Morgan Mattern wants to help local artists turn their side hustles into main businesses.
But as his wife and business partner, Dara Alper, began hosting pop-ups for glassblowing classes last year, he discovered there are many barriers to entries for artists. Mattern, who recently turned 30, and Alper, in her late 20s, aim to lower those barriers with their new studio space in High Point, the Molten Makerspace.
“We want to be accessible for everyone. Right now, lots of people can’t get into 3D printing because it’s expensive to start and hard to find supplies and space, for example,” Mattern said.
Cost, supplies and space are also common barriers for other forms of art like glassblowing, woodworking, vinyl printing and laser engraving, he said.
The Molten Makerspace will open in early July in a space on Tinsley Drive in High Point. This is the first space for the business, which has been conducting mobile glassblowing lessons at pop-up events or for corporate team-building sessions since last year.
In addition to studio space outfitted with tools for glassblowing, CNC machining, woodworking and a variety of printing, Molten Makerspace has a space for classes and workshops, a gaming lounge with board, card and video games and a retail shop where artists can consign with the makerspace to sell their creations.
Along with an hourly, daily and month gaming pass for those who just want to use the Molten Makerspace’s consoles and games, the studio will offer a tiered membership model. Ranging from $130 per month to $1,400 per year, members will receive access to the equipment, discounts and extended hours.
Mattern said that the benefit of membership for artists will help take a lot of the legwork out of creating a business.
The Molten Makerspace has registered for wholesale accounts with eco-friendly brands for supplies, he explained, and will take care of shipping, taxes and fees and will be able to place bulk orders to help get a discount.
“What I found as a salesperson is that art galleries charge about 40 to 60% commission. We only take 30% commission and we’ll also put it on our website, which galleries generally don’t do, and we’ll take [the art] to events,” Mattern said. “That leaves the freedom up to the artist for work and creation.”
Right now, Mattern said that they have about seven artists interested in consigning with the makerspace and about 40 interested in teaching glasses. He anticipates needing five total employees, including himself and Alper, to run Molten Makerspace.
While there are makerspaces in both Winston-Salem and Greensboro, Mattern explained why the Molten Makerspace will stand out.
He said that most makerspaces are nonprofits, but the Molten Makerspace will be a for-profit business. So, while the business will miss out on donations and tax benefits, the Molten Makerspace will not have to deal with any bureaucratic red tape when ordering new equipment and will be able to offer different kinds of classes, like how to turn a craft into a business, as well as selling art at the studio.
Molten Makerspace
Industry: Artist makerspace/retail
Founded: 2023
Top exec(s): Morgan Mattern and Dara Alper, founders and owners
Address: 3805 Tinsley Drive, Suite 109, High Point, NC
Phone: 336-937-0201
Website: moltenmakerspace.com
