This weekend, Maker Faire Detroit opens at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI. Charlie Wollberg framed it perfectly on his blog:
What if Albert Einstein, Willy Wonka, Curious George, R2D2 and MacGyver threw a really big party? They’d invite all of their really cool friends: the artists, the inventors, the crafters, the mad scientists, the happy scientists, the curious, the creators, the hackers, the tinkerers.
Sure, Leonardo da Vinci would be there showing off his new helicopter prototype and Rube Goldberg would be making people laugh with his convoluted contraptions and Grace Hopper would be taking apart all the clocks while writing new computer languages. It would be the kind of place where everyone who’s ever been called weird, crazy or geeky would feel right at home.
Good news: That party is happening this weekend in Detroit.
In our second year, we’re able to see all kinds of examples of how makers have become resources for the community, contributing in Detroit and the region. Jeff Sturges is one good example of an inspiring maker. He’s working in the community to reach kids and share the joy of making. We shot a video of Jeff this week, which starts in Eastern Market in Detroit. He brought kids to teach soldering. These kids learned to solder at the year-old Mt. Elliott Makerspace, located in the basement of a church and at the center of a supportive community. Seeing 8 year old Raven teaching teenage boys and adults to solder makes quite an impression.
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