Craft:

A primary goal of Maker Faire is to reflect the communities in which the event is held, and Austin crafters have the opportunity to help shape how this year's Maker Faire looks and operates.

The event may be two months away, but a group of Austinites has been networking, brainstorming and sharing resources for the 2008 Southwest Maker Faire since the beginning of this year. Engineering, science, music and food are all well represented in this planning group, but an area that's lacking much involvement so far is arts & crafts. Bringing the flavor, diversity and unique perspective of the Austin craft scene to Maker Faire is something that can only happen when members of our community become active participants in the development of event.

The easiest way to jump in and get involved is to attend a Maker Faire Town Hall Meeting in Austin. The next Town Hall meeting will be Wednesday, August 27th from 4-7 PM at the Travis County Expo Center. It will be an on-site meeting where Makers will be able to walk through the event area with a Maker Faire production rep and get an idea for how things will be set up and what the 2008 event will look like. It will also be a great opportunity to ask questions, connect with other Makers and share ideas.

Here are a few other ways crafters can get involved, and ensure that this year's Arts & Crafts portion of Maker Faire truly represents our vibrant, creative community:

~ The Maker Faire Austin Wiki - Keep up with community planning information and announcements for the next Town Hall meeting and share ideas.
~ Maker Faire on Facebook
~ Craftzine on Facebook
~ Craftzine on MySpace