A new space has opened in D.C.'s Ward 8 to host artists who specialize in everything from sewing to circuit-making — all for free for the ward's residents.
The creative-tech hub, dubbed Makerspace, comes from partners Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF) and the Community Preservation and Development Corp. It is mirrored off of similar community gathering places for people to make their goods rather than investing in their own industrial spaces or expensive machinery.
This latest, among the first in Southeast D.C., spans 1,862 sq. ft. across three rooms on the bottom floor of the Overlook at Oxon Run apartment building at 3700 Ninth St. SE. Makerspace cost $389,000 to build out, funded mostly by Capital One and a seed investment by Mid-City Financial.
Starting off with six resident artists, Makerspace is significantly cheaper than its counterparts in the Washington region. TechShop, in Arlington, costs $150 a month for its users. Makerspace will charge residents outside of Ward 8, but hasn’t decided on a price yet.
“These kind of spaces are typically in affluent communities,” said Pamela Lyons, senior vice president of CPDC. “Overlook has an interesting mix of demographics.”
CPDC and NonStop Art, the art company in charge of the artists-in-residence, set up craft tables for Overlook residents two years ago to find out if residents would be interested in such a space. “The residents demonstrated a huge appetite,” Lyons said. “Residents can take a need of their own and make a solution.”
One of the highest requests: a room to sew and make clothing, said Nehemiah Dixon III, founder and CEO of NonStop Art. Now dubbed the Fabric Arts Room, that part of Makerspace houses sewing machines, thread and fabric. Resident artist Charlene Wallace will teach sewing classes each week.
There is also the Oxon Run Funk Lab, where users can bring creations to life with the 3-D printer or record and edit music on the computer. In the NonStop Maker Spot, the biggest room, resident artist Michael Day can help users make furniture, or residents can create custom items with the engraver or silk screen printer.
“I graduated from college a few years ago and worked with a local artist who taught me how to run a business,” Day said. “I’m trying to pass that on.”
The Makerspace will also help residents turn their skills into a business, Lyons said. “We are changing who gets to make the world,” he said.
Capital One stepped in to help fund Makerspace after its original funding fell through. Now, the financial giant is looking into the idea of creating it in other real estate developments, said Laura Bailey, senior vice president and head of community finance at Capital One. “It’s something interesting enough to get people out of their apartments,” she said.
The Makerspace will open Tuesday through Thursday at Overlook at Oxon Run, hours still pending.
