Megan James, March 12, 2014
Christy Mitchell (Photo credit: Seven Days/Matthew Thorsen)
One Saturday in February, eight volunteer builders and painters gathered in Burlington’s Memorial Auditorium Annex with a mission: to transform the high-ceilinged, 5,000-square-foot room into the Queen City’s first-ever maker space. When the facility, called Generator, opens on March 29, artists, engineers, programmers and tinkerers will have access to studio space, shared tools and classes on topics ranging from jewelry making to 3-D printing.
“Maker” is the generic term for anyone who embraces new technology to create useful or whimsical objects, and maker spaces have popped up around the world in the past several years. Their organizers aim to give creative DIYers access to the latest technology — and to each other’s energy and ideas — in the hopes of fostering worthwhile projects. The spaces can serve as business incubators, educational hubs or simply venues for community engagement. [Read More . . . ]