It’s been in the works for five years.
Inside, room upon room offers a space to create. They’re designed to foster innovation.
“We offer a great playground for anyone who’s ever had an idea for an invention and wanted to create. For anyone who has dreamt of learning welding, for learning how to sew, woodworking, CNC metal creation, turning wood on lathes, textiles,” said Devra Lee Sisitsky, Executive Director of MakerspaceCT.
MakerspaceCT is 20,000 square feet in Hartford’s historic G. Fox building. It’s a place where people can now go to hone their skills, embracing traditional and new technology. There will be classes, workshops and instruction with on-site professionals.
“This is a place where people can explore, innovate, where they can educate themselves,” said Sisitsky.
It’s a place for collaboration and community.
“We want this to be a skills sharing center, a place where the professionals share their skills with the novices, and get hands-on, get people machinery in their hands that they’ve never touched before,” said Mark Andre Colbert, Operations Officer for MakerspaceCT.
The design, layout and equipment in the woodshop, welding shop and machine shop were all strategically selected to make this the best place to learn and create.
“You come here, you get your safety training. It gives you access to the shops and equipment you can’t normally get your hands on. We hope that this will enlighten people, increase their skills and talent, and get them out there into the job market, especially in manufacturing,” said Colbert.
MakerspaceCT has already partnered with businesses in the community, and it hopes those businesses will use this as a hiring ground for their workforces.
“I’m hoping that people get out of this the opportunity to craft their lives in whatever way they want. I’m hoping people are empowered, and I’m hoping that we positively impact their lives with access to all of this technology, education and innovation,” said Sisitsky.
This is the first week that MakerspaceCT has been open. One year memberships run about $1300, but there are other options for passes to use the space.
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