THE PHASE GALLERY AT MOONLIGHTER FABLAB PRESENTS: BATHGATE: THE MACHINIST SCULPTOR

Exploring machine work as a fine art craft through the lens of Chris Bathgate’s pioneering sculpture practice.

PRESS RELEASE

October 01, 2024

The Phase Gallery at Moonlighter FabLab in Miami Beach announces BATHGATE: The Machinist Sculptor, a special exhibition debuting during Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami, and will remain on view through May 31st, 2025. 

Visitors to the exhibition will view a selection of Bathgate’s machined metal works made as part of a formalistic and conceptual investigation of modern, computer numerically controlled machining as a creative medium. The entire body of work serves as an ongoing investigation into this concept, where each piece informs the next in a continuous cycle of ideation, problem-solving, fabrication, analysis, and revision. His aesthetic considerations are deeply intertwined with the very machines he employs, leading to a symbiotic relationship where the machinery itself evolves alongside his sculptures.

Playing with the tension between aesthetic and utility, form and function, industrial and handmade, Bathgate’s work challenges traditional categorizations. His sculptures are meticulously engineered, with every detail methodically designed from the ground up. Yet, they transcend mere technical prowess, evoking a sense of creative logic that captivates viewers. 

Modern manufacturing has created a space where there are a great number of craftsmen practicing a way of working that no longer has a place in a modern factory. There is room now to explore these machines and techniques for what other purposes they might serve. We can now mine them for their worth as a means of personal expression.

– Christopher Bathgate

Christopher Bathgate explains further, “By all rights, Machining should have been embraced by artists long ago. During the 20th century, many industrial crafts were developed into studio art mediums. Because of a quirk of history however, the crafts movement would reject many forms of automation. Seen as inexpressive, expensive, and inaccessible, Machine tools would be largely relegated to their industrial role until the early 2000’s. With the rise of the Maker movement and a boom in accessible digital fabrication technologies, many artists began to see the potential for expression within the highly technical machine trades. This exhibition serves as a contemporary reflection on the modern state of craft.”

“Chris Bathgate’s work exemplifies the possibilities of when creativity and access combine. The promise of personal manufacturing and digital fabrication is that it enables new forms of creativity much like previous creative movements that have been shaped by the technology of their era. Bathgate is setting the standard for aspiring creatives who find themselves in a fabrication lab for the first time, imagining all of the possibilities, and allowing themselves the grace to learn through the process – embracing these tools to create amazing new work. We hope that his work will inspire more local makers to follow their passion, too.”

Tom Pupo, Executive Director of Moonlighter FabLab

The public is invited to attend the gallery opening and meet the artist during Miami Art Week. Learn more at https://moonlighterfablab.org/phase-gallery/

About Christopher Bathgate

Chris Bathgate is a self-taught machinist and machine builder. He has spent over two decades building and modifying a variety of metalworking tools and automated machinery to create intricately machined metal sculptures that defy easy classification. Through his work, the artist has attempted to coin the term “studio machining” as an emerging field within the fine arts. His works are fundamentally engineered, every detail methodically designed from the ground up. They illustrate that creativity alone does not drive human imagination, but that inspiration comes from the need to overcome technical challenges. By combining the math and logistics of modern machine work with an emotive problem-solving ethic, the artist bends the physical constraints of his medium to an aesthetic that plays on ideas of utility and ambiguous design intent. The result is precise and other worldly art objects that exude a creative logic all their own. Chris is author of the book “The Machinist Sculptor: Industry Meets Craft,” which explores the history of Machine work and its evolving status as a fine art craft, through the lens of his pioneering sculpture practice. It serves as a contemporary reflection on the modern state of craft, and a historical corrective to the technological dogmas that emerged during the studio craft movements of the 20th century. 

Bathgate’s work has been exhibited at the Fuller Craft Museum, National Museum of Industrial History, MECM, and more. Learn more at www.chrisbathgate.com

About Phase Gallery at Moonlighter FabLab

PHASE Gallery features work that blends technology and art in new innovative mediums. Creators that work in the realms of both bits and atoms – the Digital and Physical. PHASE Gallery celebrates the process and technical craft of artists, designers, and engineers creating on the cutting edge and making an impact in their communities.

The gallery is located within Moonlighter FabLab – a 501(c)3 non-profit S.T.E.A.M. Learning Center and Fabrication Laboratory in partnership with The City of Miami Beach, Florida dedicated to empowering makers of all ages and abilities with the skills, tools, and opportunities to shape a better future. Learn more at www.moonlighterfablab.org

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tom Pupo

Moonlighter FabLab

1661 Pennsylvania Avenue

Miami Beach, Fl. 33139

305-699-2041

admin@moonlighterfablab.org

THE PHASE GALLERY AT MOONLIGHTER FABLAB PRESENTS: UNDERWATER – A SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART PROJECT BY XAVIER CORTADA

The interactive art campaign “The Underwater” sparks climate engagement with a site-specific installation, participatory art activity, and discussions.

