Makers and creators living within 150 miles of the Four Corners are invited to submit original projects in a competition hosted by Fundamental Needs. The Cortez Makerspace Innovation Challenge will have a $5,000 prize for the top project, according to a news release.
Fundamental Needs, the Cortez nonprofit that runs the Cortez Makerspace at 209 W. Main St., opened entries for the competition July 28.
Projects can be submitted online at fundamentalneeds.net/challenge, with submissions set to close Sept. 20. Along with makers from Cortez, Mancos, Dolores and Dove Creek, creatives from areas in and around Durango, Farmington, Moab, Telluride, Grand Junction, Gallup, Albuquerque and Flagstaff, Arizona, are invited to submit their projects.
There are three divisions for the competition. Open, Hobbyist and Youth. The Open division has a $200 entry fee, with $5,000 to be awarded to the top finisher. The Hobbyist division costs $50 and has a $1,000 first prize award. This division is meant for “weekend makers” and newcomers.
The Youth division has no entry fee and is for participants 18 years old and younger. The winner will receive a $500 scholarship and a starter tool kit. Each winner for the three divisions will also receive a Makerspace membership for a full year. The top 10 in each division will receive prizes.
There are also options for those who are unable to pay the entry fee or would rather “earn” their entry.
“A maker who would rather earn an entry than pay for it can raise the amount of the entry fee for Fundamental Needs instead, and the entry is covered on the same terms as everyone else’s,” said Justice Ramos, Fundamental Needs executive director.
Projects are grouped into 11 categories: Robotics and electronics, woodworking, metalwork and fabrication, textiles, 2D fine art, 3D and sculpture art, design, music and audio, coding, impact and more. Entrants can build their projects at home, in a private shop or studio or during the Makerspace’s weekly open-shop nights, which are held Sundays and Mondays.
The Makerspace has laser cutters, CNC, welders, 3D printers, ceramics and textiles equipment. The build window opens Aug. 17 and entries close Sept. 20.
“We would rather build something together than just ask for money,” Ramos said. “Somewhere within 150 miles of here is a garage builder, a welder, a kid with an idea. This is their stage, and the whole region gets a say.”
Project advancement will be determined by public voting. Voting will be held from Sept. 21 though Oct. 5, which will determine the finalists. Finalists, the top 3 in each race, will move forward. Finalist votes will be held from Oct. 5 through Oct. 18. Each voter receives one free vote per week in both rounds, and additional “booster votes” cost $1 each. These can be bought in packs of five, 20 or 100. Voters may also give their favorite projects “free daily applause” throughout the voting period. The project that receives the most applause will receive the People’s Choice Award.
Youth projects are evaluated solely by judges and will not be ranked by paid votes.
Five independent judges will score projects on craftsmanship, originality, ambition, impact and story. The overall winner for each division are to be announced at a free public awards night Oct. 23 at the Cortez Makerspace. All entered work will be showcased to the sound of live music.
Ramos, according to the news release, is personally guaranteeing $2,500 of the $5,000 of the Open division prize. All money raised over the course of the competition will support the Makerspace’s current capital campaign of $40,000 to $60,000 to be used to complete a full wood shop, Cortez’s first recording studio and maintaining community workshops.
The overall winning project will also become the prize in a free, regionwide treasure hunt set to take place this fall, with more details forthcoming. Complete rules, entry forms, voter registration, sponsorship details and more are available at fundamentalneeds.net/challenge.
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