Women + Design + Power Tools + DYI = Awesome!

I've written about MakeATX before, and yesterday evening I finally had the opportunity to meet its founders Kristen Von Minden and Eve Trester-Wilson. They co-hosted a great hands-on workshop at Paper Source which included hand-made envelopes, thermographic faux embossing, and a DYI letterpress.

MakeATX has not opened its doors yet, but Kristen and Eve are hard at work on their business plan and connecting with the creative community at events such as Renegade Craft Fair, E.A.S.T., and Blue Genie Art Bazaar. Although MakeATX has already funded on Kickstarter, Kristen said they are still accepting Paypal donations in exchange for membership discounts on their website at makeatx.com.

From their website: MAKEatx will be a member-based workshop where Austinites can pursue their diverse interests and activities independently and creatively. The workshop will be outfitted with a variety of fabrication tools to help you on your way to finishing that creative school, work, or do-it-yourself project you’ve been kicking around:

• a powerful and versatile laser cutter capable of cutting, etching, and engraving a wide variety of materials up to 36″ x 24″
• a cnc router/milling machine capable of cutting or carving 3-dimensional files up to 96″x 48″x 8″
• brand new computers with the latest design software
• folding machines
• sewing machines
• and a variety of shop equipment, technology, and workspace

And for you Austin ladies who just can't get enough of power tools—check out the co-host of last night's workshop, Women.Design.Build  womendesignbuild.org. Their mission is to "instill confidence and competence in women interested in design and construction professions." WDB has monthly workshops, so keep a look out for upcoming events—I might just see you there!

Instructions for constructing your own tabletop letterpress at:  

http://www.readymade.com/projects/tabletop_letterpress

Typeface: documentary as infomercial

I caught Justine Nagan’s documentary Typeface at the Alamo Ritz last night. As a documentary, I found it wanting as it lacked both compelling characters and strong story arc. For instance, the film seemed to want to say that the Hamilton Wood Type Museum was doomed to close and that an important slice of American history would be lost along with it. But then, the credits tell the opposite story, highlighting a new more energized curator, an increase in interest and support from the design community, and a successful 10th anniversary celebration.

But despite its deficiencies as a documentary, Typeface succeeds in spades as an infomercial for the Hamilton Wood Type Museum. Located in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, a small town 3 hours outside of Chicago; the museum is bound to benefit from the film as designers and type aficionados will surely flock to see first hand and touch for themselves all the gorgeous wood type featured on the screen. But if you can't swing a visit another way to support the museum is to purchase one of their gorgeous prints.

To its credit, the film also draws interesting parallels between the current resurgence of hand-made design and do-it-yourself crafts (exemplified by events such as Renegade Craft Fair, Maker Fair, and Etsy.com) as a response to our ultra-digitized world; and the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements, which according to the film, were a similar reaction by artisans to the over-mechanized production methods of the industrial revolution.

As a creative who would love to get her hands on some gorgeous wood typography, I became the 311th fan of the museum’s Facebook page.

I was excited to see on the Hamilton website that Jim Sherraden of Hatch Showprint, Nashville, TN will be hosting a letterpress workshop at Hamilton from December 11th–13th, 2009. Shortsightedly limited to 16 attendees, this event unfortunately became waiting list only as of 11/02/09. Damn! I will keep a lookout for similar events in the future.

Or perhaps I'll just take a trip to NYC for the Yee-Haw Industries industrial letterpress exhibition 10/4/09–01/02/10 in the Chelsea Market...