Madison County Courier: First-ever Mohawk Valley Mini Maker Faire
to be held at SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Published:
Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 08:16
The Mohawk Valley joins a growing list of communities to organize a grassroots Mini Maker Faire that celebrates and shares the creativity and ingenuity of the local region. The Mohawk Valley Mini Maker Faire is a collaborative event where “makers” – artists, engineers, students, science clubs, designers, tech-enthusiasts, tinkerers, educators and entrepreneurs – come together to exhibit and share their creations and expertise. The inaugural Mohawk Valley Mini Maker Faire is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, 2016 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the SUNY Polytechnic campus in Utica.
“One of the strengths of the Mohawk Valley is that there are a lot of creative, innovative, and resourceful individuals and groups,” says Dr. Daryl Lee, who coordinates the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and is the faire’s co-organizer. “Our goal is to help bring them all together and build a network of innovators who can share their knowledge, inspire others, and contribute to the cultural and economic revitalization of the region.”
The Mohawk Valley Mini Maker Faire is a family-friendly event consisting of over 40 interactive exhibits, performances, and demonstrations ranging from robotics to 3d-printing, drones to rockets, poems to puppetry, modern dance and music. One of the main attractions will be the collaborative “UtiCAR” project coordinated by Sculpture Space artists George Hendrickson and Marc-Anthony Polizzi and Steve Hale of Steve’s Restorations and Hot Rods. Hale is one of the featured artists and artisans of the History Channel’s show American Restoration and together with other Mohawk Valley makers will lead faire-goers in transforming a rusty 1999 Jeep Cherokee into a work of art. Attendees will be able to participate in other play-driven, creative, and interactive experiences. Exhibitors include SUNY Polytechnic’s award winning RoboSpartans robotics team, Oneida Square Public Art and Design, Utica Bike Rescue, Toothpick World, Utica Public Library, Oneida Indian Nation Shako:wi Cultural Center, Sculpture Space, and many more.
The event is sponsored by SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Mohawk Valley Institute for Learning in Retirement, the Workforce Development Institute, The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Club Creaticity, Auto Finishers Supply Co. and Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES. The event has been organized by faculty, staff, and students from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in collaboration with partners including thINCubator, Sculpture Space, The Utica Children’s Museum, Utica Public Library, Fayetteville Free Library and Steve’s Restorations and Hot Rods.
