Artist in residence Michael Brown and the Learning Studio, at the Exploratorium will be hosting the first annual, invitation-only “Twisted Toys and Mechanical Mischief” workshop to be held on Saturday, May 8, 2010.
Twisted Toys is a “live” event: Exploratorium visitors will watch the creative projects unfold over the course of the day. In the spirit of Project Runway, we’ll videotape the workshop and capture each artist describing their toy-inspired vision and process. Michael Brown will play the helpful host (a là Tim Gunn), interviewing artists and offering guidance with the toys’ mechanisms, as well as other general assistance.
23 creative individuals will take part in a day-long process of reinvention and reinterpretation. Each participant will begin with one of 23 identical, battery-operated toys. They will spend the next six hours using their favorite tools, a handful of pre-chosen supplies, and all of their skills and imagination to transform their toy into something special. At the end of the day, we’ll demonstrate how 23 people can remake the same object into a variety of creations.
The finished works will be displayed at Maker Faire, May 22 and 23, and return to the Exploratorium’s Studio gallery through June.
Meet our fabulous Toy Twisters!
 Amy Franceschini Amy is an artist and educator who uses various media to encourage formats of exchange and production, many times in collaboration with other practitioners. An overarching theme in her work is a perceived conflict between humans and nature. |
 Andrew Lyndon Andrew Lyndon is a Bay Area artist who makes video, freelance multimedia work, video theater sets, and narrative films. He teaches animation and film at California College of the arts in Oakland, CA. |
 Asia Ward Asia Ward is a Minnesota based kinetic sculpture artist. Currently Asia is the Education Coordinator and Resident Artist of the Learning Technologies Center at the Science Museum of Minnesota. |
 Bernie Lubell My low tech interactive installations are concerned with how we see ourselves in the machines we make. |
 Carina C. Zona I frequently take inspiration from long-exposure photography, in which time reveals hidden truths and unexpected patterns while neatly eliminating that which is merely trivial. Whereas crochet is a favorite crafting indulgence because it’s so forgiving: unlimited undo, and so wonderfully stretchy! |
 Chad Lester Chad’s father was an engineer and his mother was an art teacher and he ended up as a twisted mix of the two. Semi-retired from a career in computer science with a history of large scale distributed computing problems, he now volunteers at the exploratorium and loves to tinker with wood, metal, fire and digital circuits (oh and did I mention fire?). |
 Christopher S. I am a middle school student in Palo Alto. I used to be big on Lego Technics, but now really enjoy re-making old computers and getting them to work. |
 Daniela Steinsapir Daniela creates experimental art pieces as a means of engaging with the relationship between mass production, technology, and the psychological state of society. In her work she re-employ’s seemingly out-moded forms of mass production in new and different ways. |
 David Cole David runs a business making jewelry and metal artwork, teaches classes at the California College of the Arts and plays with old machines at his studio in Oakland. He collects mechanical objects and wants one of everything. |
 Gever Tulley Founder of Tinkering School, co-author of Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do), and defender of children’s right to waste time fooling around. |
 Grace Kim I embroider, knit, and sew circuits. I am inspired by old craft books and tape races. |
 Jessica Strick While most exhibit developers at Exploratorium have either an art or a science background, Jessica proudly stands by her history degree as a testament to the triumph of curiosity and a desire to make things overcoming the expectations of a formal education. The Exploratorium’s workshop, full of its odds and ends, is a never-ending source of inspiration. |
 Karen Christensen My name is Karen Christensen and I make softies as often as I can. My inspiration comes from everyday life, yetis and other things that make me laugh. |
 Kelly Oliver Kelly is a mischief and mayhem seeker that enjoy making things pretty. P.S. she is really mad at Michael Swaine. |
 Melisio Nunez I work and live in San Francisco CA. Since I was a little kid I have always enjoyed making things with my hands, so I guess this is not going to stop anytime soon. |
 Michael Swaine Michael Swaine is building the Free Mending Library in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, it is a library for fixing the holes in our lives. Michael has been an analog designer with Futurefarmers and walks the city cracks with Arcangelow Wessells as he pleads for tenderness in all moments of life. |
 Nicole Catrett Nicole Catrett makes delightful contraptions large and small at the Exploratorium. |
 Stijn Schiffeleers Working in many media, I try to reveal the subtleties of life via works on paper, video and interactive installations. My art work embodies a sense of play and sensitivity that reminds us to take a closer look at what surrounds us. |
 Tan Siri Enjoys finding the minimalist, less-is-more nature of objects and environments and playing with possibilities of loss and found treasures! |
 Thom Story I make art, in whatever form, because I have to. Sculpture, painting, clothes…it’s all about the dialogue with the unknowable. |
 Tim Hunkin For the last ten years, Tim has been obsessed with his Under the Pier Show amusement arcade on Southwold pier, when not distracted by building enormous clocks. |
 Tom Corboline I am a systems engineer primarily working with High-powered lasers in the semiconductor industry. Working in a high-tech field inspires me to be creative with technology in my own DIY projects. |
 Walter Kitundu Walter Kitundu is an instrument builder, musician, and bird photographer who works as an artist at the Exploratorium. |
