Makers Lab Art Show Celebrates Creativity
Mark Wooding, a videographer for the School of Medicine, stands at a whiteboard demonstrating animations at the Art Show.
“I printed my mom a birthday gift,” he says, “a photo of her and her sister in 3D print, which normally looks like nothing, but when you hold it up to the sun, it’s a perfect photo. It was such a great birthday gift, and she loved it.”
Wooding was one of many UCSF students and staff showing off their talents at the 3rd annual Makers Lab Art Show on Thursday, Sept. 26.
The exhibit held at the Makers Lab in UCSF Library featured drawings, custom-made buttons, 3D printed art pieces, and book-folding projects.
The Art Show provided the opportunity to highlight the creativity, ingenuity, and diversity shared by the UCSF community. Dylan Romero, the UCSF Makers Lab manager, said the Makers Lab is a creative outlet for people.
“People here are in health science education, research, and patient care; but, many of these people are also incredibly creative. So, it’s a great outlet for them to showcase that work,” he said.
“Sometimes creativity looks very different. We’re seeing people discover all types of applications for health sciences through 3D printing and 3D scanning, and we’re supporting needlework activities where students can come in and use tactile activity to destress or take a break in between their studies.”
To many UCSF students, the Makers Lab is not only a place to relieve stress but also to discover new interests.
One regular at the Makers Lab, Jacqueline Booker, a second-year medical student, said the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity.
“It is a happy place on campus outside of class where you have full access to all the machines that would be expensive to buy on your own,” she said. “If there’s anything remotely creative you just want to do, Makers Lab will have something to help make that happen.”
In addition to the artistic pieces created through 3D printing, 3D technology gives the UCSF community the freedom to create complex anatomical structures that can be utilized in healthcare and clinical settings.
In partnership with the Department of Anatomy, the Makers Lab developed a 3D printing elective, where students learn how to generate a 3D printed model from a CT scan.
The 3D printed model can be used for multiple purposes in their education, research, or clinic.
“I’m finally starting to use what I learned from Makers Lab to academic purposes,” Booker said. “I started out 3D printing just for fun things, but now there are doctors and faculty that use 3D printing for their clinical practice.”
With the expansion of its space and resources, the Makers Lab will have a stronger role in turning creative ideas into physical reality and prototypes for the UCSF community.
“I look forward to the 4th annual Art Show,” said Dylan. “Hopefully, people continue to submit their pieces and find creative applications for all the equipment and supplies we offer.”
