Makerspace Coordinator
Philip Robbins
Faculty Coordinator of Langara’s Makerspace.
Continuing Faculty Fine Art, Department of Creative Arts and Industries
Philip is an educator, practitioner and researcher holding a Master of Arts in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art (London), a Bachelor of Education from The University of British Columbia, and a Diploma in Fine Art (Honors) from The Emily Carr Institute.
His research interests examine the place of digital media within the practical, hands-on and ethical/sustainable opportunities of Maker culture and their relationships to circular economies. Previously, Philip was the co-founder of Material Matters, a research centre within Emily Carr University exploring the implications of emergent modes of fabrication and the intersection of the handmade and the digitally crafted.
He is the recipient of numerous industry partnered Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) grants, National Research Council (NRC) grants, has collaborated on multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funded research projects, and received a broad range of Public Art commissions.
Philip has published in international journals regarding digital media and innovation and delivered talks and presentations in international forums and conferences including the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art Design and Media (CUMULUS) Nottingham UK, “All Makers Now?” conference, Falmouth UK, and the Research Innovation Partnership Expo (RIPE), Canada. He has taught extensively at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels in Design, Fine Art (sculpture, ceramics, public art) and Digital Media.
Makerspace Technician
Don Gillard
Makerspace Tech
Don has a diploma in Industrial Design from Emily Carr College of Arts & Design. He worked for MVKA Productions as an Art director for 10 years designing sets and stages for international events. Don has also designed and manufactured many products for the retail market, restaurant’s and professional offices.
Don has a passion for a better world, and in 1992 he designed and manufactured the Clubist chair. The funky club chair used a fraction of the materials a traditional club chair uses. In 1994 Don was awarded the R2D2 Grant for his seating suspension system using recycled tires.
While at Langara College, Don has sourced vinyl from The Jim Pattison group that was used on highway billboards. Most of this material was usually disposed of after use, but he found a way to up-cycle it. He has been designing many function objects with it including: bike bags, tote bags and the giant covers for the A Building fans.
Don is also a master upholsterer & leather worker. As well Don codes & designs websites. He currently operates two part time businesses: Triggerfish Design Group and Dig Leather Co. In Don’s spare time (lol) he tutors students in: leather works, website design and Autodesks’s Fusion360.
Don received the Okanagan Arts Award for Design in 2011 for his body of work in Industrial & Product design. Don was also nominated in 2012 for the Okanagan Arts Award Media Arts Award his work in responsive website design.
Makerspace Technician
Jeff Powell
Makerspace Tech
Jeff has a strange CV, and is not entirely sure he should be here. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1986 with a BS in Computer Science. He witnessed the birth of personal computing for the masses during his time at the U of I, and received an undergraduate research assistantship, writing software to help a professor teach drafting using AutoCAD on IBM PC ATs, back when that was a whole new concept.
He spent 20 of the next 30 years in Silicon Valley, programming computers for companies no one has heard of, and most of which no longer exist. The software doesn’t exist either, which is probably a good thing.
Thankfully interests change, and Jeff began exploring art in his free time. Eventually stone became his preferred artistic medium, and his gregarious nature led him to teach that glorious pastime for well over a decade, despite having no formal education in the field.
Not being satisfied with that, Jeff also fenced reasonably well (epee), was a volunteer firefighter for 2.5 years (helping keep part of the Santa Cruz Mountains from burning down), did extensive volunteer work with two arts related non-profits, and even spent a year and a half working in an auto repair shop, just for the fun of it.
In 2017 Jeff and his wife Anne moved to BC along with their canine family, where Jeff attended Langara College to study Fine Arts. Three years later, diploma in hand, he knew he was definitely not cut out for ceramics, but also that he had not actually lied to all those stone carving students, which was something of a relief. During that time he fell in with Philip, and eventually that led to the Makerspace. Here Jeff can help students again, something he greatly enjoys. When not here, you might also find him helping in the Fine Arts shop, since one job is apparently not enough.
Now dual Canadian/American citizens, Jeff and Anne reside in North Vancouver, where there are too many house projects to contemplate, but the rain is lovely.