PRESS RELEASE

March 11, 2024

Miami-Dade County artist-in-residence Xavier Cortada engages the public with “The Underwater”, a socially engaged art project debuting at The Phase Gallery in Moonlighter FabLab Miami Beach during The Aspen Ideas Climate Summit and will remain on view through May 31st, 2024. This community-based initiative calls attention to the climate crisis through site-specific yard signs that creatively reveal South Florida’s vulnerability to rising seas, spark climate conversations, and catalyze civic engagement.

Visitors of The Underwater exhibit are introduced to the county-wide initiative, then encouraged to engage in the participatory art project by discovering the elevation of their home, and drawing that number on a blank yard sign. Once residents place these elevation marked signs in their front yard, curiosity from neighbors, friends, and family is instantly sparked as the meaning of the number is unknown to anyone not familiar with the project.​ 

“By mapping the impending crisis, I make the invisible visible. Block by block, house by house, neighbor by neighbor, I want to make the future impact of sea level rise something impossible to ignore. “I hope to engage my neighbors as problem solvers who will learn and work together now to better prepare themselves and their heirs for the chaos to come.”

  • XAVIER CORTADA​

“I am proud to see our very own Miami-Dade artist-in-residence Xavier Cortada’s interactive art campaign front and center during the Aspen Ideas Climate Summit,” stated Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This critical and important work brings attention to the impacts of climate change in our community. By engaging the public, his artwork provides new perspectives, challenging us all to come together for creative solutions.”

In 2022 Miami-Dade County Mayor Levine Cava named Xavier Cortada as the inaugural Miami-Dade County artist-in-residence. Cortada’s practice is focused on the environment, and challenges viewers to consider their impact on the world’s natural resources, as well as their personal role to play in environmental protection. A former Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council, he was pivotal in the creation of the Arts Resilient 305 initiative to increase awareness about the impact of climate change and the importance of resiliency and environmental sustainability, established and managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. The Knight Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Xavier Cortada Foundation to present this large-scale participatory art project in collaboration with Miami-Dade County and other co-sponsors.

“When visitors first walk in and see the wave of elevation signs created by Miami Beach students on display – they will truly understand the power of this project. By creating a platform for social engagement, using technology to deliver critical information to the public, and encouraging individuals to create art that further informs their neighbors about climate change – the impact quickly grows. This is the potential of participatory art and science in action. We are proud to host Xavier Cortada’s Underwater exhibit and serve as a site for the distribution of the elevation signs as it aligns with our mission of empowering people to make a difference in their community through making and technology.” – Tom Pupo, Executive Director of Moonlighter FabLab.

About Phase Gallery at Moonlighter FabLab

PHASE Gallery features work that blends technology, social impact, and art in new innovative mediums. Creators that work in the realms of both bits and atoms – the Digital and Physical. PHASE Gallery celebrates the process and technical craft of artists, designers, and engineers creating on the cutting edge and making an impact in their communities.

Moonlighter FabLab is a 501(c)3 non-profit S.T.E.A.M. Learning Center and Fabrication Laboratory in partnership with The City of Miami Beach, Florida dedicated to empowering makers of all ages and abilities with the skills, tools, and opportunities to shape a better future. 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tom Pupo

Moonlighter FabLab

1661 Pennsylvania Avenue

Miami Beach, Fl. 33139

305-699-2041

admin@moonlighterfablab.org

Moonlighter FabLab is the USA Regional Winner of the XERO Beautiful Business Fund for Upskilling the Future

15 November 2023 — Xero, the global small business platform, today announced the 28 small businesses and nonprofits who have won a share of the NZ$750,000 global prize pool as part of the inaugural Xero Beautiful Business Fund.

The winners were recognized for best demonstrating, in a 90 second video, how they would use the funding to support their future business goals in one of four categories – Innovating for sustainability, Strengthening community connection, Trailblazing with technology and Upskilling for the future.

Launched earlier this year, the Xero Beautiful Business Fund seeks to help Xero’s small business customers boost their growth plans and drive future success. More than 5,500 applications were received from Xero customers across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The four global winners will each receive NZ$70,000 (or equivalent). The remaining 24 winners will each receive NZ$20,000 (or equivalent).

Moonlighter FabLab is the United States Regional Winner for the Upskilling the Future Category:

Upskilling for the future

The Seam is the ‘Upskilling for the future’ global winner.

