Live Schedule for Core 77's 2012 Design Awards Announced

One of 2011's Winners: Thomas Hurd's Renewable Polytope FurnitureRemember when we implored you to summon your inner design genius and enter Core 77's 2012 Design Awards? We're assuming you heeded our words, submitted your brilliant concepts and are already on the path to glory.

Either way, the Design Awards roll on--and Core 77's 2nd annual award show is shaping up to be a wildly ambitious, transcontinental event. Kicking off July 8th and running the course of nine days, winners will be announced via live broadcast from panels of jurors seated across the globe. With seventeen design categories, running the gamut from Transportation to Social Impact to Food Design, inspiration seems extractable for just about anyone watching.

In no way will we try and replicate the entire schedule, so head here now and make sure you've got that thing bookmarked. However, we will tell you that New York has not one but two jury panels this year--Manhattan repping on July 9th and Brooklyn on July 14th.

Meanwhile, we've assembled a handful of some of our favorite winners from 2011 (check the captions for what it is you're looking at.) If these are any indicator of what may transpire at this year's awards, our world is simply poised to be a better place.

Ethan Frier & Jonathan Ota's "Project Aura": For safer night-time urban bikingBruce Mau's Identity Branding for OCAD UniversityPUMA's Recyclable Cardboard Bag & Box Combo, "Clever Little Bag"Motonium Design's "Mission R" Fuel Efficient, Electric Street Racing BikeBespoke Fairings: Specialized Prosthetic CoveringsAdam Harvey's "CV Dazzle" Digital Camouflage (For all your digital privacy needs)

Call For Volunteers: Help Create Giant Puppets For The PEN World Voices Festival

Processional Art Workshop's "Bibliobats"

This year's PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, which runs from April 30 through May 6, features an amazing array of participants, including Salman Rushdie, Colson Whitehead, Margaret Atwood, Laurie Anderson and the Kronos Quartet. And guess what? You can join them.

The internationally acclaimed Processional Art Workshop, whose work you might have seen in the annual Village Halloween Parade, and the PEN American Center, the nonprofit organization that presents the annual literary festival, are looking for volunteers to help craft huge "bibliomorphic" puppets and other literature-inspired props. These "bibliomorphic" creations will be featured in the Parade of Illuminations, the festival's opening celebration at the High Line on April 30, as well as in ongoing performance throughout the week.

Want in? From April 21 through May 2 artists Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles will be leading workshops where volunteers can help "translate the sensual anatomy of bindings, folios, paper and print into bibliomorphic puppets and performing objects." All you have to do is fill out the volunteer form. No experience is necessary, and kids ages 10+ can help out as well if accompanied by an adult.

Below is the full schedule of workshops, which all take place at the Westbeth Center for the Arts. We can't wait to see the amazing puppets that you help create:

• Saturday, April 21: Noon–6pm
• Sunday, April 22: Noon–6pm
• Wednesday, April 25: 2–8pm
• Thursday, April 26: 2–8pm
• Friday, April 27: 2–8pm
• Saturday, April 28: Noon–6pm
• Sunday, April 29: Noon–6pm
• Tuesday, May 1: 2–8pm
• Wednesday, May 2: 2–8pm

-- John Ruscher

Kickstarter Pick: SparkLab Aims to Bring the Maker Community to Underprivileged Schools

There are only a few more days left to help fund SparkLab's very deserving Kickstarter campaign, one geared towards bringing hands-on making to the children of underfunded schools. After investigating classrooms as part of their thesis at Stanford, Jason Chua, Eugene Korunskiy and Arron Peck discovered that--in addition to the commonplace pitfalls of contemporary public education ("slashed budgets, a rigid curriculum and an environment more geared towards standardized testing than student engagement")--many schools didn't have the space or resources to allow their children a place to physically make things; a proven and essential part of any truly comprehensive education.  

Driven by these findings, Chua, Korunskiy and Peck founded SparkLab to not only bring that crucial building space into schools, but also the necessary equipment and materials. Obviously these supplies cost money, but in addition, SparkLab needs wheels to even bring their mission to school systems. Funds from the Kickstarter campaign will go towards the purchase and renovation of an old delivery truck, as well as gas on which to run, 3D printers, laser cutters and hand tools. Incentives include a day in the park where you'll use a laser cutter to build your own kite.

Where was SparkLab when we were in grade school?!

Feeling inspired? Get ye to their Kickstarter page and help them make this happen.

-- Perrin Drumm

GO HERE NOW // Unconsumption, Your Daily Dose Of Creative Reuse And Mindful Consumption

A few years ago author and journalist Rob Walker coined the term "unconsumption," first writing about it in his Times Magazine column:

Getting new stuff can feel really good. Most everybody knows that. Most everybody also knows — particularly in the aftermath of the consumption-frenzy holiday season — that utility can fade, pleasure can be fleeting and the whole thought-that-counts thing is especially ephemeral. Apart from the usual solution to this problem (more new stuff!), it's worth pondering whether getting rid of stuff can ever feel as good as getting it.

