Meet the Maker

Meet the Makers invites you to join AHML in getting to know new Makers and new ways to Make each month. The series features talented Makers throughout Chicagoland discussing and demonstrating their work, from weaving and screen-printing, to pottery and glassmaking and more! Each segment explores the unique creative inspiration and practices of our featured artists. Follow the series and watch the possibilities of making unfold. Follow us on Instagram @ahml for upcoming events. Some events require registration on Zoom to get up close and personal with our Makers. Meet our Makers and find recordings of past events below.

If you'd like more information about our makerspace opening in 2021 you can checkout the makerspace page.

Paige Gardner
VIRTUAL Meet the Maker: Paige Gardner Date/Time Tuesday, September 28, 7:00pm to 8:00 pm Location: Zoom Event Sign Up Now! About the Maker Paige Gardner is an award-winning costume artist who regularly appears as a guest presenter on unconventional costuming at science fiction and fantasy conventions in the U.S. and Canada. Creating extravagant and eye-catching looks, Paige is recognized for... View Full Maker Profile

Matt Maldonado
About the Maker With over a decade of experience in the Themed Entertainment Industry, Matt Maldonado's passion for art, design, storytelling and miniature model making has inspired him tremendously throughout his career. This passion has led his career down many different paths. After bringing to life some memorable projects for Universal Studios Hollywood such as the Wizarding World of Harry... View Full Maker Profile

Ill Gotten Games
About the Makers Ill Gotten Games: Taking print-and-play to the new dimension. We're making tabletop gaming inclusive, creative, and fun. How? By innovating our own games and incorporating accessible 3D printing technology. Arian "Dutchmogul" Croft has been an artist, designer, developer, and entrepreneur since childhood. Having cycled through traditional tabletop mini painting, mixed media, junk building, and many other artistic... View Full Maker Profile

Shannon Downey
About the Maker Shannon Downey is an artist, activist, craftivist, and community builder who works in embroidery. She blends activism and art into projects that are designed to inspire others to take action, think, discuss, engage with democracy and their community, and find some digital/analog balance. Coming up with and executing on big ideas is her jam. She creates art... View Full Maker Profile

Laurie Freivogel
About the Maker Laurie Freivogel has been creating screen-printed, fused glass goods in her Oak Park studio since 2004. While Freivogel has her BFA in drawing, she is a self-taught glass artist, and through extensive experimentation, figured out how to incorporate her imagery onto kiln-formed glass by utilizing screen printing techniques learned in art school. Since then, she has gone on... View Full Maker Profile

William Estrada
About the Maker William Estrada is an arts educator and multidisciplinary artist. His art and teaching is a collaborative discourse that critically re-examines public and private spaces with people to engage in radical imagination. He has presented in various panels regarding community programming, arts integration and social justice curricula. He is currently a Visual Arts Teacher at Telpochcalli Elementary and... View Full Maker Profile

SHENEQUA
About the Maker SHENEQUA is an Artprenuer who received her Masters of Design in Fashion, Body and Garment at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago under the mentorship of Nick Cave and Liat Stemad. Her solo exhibition Woven Narratives was on view at Haw Contemporary (Stockyards) in Kansas City from September 20 to October 30, 2019. She has exhibited her... View Full Maker Profile

Nastasiya Marusyk
About the Maker Nastasiya Marusyk was born in the Bukovyna region of Ukraine, in a family where folk customs and art traditions were respected. She is a master of traditional of folk art, researcher of Ukrainian folk culture, ethnographer, collector of Ukrainian folk antiquities and member of the Ukrainian Folk Art Masters’ Union. Her area of creative interests include artwork... View Full Maker Profile

Julie Kittredge
About the Maker Local and self-taught ceramic artist, Julie Kittredge is no stranger to creative entrepreneurship. Starting with sketching portraits in the early days, to a 10-year family photography business, and now her ultimate dream of throwing pottery in her home studio, Julie is passionate about encouraging creators and makers of all kinds to step out into the one-of-a-kind call... View Full Maker Profile

Tim Harrison
About the Maker Tim Harrison aka HDC is a master-level, award-winning costumer, craftsmanship judge and industry fabricator who first got his start in August 2012. Practical effects, sculpting, casting, foamsmithing, leatherworking, 3D printing, some sewing and metal-work are just some of the skills he has brought to the table, along with being known for fine detail work and a cinematic... View Full Maker Profile

Tanner Woodford
About the Maker Tanner Woodford is the founder, executive director and board member of the Design Museum of Chicago, where he leads strategy, partnerships and special projects. He received a BS in Design from Arizona State University in 2009, and returned to teach in 2010. More recently, he teaches Design Thinking For Social Change at the School of the Art Institute... View Full Maker Profile