The Regional category winners are:

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Xero CEO, said: “Congratulations to our amazing Xero Beautiful Business Fund winners. We’re honoured to be able to support these small businesses and nonprofits in taking steps to boost their growth plans and drive future success. It’s such an important way to connect back to our purpose to make life better for small businesses, their advisors and communities around the world. We’re extremely grateful to all who took the time to enter and share their stories with us; we are truly blown away by the incredible response and your dedication to apply. Judging the entries was a wonderful reminder of who our customers are – passionate people who are dedicated to solving problems and making a positive impact in their communities – and I want to thank all of the judges who helped us select the winners.”

The Xero Beautiful Business Fund was first announced during Xero Day, Xero’s founding day celebrations, on 6 July this year. Applications opened on 23 August and ran for six weeks, closing 6 October. To enter, applicants needed to submit a 90-second pitch video sharing details of their business, the category they were applying in and their plans to use the funding. Regional winners were chosen by a regional judging panel composed of local business and industry leaders, Xero accounting and bookkeeping partners and Xero employees, for a total of 28 winners. A global judging panel made up of global business and industry leaders, technology experts and Xero executives, then selected one global winner in each category from the 28 regional winners.

For more information and to learn about the winners, visit xero.com/beautiful-business-fund.

ENDS

Media Contact | Janna Wilkinson | Xero Communications | press@xero.com

About Xero

Xero is a global small business platform with 3.95 million subscribers which includes a core accounting solution, payroll, workforce management, expenses and projects. Xero also has an extensive ecosystem of connected apps and connections to banks and other financial institutions helping small businesses access a range of solutions from within Xero’s open platform to help them run their business and manage their finances. Xero is a FIFA Women’s Football partner.

MOONLIGHTER FABLAB NAMED 2023 CreARTE GRANT RECIPIENT, RECEIVES $100,000 DONATION FROM THE JORGE M. PÉREZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

Pérez Family to Distribute $5 Million in Grants to 39 Cultural Organizations Supporting and Enhancing Miami-Dade County’s Artistic Ecosystem  

MIAMI, FL (Nov. 02, 2023) Moonlighter FabLab announced today that it has received a generous donation of $100,000 over two years from The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation (the Pérez Family Foundation), as part of the third edition of the Pérez CreARTE Grants Program (CreARTE). The grants, which total $5,000,000, will be distributed over the next two years and benefit 39 cultural organizations across Miami-Dade County to help cultivate a more vibrant, connected and stimulating arts ecosystem.

“The CreARTE program was born of our family’s desire to expand the transformative power of South Florida’s arts community,” said Jorge M. Pérez, internationally recognized philanthropist and founder of the Pérez Family Foundation. “Over the past four years, we have remained dedicated in our mission to help identify and support organizations that add to Miami-Dade County’s unique, vibrant cultural landscape. Every year, we are blown away by the talent and vision of our applicants. We look forward to following their professional achievements and contributions to our region in the years ahead.”

“This grant will provide the critical funds needed to onboard new technical educators, train our team with internationally recognized Maker educator certifications, and expand our educational programs for broader impact in the community,” said Tom Pupo, Executive Director of Moonlighter FabLab. “We are proud to partner with The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation once again to continue building a culture of excellence in innovation and creative expression – making South Florida a place where ideas can be built.”

Moonlighter FabLab’s mission is realized through four pillars: Education – via our STEAM Learning Center, Access – via our Shared Fabrication Lab/Makerspace, Collaboration – via our Community Social Impact Projects, and Outreach – via our annual flagship event, Maker Faire Miami, and other community events + activations. We deliver quality STEAM education programs at our facility, in schools across Miami-Dade County, and at museums and community centers across the tri-county area. We also train educators to utilize project-based learning approaches in their classrooms through the design thinking methodology and training students on emerging technologies. By investing in our youth, we are working towards nurturing a vibrant and multidisciplinary creative community.

Since 2019, CreARTE has made a total investment of $10 million across 45 unique organizations in Miami-Dade County. This investment has enabled these organizations to reach hundreds of thousands of individuals through grant-supported programming, capacity building and impact assessment.

CreARTE is made possible through a unique partnership between the Pérez Family Foundation and The Miami Foundation, a pillar of the local nonprofit community that currently manages close to $445 million in philanthropic funds. 

More information on The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, its mission, and previous donations can be found at jmperezfamilyfoundation.org

About Moonlighter FabLab

Moonlighter FabLab is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering makers of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, with the skills, tools, and opportunities to shape a better future. 

Since 2015, Moonlighter FabLab has worked with over 15,000 students, served over 250 members, and partnered with local non-profits organizations, museums, and schools to build over 15 social impact projects in the community with our students.

For more information, visit moonlighterfablab.org

About The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation

The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive, and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment, and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers.  Since 2015, the family foundation has committed $43.6 million in support of nearly 150 non-profit organizations. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.