Half a decade later, that idea has blossomed into much more. The Unconsumption Tumblr blog is daily proof that, when you can find a new purpose or home for something, "getting rid" of it can indeed feel wonderful. And so can exploring the countless ways that people around the world reuse and repurpose things.

Walker and a handful of other contributors populate the Unconsumption Tumblr with inspiring examples of creative repurposing, recycling, upcycling, mindful consumption and more. They can be pretty much anything, from a world map made from recycled computer parts to Brooklyn's own Dekalb Market to a plan to recycle decommissioned satellites to resources like Hipcycle.com and ManualsOnline.com. A couple of our favs are the iMacquarium, an iMac repurposed as an aquarium and a chair made out of 10,000 plastic drinking straws.

In addition to its Tumblr, Unconsumption has a wiki, which provides helpful info and tips on the best way to get rid of things you don't want. Walker and company also recently started The Uncollection, which features recycled creations that incorporate Unconsumption's logo, from patches and earrings to dinner plates and stationery.

-- John Ruscher

MEMBER PROFILE // Ben Simon Combines Woodworking And Circuitry To Create Wild Instruments

GuitaR2D2

Popular Mechanics recently featured GuitaR2D2, the creation of 3rd Ward member and teacher Ben Simon, as one of "7 Awesome DIY Projects" from this summer's Maker Faire--and rightfully so. With an onboard drum machine, synthesizer, microphone and amps, GuitaR2D2 is something to behold, both musically and visually. But it's just one of Simon's many amazing creations. We caught up with him to find out more about his work. Hit the jump for more.

Simon's path to becoming a "gonzo inventor," as Popularly Mechanics aptly describes him, started when he got a job working in a wood shop. "Woodworking gave me a better way to communicate with alien sparrows and some insects than I could have ever imagined," he says. "I feel compelled to play music in a way that most aligns with the energy field that is these communications.  As you can probably tell, I'm still trying to figure it out!"

One of the hardest parts is an instrument's final setup. "I start with raw wood, cut fret slots and all that, and in the end it must be perfectly intonated, unless it's specified that it doesn't matter" Simon says. "It's tough and I've gotten close—I'm basically self taught. In the near future I hope to study with someone and acquire better tools."

There's a good chance that you may have encountered Simon in the subway, as that's one of his favorite places to jam with Guitar2D2, which he describes as his "one man band." "The subway has an amazing sound, and honestly I've never felt better while playing music, nor have I ever had such a warm response," he explains.

With such creativity and talent, Simon's work naturally hasn't been limited to the underground. He's even had the chance to create a piece for Paul Simon. The renowned songwriter's percussionist, Jamey Haddad, saw one one of Ben's wooden drums at Drummer's World in Times Square and asked him to build one as a gift for Paul. "Off the charts," Simon says of the experience. "It was really something else. Ya know he's just a regular guy but with the tremendous talent that's reached millions and millions of people for like millions and millions of years. Touched their hearts, reflected their lives with his music... My family are all fans and my last name is Simon too—what more could I ask for! It was like I was chosen to go to the Olympics. Everybody was watching!"

When Simon's not making instruments he's likely making music. Right now he's holding down organ duties for The Lisps, who'll be presenting a sci-fi/Civil War musical called Futurity that'll debut next year. "It's about a Civil War soldier/dreamer who creates a giant steam-powered machine to create peace and get him and everybody else out of war," he says. "The percussion alone will take you to crazytown.  I'm thrilled to be included."

Want to learn some of Simon's instrument-modding skills? Sign up for his class, Electric Guitar Rescue, which starts December 1.

Check out more of Simon's creations below.

Drum Table for Paul Simon

Five String Crooked Neck

Semi-hollow V with distortion and a wind-up music box that plays the theme from "Love Story"

Purple Heart and Mahogany keyboard with '80s Yahama keyboard circuit

Stroh-inspired guitar

-- John Ruscher

TECH EVENT // NYC Tech Connect's Open Hardware Panel Discussion

Tech gurus, this one's for you.

Do have an idea for an open hardware startup? Something cool like Bitponics or MakerBot? If you do, you likely have some questions about how you can turn that idea into a reality. What's the right strategy? How can I protect my intellectual property? How can I raise venture funding or venture funding? What are the benefits of each?

You can find answers to all of these questions—while at the same time enjoying a delightful breakfast—at NYC Tech Connect's Open Hardware Breakfast & Panel Discussion on Wednesday, November 2. You'll have the chance to listen to and pick the brains of panelists Bob Pasker, a venture advisor and CTO-In-Residence at Accel Partners with over 25 years of experience in the tech and software industry, and Kelsey Nix, a partner in the Intellectual Property and Litigations Departments at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

This event is hosted by the New York City Investment Fund, and you can RSVP at events@nyctechconnect.com.

