Inventors Day

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 Ages 

Design 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 Ages 

Reinvent 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 Ages 

Get 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 Ages 

Learn 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 | Children 

Design 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 Ages 

Explore 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 Ages  

Enjoy 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 Ages 

Dr. 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 Ages

Bring 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 Ages 

Guided Tour With Exhibit Curator, Todd Lerew

1 - 1:30 p.m. | Rotunda | Adults, All Ages 

Guided Tour With Exhibit Curator, Todd Lerew

3 - 3:30 p.m. | Rotunda | Adults, All Ages 

Meeting 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 Ages 

Join 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 Ages 

At 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 Ages 

What 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 Ages 

How to Protect Your Inventions With Knobbe Martens and Bet Tzedek Legal Services

4 - 5 p.m. | Meeting Room A | Adults 

A 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 | Adults 

Un 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 Ages 

Cut, 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 | Children 

Tinkerers 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, Adult  

Tinkerers 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 Ages 

Octavia Lab–Creativity is Within Reach at our Do-It-Yourself Makerspace

Invention: Songwriting Made Easy

2 - 4 p.m. | Octavia Lab | YA, Adult 

Learn 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.