Maker Faire delights with creativity

The+Life-Size+Mousetrap+crew%2C+Jesse+Roadkill+Wilson%2C+Curiosity%2C+J.D.+Limelight%2C+Moses+Grub%2C+Rose+Garden%2C+Jimmy+Cross+and+Mark+Perez%2C+take+a+break+from+setting+up+the+outdoor+board+game.

Photo by Kerry Lynch

The Life-Size Mousetrap crew, Jesse Roadkill Wilson, Curiosity, J.D. Limelight, Moses Grub, Rose Garden, Jimmy Cross and Mark Perez, take a break from setting up the outdoor board game.

Artists, inventors, techie nerds, and innovation lovers all found something inspirational at Maker Faire Milwaukee, held Sept. 27 and 28 at Wisconsin State Fair Park.  Exhibitors were people truly in love with and dedicated to their craft, motivated by their own creativity and ability to be the artist, builder and fabricator of their vision.
The Life-Size Mousetrap, by creator Mark Perez, is an outdoor engineering feat and artistic performance based on a board game influenced  by Rube Goldberg in which a bowling ball travels an obstacle course that includes a full-size bathtub and ultimately triggers a “60-ton weight” to drop onto the car at the end.
Inventor Steve Hay designed and built his own “Flying Machine” largely from scrapped elevator parts.
Rob Griegs, a high school physics teacher, turns beer cartons into his “Brewsaics,” reproductions of fine art paintings and iconic photographs.
And Wisconsinite Chris Meyer was there, founder of Sector67, a nonprofit collaborative space in Madison dedicated to providing an environment to learn, teach, work on, build and create next generation technology.
As Maker Faire continues its tour around the country, you can find many technology creations with DIY instructions featured in Make magazine as well as at blog.makezine.com.

Kevin and Sarah Fahlberg try to break a lock from Sector67, Center for Protyping, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing.
Photo by Kerry Lynch
Farmer-turned-entrepreneur, Dick Kraus, and Kiti McFaul represent the Fuzzy Pig, a mall in Whitewater, Wis.
Farmer-turned-entrepreneur, Dick Kraus, and Kiti McFaul represent the Fuzzy Pig, a mall in Whitewater, Wis.
Photo by Kerry Lynch
Farmer-turned-entrepreneur, Dick Kraus, and Kiti McFaul represent the Fuzzy Pig, a mall in Whitewater, Wis.
A child is mesmerized by the drawing machine at the Maker Faire.
Photo by Kerry Lynch
A child is mesmerized by the drawing machine at the Maker Faire.
Steve Hay, inventor, builder, flyer and demonstrator, explains the flying machine exhibit.
Photo by Kerry Lynch
Steve Hay, inventor, builder, flyer and demonstrator, explains the flying machine exhibit.
Here is an overview of the Life-Size Mousetrap board game.
Photo by Kerry Lynch
Here is an overview of the Life-Size Mousetrap board game.