Cady Fontana: Inspiring creative confidence

Not everyone is equipped with the resources, skills, materials and space to make their creative ambitions come true. Often, a little experience and patience can go a long way toward seeing a project to its end, and that’s where Cady Fontana, Makerspace Librarian 2 at Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL), comes in.

“She has the ability to figure out how to make things work,” said Kris Altucher, the former Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees member who nominated Fontana for Tompkins Weekly’s Hometown Heroes Award.

“She listens to the most fantastic ideas and translates them into a plan, maybe with some computer programming, super glue or just jars of paint,” said Altucher, who is a regular patron of the Makerspace and still brings out, every fall, a Halloween doll head sculpture she made during one of Fontana’s workshops. “Over the years that the Makerspace has been open, Cady has worked with thousands of library patrons on an unbelievable array of projects.”

Fontana was hired to be head of the Makerspace, as well as a reference librarian, after the library underwent a renovation and expansion in 2017, the result of the 21st Century Library fundraising campaign that raised $3.5 million for the Edward J. Smith Teen Center, Digital Lab, Makerspace, Local History Room and collections.

“I got hired after they had finished the spaces, but they hadn’t yet opened the Makerspace,” Fontana said. “So, I was able to buy all the small tools and stuff like that.”

Fontana, whose family has deep roots in the region, grew up in Ithaca and went to the University of Massachusetts to study fiber art. From there, she earned her library degree from the University of Buffalo, which landed her a job as a librarian in Ovid.

“I was there for three years, and then I got the job here — and this was always my dream job,” Fontana said. “This was the reason I went to library school, was to work at TCPL.”

Susan Currie recalled that when she was director of the TCPL in the early 2000s, Fontana was one of the library’s most dedicated volunteers. 

“She was the volunteer who made sure TCPL had a booth at summer events at the Ithaca Farmers Market. She brought brochures, information about applying for library cards, books, bookmarks and more,” said Currie, who is now retired. “Her welcoming and cheerful personality was a hit with the crowd. When she told me her ultimate goal was to become a librarian, I was thrilled and hoped that she would one day work at TCPL.”

Fontana always knew she wanted to raise a family in Ithaca. 

“I just feel like it’s so child-centric, and there’s so many free and amazing opportunities with Cornell and with the Children’s Garden and the Sciencenter,” she said. “There are so many cool places that are low-cost, easy-access, like Stewart Park. It’s just really awesome.”

Fontana met her husband, banjo and guitar player Cap Cooke, who is also a baker at Wide Awake Bakery, in Buffalo. They moved to Ithaca together and now have a four-year-old son, Howdy.

“It’s a fairy tale,” Fontana said.

She said she is thankful to have her family living nearby. Her mothers own a farm in Trumansburg called Crow’s Nest, which is also the home of Idiot Brothers Cider. “Howdy goes there all summer,” Fontana said.

Fontana brings her creativity to the Makerspace, creating a welcoming place for crafting, other artistic pursuits and more practical endeavors like repairing and hemming clothes.

“My goal is to inspire creative confidence,” Fontana said. “You come here to learn new things and to try new things in a low-stakes, low financial cost way.”

The Makerspace hosts some special classes, as well. Recently, Fontana partnered with the Historical Society in Tompkins County to host a workshop where participants made their own stuffed Ithaca Kitty based on a famous historical illustration. The event filled up quickly, Fontana said.

Her coworker, Josh Burns, helps patrons to make their 3-D printer dreams come true. As the Makerspace’s expert in all things computer-based, he has helped people develop projects, including a high school student who, for his capstone project, 3-D printed a working prosthetic hand.

“I see hundreds of people here that have just really cool projects,” Burns said.

“She makes you feel empowered,” Burns said of Fontana. “Over the years, it’s kind of given me a sense of ownership over the space. We kind of share that sense of pride in what we do here. And that kind of extends also to the patrons.”

“She’s helped me come out of my shell and open up,” he added.  

Melisa Crumrine, library assistant and TCPL Foundation Board of Directors president, helps out in the Makerspace, as well.

All of the classes and initial materials are free of charge. “They can use our materials we have on hand, and then once they’re in what I call production mode, we can coach them on where to find and purchase their own materials to make additional things, once they’re confident. That’s something that we’re proud of here, that we’re not charging fees for materials or lessons,” Fontana said.

The library provides “one-on-ones,” which are free, personalized lessons available to any adult who signs up on the library’s website, www.tcpl.org. Burns handles the lessons for the 3-D printer and laser cutter, and Fontana applies her expertise in fiber arts to lessons in embroidery, crochet, beading or anything else related to materials like fabric, yarn and thread.

“A lot of times people equate it with women’s work,” she said of fiber art, “so I kind of like elevating the idea of women’s work to more of a fine art status.” She is currently very interested in quilting, another artistic realm where traditionally utilitarian objects can be viewed as works of art.

“I just love crafts,” Fontana said. “So, I’ll just teach myself a new craft and try to master it, and then move on to the next one.”

The Makerspace has assisted and helped launch many local entrepreneurs. “We get people in here who are professional artists and crafters and have small businesses around those, but we also get people in here who have never touched any of this stuff before and just want something new to engage their brain in a different way,” Fontana said. “And we’re open to all kinds of patrons, and we meet them where they’re at.”

Curious makers looking to tap into their creative side are encouraged to drop by the Makerspace during any of their open hours. Currently, the Makerspace is open to adults on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and Fridays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. 

“In four hours, we’re usually getting between 15 and 28 people, generally,” Fontana estimated. She would like to see even more people stop in.

“One of my goals is to hopefully be able to just keep spreading the word that we exist and we’re back past the restrooms, near the Borg Warner room,” she said. “During open hours, if [patrons] don’t have something that they want to make in mind, they can just come check it out and get an idea and see what other people are making.”

The Makerspace is for people over the age of 12. Children 12 to 16 years old are welcome with an adult, and those over the age of 16 can attend by themselves.

For younger patrons, the librarian has a teen space with programming run by Sasha Raffloer, Librarian 1. The library hosts Teen Maker Monday, which regularly gets more than 20 teens in attendance, Raffloer said.

The library also has a Teen Center and a Teen Craft Room that are always available when the library is open.

As for Fontana’s contributions, Altucher may have summed it up best.

“I’ve heard Cady called the fairy godmother of the Makerspace by patrons,” Altucher said. “That’s because she helps make people’s dreams come true.”

Tompkins Weekly’s Hometown Heroes Award is sponsored by Security Mutual Insurance and Canopy by Hilton Ithaca.