What was the
FrankenToyMobile?

Launched publicly in June 2015, and retired in August 2019, the FrankenToyMobile was a pedal-powered maker space that encourages imagination and curiosity by providing free, hands-on workshops where youth and adults reused toys as raw material for original creations. By inviting youth to modify “junk” toys into objects that they felt expressed their identity and personality, we encouraged them to experiment, challenge dominant ideas about gendered toys, and see the world as being full of possibility. During the project’s run, we engaged more than 5500 people through more than 100 workshops in public spaces around Chicago.

The FrankenToyMobile was created by artists Andrés Lemus-Spont and Marya Spont-Lemus with Louis Fernandez and Michael Pecirno. Learn more about the team and other contributors.

How did it work?

Through our workshops, the FrankenToyMobile turned public spaces into opportunities for community-based creative experiences. Our custom-designed tricycle was a traveling studio with counter-style workspace, the mobility of which enabled us to go to people, lowering barriers to access. At each FrankenToyMobile event, participants were provided with minimal directions: grab a tray, select toy parts, and decide what they want to make. A FrankenToy could be anything you imagine! Teen workshop facilitators supported participants’ creative process as needed, teaching sewing and other fastening skills and serving as technical assistants to help make participants’ visions reality. 

Our project was as much about bringing people together to share creative experiences and discover new talents as it was about the toys that were made.

Learn more about why this work matters.

Where will the FrankenToyMobile be next?

For five years, the FrankenToyMobile could be found at parks, libraries, and public spaces across Chicago, doing stand-alone workshops as well as events with neighborhood partners. Past workshops are reflected in the map below.

The FrankenToyMobile officially retired in 2019, but co-creators Andrés Lemus-Spont and Marya Spont-Lemus continue to offer free public arts workshops through ¡Anímate! Studio and as part of the Mobilize Creative Collaborative!