ONTARIO – Approximately 40 people who create through art, science or technology were on hand to showcase their work on Saturday, April 13 at a new local event, the Malheur Maker Faire.
The fair was hosted by the Frontier Hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the Malheur Education Service District and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County at the Four Rivers Cultural Center. It brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives from across the region, including artisans and hobbyists, to display their work.
The event featured the educational entertainment of “Dr. Picklestein’s STEM Show!”
Dr. Pickelstein’s character, played by Henry Charlier, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Boise State University, is a long-running traveling show designed to spark the interest of school-age children in science. The show also features Karen Hammond, a student support manager in the college’s chemistry department, who plays “Lady Argentum.”
Local students displayed their artwork and there was also a hands-on robotics demonstration from Vale High School. Along with the interactive workshops, a local drone racing company hosted live drone races complete with an obstacle course. The company, Treasure Valley MultiGP Drone Racing, offered visitors the chance to test their own piloting skills with a drone flight simulator.
The workshops also showed how to make sourdough bread, jewelry and origami.
The first Maker Faire was held in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2006. Since then, the events have gone international.
Nikki Shira, director of the Frontier Hub, and Barbara Brody, associate professor of family practice and community health, said the students in the district’s Chief Science Officers group were inspired by their 2022 visit to the Central Oregon Maker Faire in Band and want to do a similar event.
Carrie Chirgi of Stay Sour Sourdough talks about her products – including biscuits and bread – at the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13, at the Four River Cultural Center on Saturday, April 13. The new local event, hosted by the Frontier Hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the Malheur Education Service District and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County, brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives, including crafters and hobbyists, to showcase their work. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Nampa resident Tom Jacobsen with Treasure Valley MultiGP holds a small drone at the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13, at the Four River Cultural Center. The Treasure Valley MultiGP team was on hand to demonstrate the company’s mini drones. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)One of the many drones on hand at the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13, at the Four River Cultural Center, takes off to navigate a lighted obstacle course. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Jenne Schiffhauer of Lunatic Fringe Yarns demonstrates a hand loom at the Four Rivers Cultural Center during the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13. The new local event hosted by Frontier Hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the Malheur Education Service District, and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives, including crafters and hobbyists, to showcase their work. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Heather Wortman of Mom’s Best Breads, LLC, gives a presentation on sourdough bread during the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13 at the Four Rivers Cultural Center. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Diana Morinaga, director of programs and outreach for the Four Rivers Cultural Center, teaches two local residents how to make origami during the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13. The new local event hosted by Frontier Hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the Malheur Education Service District and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives, including crafters and hobbyists, to showcase their work. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Nyssa High School student Quinn Wilkinson shows off her mini arcade machine at the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13, at the Four River Cultural Center. The new local event, hosted by Frontier Hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the Malheur Education Service District and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County, brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives, including crafters and hobbyists, to showcase their work. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)The Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13 at the Four Rivers Cultural Center, showcases a variety of different items made by area residents, including art, food, drones, computers and clothing. The new local event, hosted by Frontier Hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the Malheur Education Service District and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County, brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives, including crafters and hobbyists, to showcase their work. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)A drone makes its way through a lighted obstacle course at the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13, at the Four River Cultural Center. The new local event, hosted by the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Frontier Hub, the Malheur Education Service District and the OSU Extension Office for Malheur County, brought together students, scientists and all kinds of creatives, including crafters and hobbyists, to showcase their work. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Vale High School’s robotics team was also present at the fair. These two youngsters tested the robots under the watchful eye of Vale High School robotics instructor Jim Schafeld. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)Area residents stream in and out of the Four Rivers Cultural Center during the Malheur Maker Faire, Saturday, April 13. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL)
News tip? Send your information to [email protected].
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE – The Malheur Enterprise provides quality local journalism – honest and accurate. You can read it every hour, every day with a digital subscription. Read it on your phone, your tablet, your home computer. Click Subscribe – $7.50 per month.
