HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2015-11-16 Leesburg Holiday Ornament
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release Media Contact:
Betsy Arnett, Public Information Officer
barnett@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2734
Makersmiths Innovation Forge Partners with Town to Create
Unique Ornament for Governor’s Holiday Tree
Leesburg, VA (November 16, 2015) – When the
Governor’s Office announced the theme for the
Executive Mansion’s 2015 Holiday Tree,
“Celebrating Virginia’s Localities,” and invited
every county, city and town to submit
handcrafted ornanments, staff in the Leesburg
Town Manager’s Office discussed what
Leesburg’s ornament should be. It definitely
needed to showcase Leesburg’s beauty and
historic character, but it also should be
innovative and combine creativity and
technology in a way that would reflect the
Town’s entrepreneurial spirit. Naturally, staff
turned to the Makersmiths Innovation Forge for
help.
The Makersmiths took on the project of
creating a truly unique ornament and ran with
it. The result, pictured at right, features hand-
painted models of significant Leesburg buildings
created using CAD software. The buildings
reflect Leesburg’s roles as a center of
government (Town Hall), the seat of Loudoun
County (the Courthouse), a historic and cultural
destination (The Marshall House), and the
future of the tech economy (Mason Enterprise
Center). The ornament includes sophisticated
custom electronics that allow a smartphone app
to activate the lights and play music.
"The ornament project was a great opportunity,” said Pat Scannell, Makersmiths founder. “It
required strong collaboration between our various skillsets – CAD, CNC, woodworking, 3D
Four of the Makersmiths members who contributed to
the Leesburg holiday tree ornament, from left: Mike
Keens, Brad Hess, Charlie Lehman and Pat Scannell.
printing, electronics, plastic fabrication, art and /design – and this collaboration was a great
way to pitch in to help showcase the great cultural, historical, community and entrepreneurial
facets of Leesburg."
According to Scannell, more than a dozen members of Makersmiths contributed to the creation
of the ornament. For more information about the Makersmiths, visit their website at
www.makersmiths.org.
The Leesburg ornament will be on display in the Executive Mansion in Richmond du ring the
month of December. For information on holiday open houses and tours of the mansion, visit
www.executivemansion.virginia.gov. After the 2015 Holiday Tree is taken down, the ornament
will be transferred to the Virginia Municipal League for annual display.
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