*achoo*A couple weeks after the festivities, this humble intern is still recovering from Makers’ fever. I caught it while attending two of the Maker Faires held in the District the week of June 12^th.Last year, President Obama caught the fever when the White House hosted its first Maker Faire after submitting a Presidential Proclamation declaring June 17^th a National Day of Making. This year he updated the Proclamation, declaring June 12^th-18^th a National Week of Making. That’s one serious case of the Makers’ bug, if you ask me!

Well that day couldn’t come fast enough for the folks with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and members of the Congressional Maker Caucus. They were so excited to celebrate that they hosted the first Capitol Hill Maker Faire a whole day early on June 11^th. Eva, a fellow Americans for the Arts intern and I, attended a few of the panel discussions and showcases of the Makers’ projects. The events were fun and educational – providing a window into the cutting-edge world of making.

Congressman Mark Takano

Congressman Mark Takano, Co-Chair of the Congressional Makers Caucus, kicked off the event on the Hill. He spoke about his first encounter of “Making” during a visit to Vocademy, the first education-focused makerspace in the world. From that moment on he became an advocate for Making in the education system, as well as the community. He tasked the audience to invite their local officials to visit makerspaces so that they too could see their benefits, firsthand.

Eva and Asha, Americans for the Arts Interns, at the 2015 Makers Faire

But what is Making?!

Making is the act of creating things! It’s that simple. Aside from the highly publicized builders of 3D printers and robots, making can range from cooking and knitting to welding and woodwork. So if you do any sort of creating, then you, in fact, are a Maker! “Anybody who makes is a Maker,” explained Dale Dougherty, Founder and Executive Chairman of Maker Media, “This is interdisciplinary.” Much of the discussion revolved around how to make the tools of creation accessible to a diverse range of ages and communities. Stephanie Santoso, Senior Advisor on Making to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy and former speaker for White House Arts Advocacy Day 2015, agreed “People can enter into Making from very different backgrounds. There is a lot of passion behind Making… turning on its head what a tinkerer looks like.”

Making in Education

Speakers on the “Making in Education” panel spoke about how Making has already shown improvements in schools and the behavior of their students. Gene Sherman, Founder and CEO of Vocademy , expressed his belief that Making has the potential to “solve the skills gap.” Eva, Arts Education Intern, even commented on her experience:

“Looking at Making through the lens of Arts Education it’s clear that Making can do much more than that. Making reflects an intersection of disciplines and skills- a crossroads between creativity, practicality, and science. The showcase underpinned this for me, as we wandered by ultra-modern technologies (such as 3D printers and a virtual reality headsets) sat comfortably next to a workshop on how to create models and figures using clear masking tape.”

Panelist Bill Derry, representative of the Westport Library Makerspace, described it well as he claimed that Making proves that the “information age” has given way to the “imagination age,” and we must make sure every child has the technical and creative framework to contribute. So right about there is when I spiked a fever.

The “Making in Community & Education” panel held a day later, echoed the sentiments of its counterpart. Returning panelist, Gene Sherman, again advocated for Makerspaces being in and outside of the classroom to account for extinct shop classes. His stance was echoed by Trey Lath, of the Maker Education Initiative, cosigning that “hands on education is the best way to learn. It has to be the way teachers teach.”

Is Making Considered Art or Is Art just another form of Making?

Over the two days, there was very little discussion on the distinction between art and making or whether or not there should be one. Panelists of the “Making in the Arts” discussion were thought to be addressing this unasked question that seemed to hang in the air. Teri Rofkar, Alaskan Native Artist and Basket Weaver, very energetically answered, “Art is a part of everyday life and so is Making.” However, Glenn Adamson, of the Museum of Art and Design (MAD Museum), added that he felt there was more “emphasis on action, not a noun” when it comes to Making. I didn’t quite agree with him on that point, but we are all entitled to our own opinion.

One of the values of the Maker Movement is the freedom to fail several times in order to learn how to get it right. Emily Pilloton, of Project H, highlighted that Making allows for vulnerability and audacity. It is in these makerspaces that kids are instilled with the audacity to create and finish what they start no matter how many times they fail. She boldly stated, “Failure is necessary. Failure is not an option…Let’s fail here so that we don’t fail later.” The day came to an end, but I carried my Maker bug home with me and on into the weekend.

So now what?

The last day of the National Week of Making was June 18^th. However, that does not mean you can no longer contribute to the movement! Making is happening in communities all around the world. If you or someone you know is interested in locating a Makerspace or starting your own, check out the website Maker Faire.

In the meantime, feel free to post any comments about your experience with Making and Maker Faires. Happy Making, everyone!