whole time. Hey! Bring some munchies, too, to add to the fun!
6:30pm-7:30pm
Make Your Own Glass Pendant (Rochester Brainery): Make your very own glass pendant! Join the folks at the Rochestery Brainery to make some creative fun that you can proudly wear home! The class fee ($20) includes everything you’ll need to decorate your very own glass pendant.
6pm – 9pm
Introduction to Traditional Watercolor Painting (Rochester Brainery): This class will expose students to the traditional art of water color painting using the three main kinds of water color paints: stains, transparents, and opaques, as well as the appropriate paper, and brushes needed to achieve fine-quality watercolor results. Students should bring a visual that they would like to paint, preferably something abstract like a landscape picture, or plant or other natural object. Class fee is $20.
6:30pm – 8:30
Let’s Make Seed Balls! (Rochester Makerspace): Seed balls are marble sized balls of clay, dirt and seeds that can be used to propagate seeds or to spread plants like wild flowers by throwing them into inaccessible areas. Rain will dissolve the balls and the rich soil they’re made of will help the seeds get started. Join the Makerspace for this fun event!
6:30pm – 9pm
Stained Glass Meetup (Rochester Makerspace): Join the Makerspace for this free event! Drop in and learn how to create something amazing with stained glass.
7pm – 9:30pm
Microcontrollers & Robotics Meetup (Rochester Makerspace): Work on your Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone projects with other users of these small inexpensive computers. All skills level are welcome. We’ll help you by sharing our knowledge wand experience.
When posting about these events, be sure to use the hashtag #NationOfMakers on your tweets and facebook posts.
Ithaca Week of Making events: http://ithacagenerator.org/events/calendar/.
Buffalo Week of Making events: http://www.meetup.com/buffalolab/.
For more information on the National Week of Making, check out https://www.whitehouse.gov/nation-of-makers.