Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire

This morning, selection panel meets to hover over the thirty projects entered into the Round I Call for Makers for Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire 2012. From biomimetic robot animals to upcycled blacksmithing, wearable planets to kindergarteners teaching circuitry, our first pool of makers is our first glimpse of this year’s Faire – and the view from here is mesmerizing.

Click here for Wired.com’s Recap of Maker Faire 2012.
Photo CC licensed by SparkFunElectronics on Flickr

As we retreat into our underground secret selection cave to find the best projects, we thought you’d enjoy this “Best Of” tour of Maker Faire 2012 from Wired.com’s GeekDad. They’ve pulled together a tour of the articles, videos and recaps from around the internet to give you a smorgasboard of everything you did or didn’t see in San Mateo this year. Check it out and be mesmerized yourself by “the world’s greatest show and tell”.

The deadline for the Round I Call for Makers is just 24 hours away at 5 pm on June 30th! We want to see the geekiest, craftiest, noisiest and most downright jaw-dropping stuff that you make, Pittsburgh. To get inspired (and see some fun examples from other Faires), check out this unforgettable TED Talk by the founder of Maker Faire, Dale Dougherty.

Now that the Call for Makers is officially open for Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire 2012, creative folks  all over the region are buzzing about what to present at the Faire. Our goal is to mount one of the most vibrant minis in the world right here in southwestern PA. One of the keys to getting there is for every maker to propose and present an amazing booth! Get inspired with these resources:

• Virtually visit Maker Faire through entertaining videos, photos and blog posts online. The original Faire in San Mateo, CA each spring draws over 80,000 attendees and is the standard bearer for the 40+ mini faires around the globe.
• Seattle Mini Maker Faire’s Booth Workshop, posted in full online, offers tips and ideas for interactive booth design and hands-on activities. 

Start dreaming about what YOU will propose as your entry to Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire 2012. Then click here to apply!

The second annual Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire will be held Sept. 22, 2012 from 10:00am-4:00pm at Buhl Community Park at Allegheny Square (formerly known as Allegheny Public Square) on the North Side, hosted again by HackPittsburgh and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Save the date and stay tuned for details!

The first Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire was held on Sunday, October 23, and was a true wonder! Adults and kids of all ages eagerly got right into to the maker ethos – soldering LED badges, creating jewelry, operating robots, playing didgeridoos, a robotic marimba and other experimental instruments, sewing, silk screening posters, constructing tiny cardboard buildings, making abacuses and learning about 3D printing, lighting control and a host of other amazing maker projects.

We first want to thank HackPittsburgh and MAKE for partnering with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to make the first Pittsburgh Mini Maker Faire a reality. Thanks to the amazing makers, new and seasoned, of all ages, who made the Faire what it was. Thanks to the contributing sponsor Deeplocal for their generosity. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers, particularly the brothers of Beta Theta Pi at Carnegie Mellon University. And thanks to everyone who attended the event and made the day so memorable with your joy, curiosity and creativity.

What did you think of the Faire? Let us know via our Facebook page or Twitter. For ongoing maker-related programs at the Museum, stay tuned to www.makeshoppgh.com.

Here are some of the great photos by photographer Larry Rippel. For more photos, please visit Children’s Museum Flickr page.

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