Today, Aug. 28, is the deadline for creative types to sign up for Chattanooga’s first Mini Maker Faire. This celebration of invention, creativity and resourcefulness will take place Saturday, Oct. 11, at First Tennessee Pavilion and will showcase a regional version of the Burning Man project.
Tech enthusiasts, crafters, tinkerers, hobbyists and artists of all ages are encouraged to submit projects to be included. Organizers are seeking interactive exhibits that highlight the process of making things. Some of those submissions may include automated electronics, sustainability projects and large-scale art. The daylong event will feature projects, performances, competitions and workshops.
The roster of makers is already diverse – from a dad who crafted a tool to teach his children how to ride a bike to a young entrepreneur who created electronic clothing to react to the environment.
Two makers expected to draw a crowd are Andrew Nigh and Conrad Tengler.
Nigh, who owns Winter Sun Studio, is a woodworker who built his business on nature-inspired furniture design. It was his interest in sculpture and two-dimensional art that led him to design larger-scale pieces. But, unlike the pieces in his studio, these works of art are burned following their completion.