About The Miami FoundationThe Miami Foundation builds the philanthropic, civic, and leadership backbone for Greater Miami. Since 1967, the Foundation has invested $505 million to strengthen our community with partnerships and contributions from more than 1,000 fundholders and 35,000 donors. The Miami Foundation, which currently manages over $445 million in assets, mobilizes donors, nonprofits, leaders, and locals to set a bold vision for our community’s future and to invest in a stronger, more equitable, more resilient Greater Miami. For more information, please visit Miamifoundation.org.

Moonlighter Awarded Miami Open for Business Grant

Moonlighter Miami Beach Grand Opening

Moonlighter is one of 15 orgs awarded a CreARTE Grant

Moonlighter FabLab RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT FROM THE JORGE M. PÉREZ FAMILY FOUNDATION

Foundation’s $1.6 Million Initiative Benefits Organizations Across the Arts, Education, Racial Equity, and Economic Development Sectors in South Florida

MIAMI, FL (Jan. 27, 2021) – Moonlighter Fablab is proud to announce that it has received a generous donation of $50,000 from The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, as a part of the program’s latest round of grants totaling $1.6 million. Set to be released through 2021, the multi-year initiative will support a total of 15 South Florida-based nonprofits, including both new and existing grantees. The funds will directly benefit our STEAM Programs for Children, Making Spaces Professional Development Program, and our new [AIR] Residency incubating innovation in arts and design in Miami.


“Despite being among the hardest hit groups, local nonprofits have stepped up through every stage of this devastating crisis,” said Jorge M. Pérez, founder of the Pérez Family Foundation and nationally recognized philanthropist. “These organizations are truly the backbone of our region and ensuring they have the vital support they need is our utmost priority. We look forward to working with each of these teams to help our community recover and thrive.”


“The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation and The Miami Foundation have been key partners for our organization. With their support, we were able to successfully implement sweeping organizational changes to adapt to the pandemic all while expanding our program’s impact!” Said Tom Pupo, Executive Director of Moonlighter FabLab. “Our STEAM Summer Camp was an overwhelming success despite having to invest in individualized maker kits, the logistics of distributing them across South Florida, and adapting to new digital platforms to engage young makers in a new way.” said Daisy Nodal, Education Director at Moonlighter FabLab.


These latest contributions follow a $500,000 grant distributed in early 2020 to support organizations in the early days of COVID-19. For more information on The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, its mission and previous donations, can be found at jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.

About The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation:
The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. The family foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, health and well-being, education, environment and economic development – with a particular preference for programs and organizations that could serve as models for other urban centers. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.

About The Miami Foundation:
The Miami Foundation partners with donors to champion their causes and improve local quality of life. Since 1967, the Foundation has done this by taking leadership on civic issues, investing in the community and nurturing philanthropy. Thanks to our more than 1,000 donors, The Miami Foundation currently manages close to $350 million in assets and have made $350 million in grants that create opportunities for residents, make Miami-Dade County more resilient and foster home-grown creativity.

Read More at https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article248770315.html

Moonlighter is one of 3 organizations selected to Receive a Bantam Tools Donation for Covid-19 Relief Projects

Bantam Tools had an open call for organizations working on Covid-19 Relief projects that could benefit from the capabilities of their Desktop CNC machine. Moonlighter was one of only 3 selected to receive an in-kind machine donation.

The Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine is so much more than a CNC. Because of its whopping 26K spindle speed and high-resolution stepper motors, this desktop milling machine is a great choice for machining small parts with precision and accuracy. It’s capable of milling brass, aluminum, Delrin, wood, and a range of engineering plastics.

Moonlighter has reached out to top tier makers in their network to develop Open Source designs that anyone with a Bantam machine and a few affordable materials/components can create to combat Covid-19 in their neighborhoods. Stay tuned for updates on this project.

Read The Official Announcement: https://www.bantamtools.com/blog/our-desktop-cnc-machines-are-on-their-way-to-help-covid-19-relief-efforts

Moonlighter Director, Mario “The Maker” Cruz, Unboxing the New Bantam Desktop CNC

The Maker Movement Mobilizes to Create and Supply Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Fight Against Covid-19

Growing Beyond Earth Make-A-Thon: Crowdsourcing Prototypes for The Plant Growing Chamber on the International Space Station

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has been working with NASA to identify specific plant varieties that would be ideal candidates to feed astronauts on the ISS. Now, we’ve partnered with Fairchild, NASA, IMLS, Nation of Makers, Adadruit, Instructables, MakerBot, and littleBits|Sphero to host a series of annual maker contests, crowdsourcing ideas that solve specific challenges for NASA’s research and development on farming in space. Read More…