Makers

An Early Maker Story From Holland

An Early Maker Story From Holland

We think of the maker movement as a modern phenomena propelled by the internet, growth of makerspaces, and increasingly affordable digital technology. But making, of course, is anything but new. It’s part of what it means to be human. Dutch lutier Jan van Cappelle’s career as a maker began when he read a novel by Leonard de Vries called The Boys of the Hobby Club. Written under Nazi occupation and published in 1947, it’s essentially the story of a group of boys creating a makerspace before such a word existed. The book, which sadly is not available in English, had a lasting impact on Jan. “De Vries showed that you can make something yourself, in collaboration with others, instead of buying it of-the-rack.

Maker Faire Rome: Call for Makers Extended!

Maker Faire Rome: Call for Makers Extended!

Maker Faire Rome is set for Oct. 3-6 and is drawing a wide range of makers from Italy and at large. The four-day event is planned to be the first pan-European Maker Faire of its kind. And now the deadline for makers has been extended to June 30. If you’re a European-based maker, or a maker who wants to meet other makers in the great city Rome, you’ve got roughly three weeks to get you application in.

The Remaking of Detroit

The Remaking of Detroit

Detroit is a modern wonder. You’d be hard pressed to find an American city that rose so high and fell so far. At the height of its stature as the Motor City in 1950s, Detroit had a population of about 2 million. White flight to suburbs, the decline of the automobile industry, and resulting loss of the city’s tax base and crumbling infrastructure have whittled the city’s population down to about 750,000. But Detroit is far from out. Cheap rents, readily available real estate, and an ingrained culture of making are contributing to a grass roots renaissance that’s truly exciting to behold. The city is being reborn in real time. Our friends at Dark Rye created an inspiring video about the remaking of Detroit that focuses on Nick Britsky and i3Detroit.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 About Kacie Hultgren

Kacie Hultgren is teaching our Design for Desktop 3-D Printing Training Camp. In the 3-D printing universe, she is better known as PrettySmallThings. Kacie is a scenic designer in the theatre industry, and was recently profiled in Stage Directions and Wired for her work using her 3D Printer to create scale set models. Her delicate designs are Thingiverse favorites.