Daytona Regional librarian Ms. Edie and Liam, a student of DeLand HS of Triforce Robotics introduced attendees to Mechanoid the Library Droid. Courtesy photo
Joe Kunzman, Volusia Woodworkers Guild chapter president, demonstrates woodworking techniques during Maker Daytona Beach's "Show N' Tell" at the Daytona Regional Library. Courtesy photo
Participants of all ages contributed brushstrokes to the community mural. Courtesy photo
Savannah-Jane Griffin, chief executive officer at Neighborhood Center of West Volusia; Valerie Uy, founder of Maker Daytona Beach; and Trish McGetrick, senior operations manager at CareerSource Brevard Flagler Volusia. Courtesy photo
Award-winning mural artist Natasha Azari of the Save the Arts Movement invited attendees to become artists themselves through a collaborative paint-by-numbers community mural during Maker Daytona Beach's "Show N' Tell." Courtesy photo
Astrophotographer Tim Pratt shared images of distant nebulae and galaxies captured from his own backyard observatory. Courtesy photo
Over 90 people attended the Maker Daytona Beach event at the Daytona Regional Library on Thursday, June 11.
The event brought attendees together for an interactive community interactive show-and-tell, which featured a lineup of local makers, creators, artists, engineers and hobbyists, according to a press release. The event encouraged people to engage with makers, ask questions, learn new skills and explore the creative process behind the projects and disciplines.
"What makes the maker community special is that everyone has something to share and something to learn," said Valerie Uy, organizer of Maker Daytona Beach. "You might have a woodworker teaching alongside a robotics enthusiast, an artist collaborating with an engineer, or someone discovering a new hobby they never knew existed. The goal is to create a welcoming space where creativity and curiosity can thrive."
Hosted in partnership with the Daytona Regional Library's LaunchPad Maker Space, the event also highlighted Volusia County's LaunchPad, a public innovation hub, offering access to 3D printers, Cricut machines, die-cutting equipment, a green screen studio, gaming systems and other creative technologies. The LaunchPad is open Monday through Friday.
Throughout the evening, attendees had the opportunity to meet members of the Volusia Woodworkers Guild, learn about planetary and deep-space photography from a local astrophotographer, participate in a community mural led by local artists and discover the art of knot making through a hands-on demonstration, the press release states. People also learned basic soldering techniques, explored creative projects from local makers, interacted with Buster the Robot Dog, and enjoyed an appearance by Mechanoid the Droid.
Maker Daytona Beach will host its next "Show N' Tell" on Thursday, July 16, at the Deltona Regional Library.
