Inventors Day
Saturday, December 7, 2024
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Central Library
Calling inventors, creators, makers, crafters, tinkerers, artists, and scientists of all ages!
In association with No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention, a dynamic exhibition and public program series, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Public Library present Inventors Day, a full day of free entertainment for the Getty’s PST ART Downtown LA Weekend.
Draw, craft, write song lyrics, catch a film, take a curator-led exhibition tour and more! Join us in celebrating the public library as a site of active creation and invention, where anyone can realize their inherent creative potential. All ages are welcome!
Schedule
Rotunda Roundabout
Hands-on activities for inventors, creators, makers, and crafters of all ages!
Indigenous Futurism & Technologies Tiles Project With Lumbre Ceramics
11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Rotunda Roundabout | Children, All AgesDesign your own tile with ceramic artist Taty Hernandez. Learn about indigenous futurism and create a tile that highlights how clay technologies help us imagine futures of liberation and joy. You can take your tile home or contribute it to our collective tile mosaic.
Jewelry Tinkering
11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Rotunda Roundabout | YA, Adult, All AgesReinvent your style with a one-of-a-kind accessories! Learn how to use pliers and wire to design and create unique jewelry pieces.
Upcycled Fabric Art
11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Rotunda Roundabout | YA, Adult, All AgesGet your stitch on with Upcycled Fabric Art! Transform reclaimed textiles into unique creations while exploring different binding and stitching techniques.
Draw & Discover by Chromosphere
11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Rotunda Roundabout | Children, All AgesLearn about the world by drawing! Presented by Chromosphere, Draw & Discover invites you to explore the natural world by observing and learning to draw various animals before scanning your creation and watching it animate and come to life!
Children's Department
Design a Toy With Professor Angela Alcerro
11 a.m. - 12 noon | Children's Department | ChildrenDesign the toy of your dreams! Join Angela Alcerro, Professor of Toy Design at Otis College of Art and Design, for this step-by-step workshop on designing unique and memorable toys. Learn about the power of play, toys, and having fun. Participants will transform into vivid storytellers and toy designers. By the end of the session, each participant will have an illustrated character sketch, a sculpted 3D prototype, and a simple backstory for their toy design. Bring your imagination to life! This program is capped at 20 participants.
LED Flower Blossoms
11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Children's Department | Children, All AgesExplore the basics of circuitry and create an LED flower. By creating a simple circuit, learn how electricity travels in a loop and requires a power source in order to light up an LED. Recommended for participants ages 3 and up (small parts).
Family Storytime
2 - 3 p.m. | Children's Department | Children, All AgesEnjoy stories, songs, and much, much more!
TeenScape
Mini Museum of Medical Quackery With Dr. Hans Davidson
11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | TeenScape | All AgesDr. Hans Davidson, Director of the Southern California Medical Museum, showcases unique examples of historical quack medical devices from his incredible collection.
Making Mobile Art With Motors
12 noon - 1 p.m. | TeenScape | YA, All AgesBring your artwork life! Learn the basics of circuitry while you create unique and interactive artwork using motors. In this hands-on workshop, participants will create a basic schematic to add moving components to any artwork. Join us in paying homage to Thomas Davenport, inventor of the modern motor. This program is capped at 24 participants.
Galleries
No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention
Gallery will be open for viewing
Guided Tour With Exhibit Curator, Todd Lerew
11 - 11:30 a.m. | Rotunda | Adults, All AgesGuided Tour With Exhibit Curator, Todd Lerew
1 - 1:30 p.m. | Rotunda | Adults, All AgesGuided Tour With Exhibit Curator, Todd Lerew
3 - 3:30 p.m. | Rotunda | Adults, All AgesMeeting Rooms A & B
Conversations that spark creativity and innovation!
