Faire Thee Well
Though Maker Faire Atlanta will be held this year in nearby Decatur, the event got its start on Tech’s campus five years ago. The Yellow Jacket influence on this crazy mashup of science-fair-meets-arts-and-crafts-show is unmistakable.
Fall 2016 | by Roger Slavens
Take a little Neil deGrasse Tyson. Add in some Martha Stewart and a pinch of the Mythbusters guys. And whatever you do, don’t forget a dash of Norm Abram from This Old House. Then mix them all together.
That’s how Tanya Hyman, Mgt 92, MS HTS 14, describes the Maker Faire Atlanta. It’s also the largest annual gathering of makers, DIY enthusiasts and their fans in the Southeast. Last year, some 200 makers showcased their creations, and more than 35,000 people attended the event.
“You’ll see everything from battling robots—much more amazing in real life than on TV—and drone racing to DIY furniture made from strange materials to hands-on demos where you can learn to make a variety of things yourself,” Hyman says. “It all ranges from super-high tech to no tech at all, and there’s a lot of activities geared for kids.”
Atlanta’s first Maker Faire was organized in 2011 and held on Tech’s campus. It was a one-day event that drew 2,500 attendees.
“There was a captive audience of students and faculty at Tech, but it still only qualified as a mini faire,” Hyman says. “The Faire doubled in attendance every year after that to the point where Tech couldn’t accommodate it anymore, so we moved it in 2014 to downtown Decatur. That’s when it was recognized as a full, Featured Faire—there’s only a handful of them in the world officially licensed by Maker Media.”
Tech maintains a huge influence on the Faire, with dozens of alumni, faculty and students serving as volunteers, and others participating as makers. “The Innovation Studio takes part in the Faire, as does Tech’s Urban Honeybee Project, which teaches people how to build their own hives for sustainable farming efforts,” Hyman says. “And one of my favorite booths is run by alum Colleen Jordan [ID 10], who makes 3D-printed necklaces you can buy that are designed to hold tiny plants. Tech’s Institute of Paper Science and Technology also typically has an exhibit where you can make your own paper.”
Though Hyman serves as president of the all-volunteer organization that runs Maker Faire Atlanta, she’s a relative newbie to the whole Maker Movement. A local middle-school science teacher, a few years ago some students came to her wanting to create a maker space at the school. “I realized it was a fantastic way for teachers to show applicability of concepts,” she says. “Our principal helped us find space, but lots of schools face challenges in how to provide this type of experience to their students.”
Hyman wanted to help. She entered a Startup Weekend competition—held by Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center—with the idea for a company that could help schools create and maintain maker spaces. “Our team won, and as a result I met a bunch of people involved in the Maker Movement in Atlanta and went to my first Faire in 2014,” she says. “I was hooked.”