A collaboration between the Exploratorium, MAKE Magazine, and Pixar Animation Studios, Open MAKE is a monthly program highlighting the tools, techniques, and ingenuity of local Makers. Visitors are invited to participate in tinkering and making activities inside the Tinkering Studio, where Makers from around the Bay Area will share their work. In addition, Dale Dougherty, founder and editor of MAKE Magazine, will interview Featured Makers in the McBean Theater.
Click here to watch the interview with this month’s Featured Makers!
This month’s theme was plastic. We celebrated this most ubiquitous of modern materials in a number of ways:
- Shih Chieh Huang (“Cj”) displayed one of his mind-bending multimedia art pieces. He uses recycled plastic and found objects to create otherwordly installations.
- Lanny Smoot showcased his incredible strobing zoetrope during the Featured Makers interview. He lipsynced a Ping-Pong ball to his voice!
- Virginia Fleck hosted a workshop on building a collaborative, inflatable meditation cushion made of recycled plastic bags.
- Michael Schiess let people play with some of his transparent pinball machines.
- Strobe Flower lanterns were installed in the Tinkering Studio. A simple plastic bag becomes a thing of beauty. By Shawn Lani and PJ Reptilehouse.