From Bytes to Bright Futures: The Robots Changing the World
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Meeting Room B | All AgesJoin Danielle Boyer, a young Native American inventor, for an exciting dive into the world of robotics and culture! Danielle creates incredible robots that talk, walk, and even sit on your shoulder—all designed to help preserve her Anishinaabe culture and support her community. In this fun and interactive session, you’ll meet her one-of-a-kind robots, explore circuits and motors through hands-on activities, and discover how technology can solve problems and tell powerful stories. Get ready to be inspired and unleash your creativity! For all ages, everyone is welcome.
Eddy’s World Film Screening + Q&A With Director Lyn Goldfarb
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Meeting Room A | Adults, All AgesAt 103 years old, Eddy Goldfarb—inventor of the Yakity-Yak Teeth—still prototypes new toys in his garage and creates projects on his 3D printer. In this mini-documentary, Director Lyn Goldfarb brings us into Eddy’s world of inventions and ideas. A Q&A with the director will follow the film.
The Inventor’s Checklist With Assistant Professor of Toy Design, Lynn Rosenblum
1 - 2 p.m. | Meeting Room A | YA, Adults, All AgesWhat makes a toy successful? Is it up to chance? Or are there common factors? Join Lynn Rosenblum, Assistant Professor of Toy Design at Otis College, as she reveals her checklist for becoming the next great toy inventor. Learn about the magical elements that make a toy a hit! Not your ordinary lecture—this event will be filled with surprises, including toy giveaways!
KAOS Network in Conversation
1 - 2 p.m. | Meeting Room B | Adults, All AgesHow to Protect Your Inventions With Knobbe Martens and Bet Tzedek Legal Services
4 - 5 p.m. | Meeting Room A | AdultsA workshop on the U.S. patent process and steps you can take to protect your inventions. We will be discussing the patenting process, what it takes to get a patent, and how you can utilize the patent system to protect innovation. Led by representatives of Bet Tzedek Legal Services and Knobbe Martens.
Como Proteger Sus Invenciones con Knobbe Martens y Bet Tzedek Legal Services
4 - 5 p.m. | Meeting Room B | AdultsUn discurso sobre el proceso de patentes de EE. UU. y como se puede usar para proteger las invenciones. Discutiremos el proceso de patentamiento, qué se necesita para obtener una patente y cómo se puede utilizar el sistema de patentes para proteger la innovación. Dirigido por representantes de Bet Tzedek Legal Services y Knobbe Martens.
Cardboard Construction Courtyard
Cut, fold, and connect! Craft solo or collaborate with others to give upcycled cardboard new life.
Open Tinkering With Rediscover Center
11 a.m.- 5 p.m. | Thornton Courtyard | All AgesCut, fold, and connect! Craft solo or collaborate with others to give upcycled cardboard new life.
Youth Design Challenge
12 noon - 1:30 p.m. | Thorton Courtyard | ChildrenTinkerers run through prompts from a our Rapid Prototyping Prompt Generator to build prototypes with small, recycled materials. Get your minds and hands moving–practice making quick models of your ideas!
Advanced Design Challenge
2 - 3 p.m. | Thorton Courtyard | YA, AdultTinkerers run through prompts from our Rapid Prototyping Prompt Generator to build prototypes with small, recycled materials. Get your minds and hands moving–practice making quick models of your ideas!
Atrium Landings
Pop-up installations that inspire and spark innovation.
Sankofa Red Prototype and Beat Bench
Lower Level 1 Atrium Landing | All AgesOctavia Lab
Creativity is Within Reach at our Do-It-Yourself Makerspace.
Invention: Songwriting Made Easy
2 - 4 p.m. | Octavia Lab | YA, AdultLearn how to write lyrics through games and improvisation and how to compose backing music—even if you know nothing about music theory. Workshop leader Nivi Canela believes everyone has the power to create meaningful art.
Registration is required to attend this program. To participate, please email rsvpoctavialab@lapl.org.
Meet the Innovators
Angela Alcerro
Bet Tzedek
Chromosphere Studio
Dr. Hans Davidson
KAOS Network
Knobbe Martens
Lumbre Ceramics
Lyn Goldfarb
Lynn Rosenblum
Nivi Canela
Ravi Olyn
Rebuild
Rediscover Center
The Steam Connection
Victoria Rose