-- John Ruscher

FLYING HIGH // Make Your Own Inexpensive Flying Machine with Brooklyn Aerodrome

 

We saw tons of amazing things at the World Maker Faire last month, but one of the coolest was Brooklyn Aerodrome. You may already be familiar with the group, as they taught a 3rd Ward class back in the summer of 2010, but if not, here's a quick summary: they build remote control airplanes out of nothing more than recycled plastic, coat hangers, zip ties, velcro and some simple electronics. We caught up with co-founder Breck Baldwin to ask him about what it takes to fly. Find out after the jump.

Baldwin first got the idea for Brooklyn Aerodrome in 1998 when he saw a satellite breaking up in the sky during Burning Man. "It looked like a silent multi-colored meteor that had all thousands of people looking up and clapping and cheering," he says. "I realized that the night sky is the biggest stage on the playa and there was not much art in it." Later, in 2005, he helped Philip Riley, who now runs Williamsburg's Skink Ink fine art printing studio, design a large illuminated flying eye for the festival.

From there Baldwin began working with Brooklyn Aerodrome co-founder Mark "Splinter" Hardwood and others to design an inexpensive, easy-to-build remote control plane. "The basic towel was and continues to be a collaboration," he says. "I came up with the basic design, Splinter observed that we needed a separable deck with all the electronics on it so we could de-towel our towels with fresh airframes. Lots of folks helped with equipment, design enhancements."

What's a towel, you ask? "The towel is the basic plane that I used for my class at 3rd Ward," Baldwin says. "It is meant to be cheap, less that $100 in parts, quick to scratch build (3-4 hours), fly well and tolerate crashes. It is called a towel because one eve, after 20 or so serious crashes, the nose on my plane got soft and was drooping quite a bit. A fellow named Rounder said it looked like I was launching a wet towel and the name stuck."

"It's lots of work [to build one], but I wouldn't say hard," Baldwin says. "The art planes can be much more difficult to design. Art planes include flying hearts, carrots, bananas, jelly fish, etc."

The best way to get airborne is by attending one of Brooklyn Aerodrome's build sessions. You'll want to order your parts well in advance, though, as some are only available in Hong Kong and take a long time to ship.

Brooklyn Aerodrome's build nights are starting up again in mid-October, so stay tuned to their website and Google group for more info. And one last bit of advice from Baldwin: "Be patient, they love to fly."

Here's a video of Baldwin talking about Brooklyn Aerodrome at the World Maker Faire:

-- John Ruscher

AS SEEN ON TV // Getting Stuck With Renegade Brooklyn Maker Chris Hackett

In 1998 Chris Hackett founded the Madagascar Institute, an infamous art collective in Gowanus that specializes in "large sculptures and rides, live performances, and guerrilla art events" and touts the slogan "Fear is never boring." A sampling of their endeavors include flaming soccer, massive art parties and a jet-power carnival ride, which was a hit at last year's Maker Faire.

Hackett, it's safe to say, is not your typical artist. Or engineer. Or professor (he also teaches at NYU.)

At 3rd Ward, we don't normally tell you to go watch TV, but this August Stuck With Hackett debuted on the Science Channel and we've been quietly obsessed ever since. The show follows Hackett as he gets himself "stuck" in different deserted locations, from an abandoned rail yard or aviation junkyard to an old WWII munitions factory. He then takes whatever materials he can find (which he calls "obtainium") and does what he does best: make mindblowing things out of seemingly worthless junk.

On the Stuck With Hackett blog Hackett provides a behind-the-scenes look at his show through both photos and his blunt but highly entertaining writing. For example, in his latest entry he describes how his most recent episode included cooking with thermite, turning a potato gun and hot water heater into a french fry machine, and hurting himself "pretty badly" with a plasma torch.

Stuck With Hackett airs Thursdays at 10:30pm on the Science Channel and there are three new episodes coming up on 9/29, 10/6 and 10/13. If you haven't been able to catch any of the previous episodes, don't worry—there are reruns! In the meantime, head to his blog or try your hand at a Hackett puzzle.

Curious about what Hackett's up to in the image above? Hit to jump to find out.

-- John Ruscher

SCIENCE SCENE // MIT Research Skylar Tibbits Explains "Self-Assembly"

For people who make things, the materials are as important as the process of constructing. So imagine if that material was animate, robotic and knew how to assemble itself. In this mind-blowing TED Talk, MIT researcher Skylar Tibbits talks about how that might one day happen--and as it were, how we do have the technology, While still a long way off, it's fodder for a whole new world of makers (and inevitably, terrifying sci-fi horror flicks.)

--Layla Schlack