BUST Craftacular will be returning to World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science this October 1st & 2nd for its 7th season! World Maker Faire is a traveling, inclusive, makerspace where technology and craft live in harmony and thrive. This family-friendly event is a huge meet and greet for like-minded, passionate people and the “greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth” for awesome projects. Over 95,000 New Yorkers came out last year to discover what’s new on the technological horizon – we’d hate for you to miss this one!
How to Get Involved:
Attend: Grab yours here before they’re all gone!
Become a Vendor: Are you a rad maker with a fascinating method and a beautiful, handmade, product? Apply to join the BUST Craftacular and introduce your craft to 95,000 enthusiasts!
Teach or Donate: Are you passionate about getting young women excited about STEAM? Email us to donate a techy-craft or teach one of our free hands-on activations.
Why would a craft fair collaborate with a science fair? There are a few really good reasons! Firstly, the BUST Craftacular Pavilion creates a forum for some of the best handmade crafters to dazzle the public with quality products you just can’t find anywhere else. Secondly, BUST strives to create an exciting space for young women and girls to engage in S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).
Exhibitors at the BUST Pavilion delight in sharing the scientific innovation and histories behind everyday items we can take for granted. Sometimes handmade crafters can tackle global problems, like finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint. See that gorgeous pair of earrings? They’re made with recycled glass known as ‘cullet’ saved from the landfill! Other crafters create low-tech products like blankets, using high-tech ‘hacked’ digital cameras to create intricate designs that mesmerize and visualize digital concepts. Innovation, tinkering and making do not have to be relegated to the laboratory and conversely, labs and high-tech disciplines can be used to innovate crafted objects used everyday. Our vendors vary from arts to science backgrounds, from tinkerers to full time innovators, but all offer purchasable creations with an inspiring backstory!
Above: Lisette Padilla of The BQE prints urban photographs on endura metallic paper to give her scenes a life all their own. Top: Guests shop the BUST Craftacular at World Maker Faire 2015
Furthermore, the BUST pavilion will feature plenty of female makers for attendees to see in action, and hopefully inspire more young women to combine their love of both art and science. Just 1 in 4 STEM professionals today identify as female, despite women making up more than half of college graduates and half of the US workforce. Both the American Association of University Women and the White House, acknowledge that representations in the media and visibility of women in STEM matter when trying to push the needle. For example, researchers have noticed increases in the numbers of women in some professions such a Forensics after TV shows such as CSI fascinated the public. Meanwhile, female Mathematicians and Computer Scientists have fallen drastically – standing at numbers lower than they were in 1960 as of 2015. Depictions of Silicon Valley as a boy’s town proliferated in the mass media come to mind, such as in The Social Network (2010). Knowing, as we do, that women have made earth-shattering contributions to science, this trend is so alarming that President Obama has even made getting more women in STEAM a special initiative throughout his presidency. After all, what would the world be like without Ada Lovelace the first computer programmer, without Hedy Lamarr the woman who made Wi-fi and Bluetooth possible (while fighting Nazis I might add) or Limor Fried who is loosening mega corporations’ grip on smart technology? It would be a dark world without Pokemon Go and tons of other cool shit, that’s what.
Do you know a brilliant lady our girls can look up to this October? Then forward this along because BUST Craftacular is calling all crafters, makers and vendors to join in on the fun! World Maker Faire is a perfect platform for new vendors eager to get their products in the hands of consumers and helpful for established vendors to expand their demographic. Last year, 95,000 people attended! Apply here.
For those who appreciate the world of science and craft, this fair is for you! The BUST Craftacular will be bringing cool vendors and awesome crafting activities while World Maker Faire will have endless fun events for the whole family. Buy your tickets today!
Amanda Preske, owner of Circuit Breaker Labs, has a PhD in Chemistry and a love for all things STEAM.
The BUST Craftacular is slated as a don’t-miss, all-day party, featuring DJs, musical performances, crafting classes, demos, a giant sweepstakes, product giveaways, food and drinks.
