I'm a problem solver, artist, organizer. Currently, I'm working to establish a Fab Lab in DC. Fab Lab stands for fabulous & fabrication laboratory, where people can learn about digital fabrication & make ‘almost’ anything. Presently, I'm hosting MIT's Mobile Fab Lab at my studio & want to put it to good use by sharing it with the community & supporting projects that encourage creativity, innovation, & collaboration. To make it happen, funding is needed to support programming & materials.

During the past couple of months, community members & groups have visited the lab & tried it out; & several collaborative community projects have emerged:

• High Tea Girls Project ~ The High Tea Society (HTS) was founded by the Honorable Judge Mary Terrell in 1997, as a vehicle to expose young girls to the rich cultural offerings of the District of
Columbia, while also providing a tailored program designed to boost self esteem, inspire academic achievement & create “ambassadors of change.” HTS protégés who attend D.C. Public Schools, are recruited in the 4th grade & remain in the program until high school graduation &/or college acceptance. The Fab Lab Project will provide a “hands-on” experience for the HT Girls using advanced technology & open an alternative “gateway” for the girls to be involved with science, technology, engineering, art, math & entrepreneurial enterprise.

• UDC Community College Fashion Merchandising Curriculum Collaboration ~ Students from the Fashion Design Program will return to the lab to experiment with combining technology & design, including new materials.

• The "Urban Art & Ecology Project ~ Humanity 4 Habitat": Creative Problem Solving through Art, Design, Digital Fabrication, Community Engagement ~ is a collaborative effort bringing together science, art & technology to foster awareness, & ignite creativity. The idea is to use science, art, design & technology as integral learning tools & to bring people together to enhance the livability of the city & create a unique sense of place. The core team includes local artists, professors, a landscape architect & a migratory bird specialist. The project will enable communities to have access to art, design, digital fabrication technology & a network of resources to create supportive habitats, including shelters & gardens.

I’ll pull it off by providing access, instruction, materials, and resources to help facilitate & expand the reach & impact of collaborative projects.