68 Art Jewelry ■ March 2016
What’s a makerspace?
Think of a makerspace as a
wonderland for people looking
for “a spark of inspiration, a
fresh angle,” says Goli Moham-
madi, the first editor of Make
magazine. Make Media, the
umbrella for the magazine and
the Maker Faire conventions,
has been a force in the growing
tech-influenced maker move-
ment, which celebrates hands-
on creativity, innovation, and
collaboration. Makerspaces are
a vital part of that movement.
Going to a makerspace, Moh-
ammadi says, is like “going to
a gym, but for making. You
might be pushed to stay on
that treadmill a little longer
because you’re around people
who are doing the same thing.”
That “same thing” is, of
course, making. But that’s
where the sameness ends. It’s
impossible to estimate how
many makerspaces there are
in the United States, because
there’s no strict definition of
what a makerspace is. Some
are nonprofits run by their
members; some are for-profit
ventures. Often, community
organizations, libraries, and
museums, champion these
spaces. Some are geared
toward youth; some are com-
munity-wide affairs. Some are
called “labs,” “hackerspaces,”
or “shops.” Some have perma-
nent homes, while others are
mobile, and set up wherever
they are welcomed.
The tools and equipment
you’ll find at a makerspace also
vary, as does the collection of
talents in any given location.
Woodworkers and jewelry
makers might have a station
down the hall from a robotics
engineer or an animator.
One of Mohammadi’s favorite
collaborations was between
a botanist and a roboticist.
They made a mini garden
that walked around trying to
get people to water it. “Maker-
spaces allow people who are
into one medium to be ex-
posed to many others, some
of which they may have never
known about,” she says.
Jewelry maker Jon Hughett
is a member of Milwaukee
Makerspace, which has around
170 members. He says being
there has expanded his world.
To help stock the jewelry sta-
tion, he spent $25 to buy a
watchmaker’s bench without
drawers. “I figured that was
my tuition for learning how
to make drawers.” He also built
a four-station jeweler’s bench.
In return for being shown how
to use the blacksmith’s forge
to make pendants, he helped
the resident blacksmith make
a wax pattern for an engage-
ment ring. He also guided
another member through
making a Halloween-costume
badge, and is working with a
machinist on a homemade
hydraulic press.
For Hughett, the space is
a “cooperative-building social
club” that he can access 24/7;
he frequently heads there
when he can’t sleep. “You make
a lot of friends, you learn a lot
of tricks and techniques,” he
says. “Who knows? Maybe one
day I’ll make a catch differently
because some guy in the ma-
chine shop made a little widget
and I paid attention.”
Kaila Lewis joined the Hous-
ton Makerspace to get access
to the equipment. She’d spent
several years taking jewelry
classes, but without a home
studio, it was hard to practice.
“I used to have to take a class
or sign up at a university,” she
says, “which would involve a
large fee and a limited amount
of time.” As a makerspace
member and volunteer, she
has complete access to the
studio. “I’ve been able to make
and learn so much in just a few
months here.”
The “space” part of a maker-
space is a huge benefit, says
Mohammadi. People in cities
often have small living spaces,
which means that they can’t
work on large-scale projects —
sculpture, for example — at
home. Makerspaces may have
open work areas as well as
storage areas and mini studios.
Some space is usually included
W
Attendees check out a variety of 3D printers at a 3D-printing user group MeetUp, hosted by the Columbus
Idea Foundry, a makerspace in Columbus, Ohio. The monthly MeetUp is free and open to the public.
What do you get when you take all kinds of craftspeople, engineers, and tinkerers
and put them together in a room with a bunch of tools, hardware, and raw materials?
Probably some innovations that would make Dr. Seuss proud. And that’s just what
a makerspace — whether it’s a portable supply cart, a nook in a library, or a 5,000-
square-foot former industrial facility — is for. More than a space, it’s an idea.
