The Maker's Tribe

What’s a maker? It’s a do-it-yourself creator who learns through doing.

Springfield-native Caleb Kraft is a maker.

His ventures include TheControllerProject.com, which fabricates free prosthetic pieces for video game controllers using a 3-D printer. The pieces are then used by gamers with disabilities.  

“People have been making stuff forever. It’s what humans do. The general idea is nascent, but the past two years there has absolutely been a resurgence,” Kraft said of what’s known as the maker movement. “People take pride in making stuff instead of being completely consumers. They are more cognizant of the value.”

Over the past 10 years, the DIY culture has steadily gathered steam across the globe, largely due to the efforts of San Francisco-based Make magazine. Parent company Maker Media Inc. CEO Dale Dougherty founded the magazine in 2005, also creating some of the associated terminology used today, such as the movement’s name and dubbing its participants as makers.

According to Make magazine, the movement is a tech-influenced DIY community that emphasizes informal, networked, peer-led and shared learning motivated by fun and self-fulfillment. The movement even has created its own market ecosystem, developing new products and services.

With some help from local makers such as Kraft, a community editor of Make magazine, 2015 is shaping up to be the year the maker movement takes major strides in the Queen City.

Incoming makers
Kraft believes the maker community is fueling the outside attention.

“It’s become cool and more accessible,” he said. “Thousands of people make up this community, and the diversity in the culture is driving that.

“People stop me and say, ‘It’s like I found my tribe, my people. So what if I stick concrete on some weird wire and call it a robot.’”

Maker Media spurs that drive through its Maker Faires, events that allow makers to exhibit and demonstrate their creations. The first flagship event kicked off in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay area, and last year, more than 130 Maker Faires were held nationwide. Springfield will host its first such fair, the Ozarks Mini-Maker Faire & Innovation Expo, Aug. 29 at the Springfield Expo Center, 635 E. St. Louis St.

“It’s like a science fair meets county fair,” said Deb Wilson, chairwoman of the of The Ozarks SySTEAMic Coalition, or O-STEAM, which stands for Ozarks-science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

Wilson, who retired in 2008 from Jeffries Elementary School after 24 years as a science educator, said the nonprofit organization’s goals are to not only increase the prevalence of science and technology education through the fair, but also bolster southwest Missouri’s workforce with related job skills.

“We’re trying to change the public perception, getting people to look at their life, whatever they do, and show them that applying science, technology and math make it easier,” she said.

“I really believe this is the next big thing in education, because it supports project-based learning. You can feel the excitement around this.”

Wilson said the committee expects more than 6,000 people in attendance for the inaugural fair and over 150 tables split among fine arts and industrial makers, as well as corporate sponsors. Currently, local business sponsors include Positronic Industries Inc., Buckner Industrial Co. LLC and SRC Holdings Corp. The fair also will showcase maker creations by Springfield students on display at the Discovery Center of Springfield.

Making Springfield
Stacy Rust, a member of the grassroots committee in charge of registration, along with husband Heath, is co-chair of DreamIT MakeIT, a nonprofit group currently seeking funds to start a makerspace in Springfield. After visiting existing makerspaces in San Diego, Tulsa, Okla., and Kansas City, the couple knew Springfield should be next on the list.

“We clearly saw the benefits that a makerspace will bring to our community,” Stacy Rust said, noting the spaces provide children the opportunity to learn hands on, provide families the opportunity to work on projects together and inventors with a place to prototype their products.

Rust said Springfield residents have shown a lot of interest in the movement. In January, DreamIT MakeIT hosted two showings of “Maker: A Documentary on the Maker Movement,” at downtown’s Moxie Cinema and both sold out. Rust said plans for additional showings are in the works.

While the organization does not yet have a physical location, Rust said DreamIT MakeIT is looking to raise $250,000 in order to lease 3,000-5,000 square feet of space and stock it with equipment for metal working, industrial sewing, electronics and 3-D printing.

A fundraising campaign recently was started that includes crowdfunding through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ Give Ozarks Day slated May 5, and a May 16 golf tournament at Deer Lake Golf Course. In addition, a Kickstarter campaign will be initiated within a month.

“The maker movement is very inspiring,” said Rust.

“It is bringing attention back to the concept of custom design, and of making and buying things locally.”

New Jersey-born Steve Parsick is another Springfield resident and business owner  committed to the movement. Parsick, along with wife Deana, own 417-DIY LLC at 1529 E. Chestnut St. The do-it-yourself garage space opened in March 2014, occupying part of a 65,000-square-foot warehouse formerly operated by Diamond International. Four months ago, the business helped Parsick realize a dream nearly 30 years in the making when he was able to fund and open Roboticz Inc., also known as 417 Makerspace.

“I always wanted a makerspace, I just couldn’t afford it,” Parsick said. “No bank would finance it. They said I was crazy and that no one would use it.”

Parsick estimates startup costs of the nonprofit at between $20,000 and $35,000, as some of the shop gear, such as lathes, planers and welding equipment, were either donated or borrowed. But rented use of the space is not limited to the industrial arts.

“If an artist wants to bring in their easel and paint or do some woodworking, I want to be able to give them the space they need to do that,” he said.

Monthly memberships cost $50, $75 or $125 depending on the level of access and equipment needed and includes discounts on classes.

One of the most surprising aspects of opening the makerspace for Parsick has been the frequency of new customers.

“I talk to new people every day and more first-timers are coming in every day,” he said, noting the space currently has 54 members, most of whom are students. “This past weekend 33 percent of my business was made up of regular customers and the remainder were new faces.”

Parsick has two personal goals for the future of 417 Makerspace: obtain a 3-D printer and bring to Springfield “Robot Wars,” a formerly televised game show, where inventors pit homemade robots head-to-head. The latter is of particular relevance since Parsick says the makerspace also offers classes in robotics and related programming to 75 home school students and 13 autistic children.

Eventually, Parsick would like to offer “bot parties,” where friends and family can work on robot projects together.

“I think it will be great for the community to get families together and start working together,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]