DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/AD39-ED58
Defense Date
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Design
First Advisor
Roberto Ventura
Second Advisor
Rab McClure
Third Advisor
Christiana Lafazani
Fourth Advisor
Camden Whitehead
Abstract
The Richmond Maker Museum is a working museum design, offering an inside look at past achievements, juxtaposed with the unlimited future possibilities of an evolving, active maker culture. It is a dynamic place designed to allow makers to showcase skills, take risks, engage the public, and grow their craft in real time. The museum displays finished pieces, introduces makers, demonstrates the processes they employ in their work, and invites the community to meet the artisans who, through skill, ingenuity, and hard work, make the artifacts on display. This type of educational museum experience does not currently exist on this scale in Richmond. While other local museums invite visiting artists and offer lectures, the Richmond Maker Museum takes interaction to a new level, introducing visitors to the routines and procedures of each artisan’s daily practice.
Maker culture is a tightly woven network of craftsmen—woodworkers, metalworkers, glassblowers, etc. It celebrates traditional fabrication techniques, while also introducing modern technologies such as laser cutting and three-dimensional printing. The social and educational aspects of the maker movement have created a revolution, revitalizing public appreciation for the role of the maker and the importance of craftsmanship.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-7-2015