by Natasha von Kaenel
Crucible faculty member demonstrating glass blowing techniques at Maker Faire in 2015!
We know Maker Faire can be overwhelming for both new and seasoned visitors, so we went around asking some of our faculty for a few of their do-not-miss Maker Faire moments. Here are (some of!) our favorites!
Crucible Top Picks, in no particular order:
- Drone racing from Aerial Sports League dSports World 3 is always a blast, and they will have drone racing, combat, micro-scale racing, and caged freestyle going on for the entire weekend.
- Bay Area collective, Kinetic Steam Works is demonstrating their large steam-powered wooden gears that drive a 110-year-old automatic pencil sharpener! Get your pencil steam sharpened!
- Le Attrata‘s infamous fire moths will be making a raucous with incredible fire effects.
- Hearts will be pumping with Pulse, the Flaming Lotus Girls‘ oversized, but anatomically-correct heart that beats fire. A prototype of their next sculpture, NOETICA will also show off the fluidity of squares.
- Power your own fun with Cyclecide‘s bicycle-powered rides.
- And when the crowds and heat get to be too much, relax in the Dark Room’s Lotus, an experimental light installation.
And don’t forget the talks…
Two of The Crucible’s fire poofers at Maker Faire!
There will be a talk about street art and social justice, a great panel about ‘Lady Ironworkers and their Giant Projects,’ featuring prior Crucible faculty member Liisa Pine Schoonmaker, and a talk by Bruce Beasley.
A dedicated community activist and artist in West Oakland for decades, one of the nation’s most renowned sculptors, and one of the first to use 3D printing for sculpture, Bruce Beasley has been an incredible support and inspiration to the Oakland arts scene, local community, and The Crucible. He will be speaking Saturday from 2-2:30!
Or The Crucible!
And of course, we will be there! At our booth, we will be giving out a Maker Faire-exclusive coupon for Crucible classes, showing live demos in Blacksmithing, Glass Blowing, and Foundry, and getting hands-on with fun maker activities in torch cutting, Jewelry, and Ceramics! And don’t forget to make your own fire effects with one of our three fire poofers.
Hope everyone has a great weekend in the sun – see you there!
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