a makerspace
near you
http://www.ArtJewelryMag.com 69There are makerspaces around
the United States and beyond —
too many to list in one article!
Use your web savvy and phone
skills to find one in your neigh-
borhood. A good place to start
is spaces.makerspace.com/
makerspace-directory. Here
are just a few active, thriving
makerspaces in the U.S.:Sebastapol, Calif.
Chimera Artspace
http://www.chimeraarts.org
6791 Sebastopol Ave.Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore Node
http://www.baltimorenode.org
2106 North Lovegrove St.
OpenHack: Thursdays, 7 pmColumbus, Oh.
Columbus Idea Foundry
http://www.columbusideafoundry.com
421 W. State St.Philadelphia, Pa.
NextFab
http://www.nextfab.com
2025 Washington Avenue and
1227 North 4th St.,
Open Studio (at North Fourth
location): Wednesdays, 6–8 pmAustin, Texas
ATX Hackerspace
http://www.atxhs.org
9701 Dessau Road
Open House: Tuesdays, 8–11 pmHouston, Texas
Houston Makerspace
http://www.houstonmakerspace.com
3605 Texas St.
Maker Market & Open House:
every 3rd Saturday of the month,
12– 6 p mMilwaukee, Wis.
Milwaukee Makerspace
http://www.milwaukeemakerspace.org
2555 S. Lenox St.
Open to the public Tuesdays &
Thursdays, 7 pm.“One of the questions that people who are setting up makerspaces always ask is, ‘How do I get
people to share their skill set?’” says Goli Mohammadi, the former editor of Make magazine. She
encourages them to put a call out to the community. And that’s where you can step in. Many
spaces have established maker-in-residence programs, where you can use studio space, help
members with their projects, and innovate ways to collaborate. To learn more, check out Maker
Ed’s Youth Makerspace Playbook (makered.org/youth-makerspace-playbook): Fill out the
online form to let makerspace organizers know what you have to offer. The entire Maker Ed’s
site is full of resources and suggestions for ways to get involved; profiles of existing makerspac-
es are housed along with advice on how to set up a makerspace if your community doesn’t
already offer one.in the membership fee; private
space may cost more. For a
small monthly fee, Hughett has
a lockable “vault” at the Mil-
waukee space. For him, the
makerspace is a complement
to his home studio. Having
access to the equipment is
great, he says, but at times,
people coming to chat or the
noise from machines can be
a distraction from his work.
The free stuff
Parts, equipment, scraps,
and tools find their way into
makerspaces. The Houston
Makerspace’s jewelry studio
was fully stocked when Lewis
arrived. Hughett stocked 90
percent of the Milwaukee
jewelry station with his own
stuff, but others have donated
equipment, and Hughett can
request equipment from the
nonprofit’s board. The board
decides what communal
equipment to purchase with
money from member dues.
The Milwaukee Makerspace
also has “hack racks” — shelves
of free stuff — at every station.
“So, if you need a motor, you
come here and just take a
motor,” Hughett says. “It almost
feels like you’re stealing, but
you’re not. They want you to
play. You’re here to have fun.”What about the tools?
Exposure to new tools is a huge
benefit of a makerspace, says
Mohammadi. A CNC mill or a
laser cutter “might seem weird
and kinda techie,” she says.
“You might not have thought
about what would happen if
you included that tool in your
work.” She knows jewelers
who have used a CNC mill to
increase efficiency and expand
their range of materials. In gen-
eral, she says, a makerspace
gives you the chance to play
with tools that are too pricey
for your home studio. Many
makers had their first crack at
a 3D printer at a makerspace.maker-in-residence
programs
The NextFab makerspace in Philadelphia has two locations; their North 4th Street location is home
to an impressive jewelry space, and hosts weekly open studio nights. Photo by Judah Konigsberg.