Open Works hasn’t strayed from getting their hands dirty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last spring, the Greenmount makerspace sprang into action when a shortage of personal protective equipment inspired them to launch a 3D print-off of face shields for frontline workers. Now, one year later, they’ve set their sights on another need: providing desks for students learning from home.

“There has been so much emphasis on making sure kids have laptops and internet access,” says founder Will Holman, “but desks weren’t even something I thought about.”

That changed in January, when Open Works sent out a survey to assess the needs of local public schools and community organizations. A key finding was that they were recording high numbers of broken or damaged devices from students who had accidentally dropped their school-issued laptops and tablets while learning from their beds.

Holman and his team were inspired by groups like “Desks by Dads,” created by Prince George’s County parents Jess and Al Berrellez, who were dedicated to a similar mission: providing free desks to low-income students during the pandemic. But Open Works also noticed two flaws in these other initiatives: Handmade desks took too long to produce, and shipping them ready-made proved difficult for distribution.

For that, Open Works’ contract services manager, Zach Adams, designed a flat-pack wooden desk that students can easily self-assemble, with only five pieces, four wedges—created by the workshop’s automated cutting machines—and two zip ties to create a supportive workspace.

“We tried to make it as simple as possible,” says Holman. “It doesn’t require any power tools, screws, glue, or anything else.”

The Open Works team was surprised by the overwhelming response. During their initial call to local principals, they received more than 4,300 requests in 48 hours.

“I had no idea that it was such a problem,” says April Lewis, director of community and culture. “Just the sheer number and quick response was probably the most shocking thing for me.”

With financial assistance from donations and a crowdfunding campaign, they have raised enough money to make some 750 desks, though they’re still a long way from meeting the demand. Even after COVID, they hope to continue the project for students in need on an annual basis.

“A lot of households have multiple students—there might be two kids at the kitchen table together,” says Lewis. “Giving these at-home learners an opportunity to create the workspace they need for success is really important.”

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EAT

July 24: Black Business Friday

Center Plaza. 110 W Fayette St. 5-8 p.m. Free.

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore is hosting this open air celebration of African American culture featuring live music, shopping, and lots of food. While browsing items from Bushelers of Baltimore and Pandora’s Box Boutique, enjoy catfish, bayou pasta, and Maryland crab cakes from Next Phaze cafe, as well as authentic Haitian cuisine from Cross Street Market’s Sobeachy. Registration for the event is required, and the first 100 guests will receive a free cocktail from the expert bartenders of Cane Collective.

DRINK

July 24: National Tequila Day at La Palapa

La Palapa Grill & Cantina. 8307 Main St., Ellicott City. 12-9 p.m.

Friday marks National Tequila Day, and La Palapa is standing by to make sure you celebrate accordingly. The Ellicott City cantina will be dishing out deals on their signature house and Cadillac margaritas, as well as offering 1800 Silver tequila shots for $7. While enjoying the boozy beverages, you can also chow down on special pork carnitas tacos topped with grilled pineapple, red onions, and cilantro. All of the specials are available for indoor and outdoor dining, pickup, and curbside carryout.

SEE

July 26: Not Just a Game Virtual Screening

3-4:15 p.m. Free.

Although most Baltimoreans tend to focus on our beloved Orioles and Ravens, many don’t know about ice hockey’s influence on Charm City youth. This weekend, the Peale Center is hosting the virtual premiere of the documentary, Not Just A Game: The Story of a Savage. The film tells the story of an East Baltimore hockey team, The Banners, and follows one player as he navigates his first season on and off the ice. After the viewing, producers with Just Stunt Productions will hold a panel to discuss the film with those that tune in. Make sure to RSVP on the Peale Center’s website to receive access to the screening the morning of the event.

HEAR

July 25: Live from the Patio: Riverside Shakedown

Diamondback Brewing. 1215 E Fort Ave. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

On top of their seasonal brews and experimental ales, Diamondback Brewing Company is adding something new to their lineup—a socially distanced summer concert series. This Saturday, the Locust Point brewery will kick off the live patio performances with Riverside Shakedown, a Charm City cover band focused on indie-rock, smooth blues, and alternative music. Tables are first come, first served and outdoor seating is limited, so be sure to get there early to grab your spot.

DO

July 25: Open Works 2nd Annual Community Yard Sale

Open Works. 1400 Greenmount Ave. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.

COVID-19 has given Baltimore’s prime makerspace some time to do some deep cleaning and purging, and this weekend, Open Works will be selling its gently-used goods at a community yard sale in its parking lot so visitors can get their shopping done safely. All of the products available for purchase are already posted online, so head to their Facebook page to check out which finds you’ve got to have.

Outside Open Works in Station North on Monday afternoon, Will Holman, the makerspace’s executive director, fielded questions from reporters while practicing social distancing. Standing six feet away, Holman sported the protective face shields that Open Works has been manufacturing for medical professionals in need as they continue to treat patients amidst the spread of coronavirus.

For Holman, the project serves as a way to lend a hand to the community while also keeping himself and his fellow artists afloat.

“With the government’s announcements, facilities like ours had to close,” Holman says. “Our revenue cratered and we had to cancel classes and events. We had to furlough all of our part-time staff, and our philanthropic support has been frozen because a lot of companies are having challenges themselves.”

To create the shields, which Open Works is hoping to sell to medical providers for $8 each, the organization worked off a design from Czech company Prusa Labs, collaborated with social entrepreneurial incubator Innovation Works for help with distribution, and worked with We the Builders, which is assisting in cataloguing the product and maker signup.

Recognizing hospitals’ and health care providers’ need for masks and protective face guards, Holman and his team have outsourced work to those with 3D printers across the state to assist with production. It takes the printers anywhere from four to eight hours to complete their parts, which are either delivered or shipped to Open Works.

Production truly is a collaborative effort, with the army of printers making parts of the top and bottom of the shield, and Open Works shaping the glass on its laser cutters. Together, the makers hope to produce 500 per day.

“We’ve been working 16 to 20 hours days,” Holman says. “We’re just trying to ride this wave of momentum.”

In a time when demand outweighs supply, efforts like these have sprung up across the Baltimore area. Celebrity designer Christian Siriano, a native Marylander and Baltimore School for the Arts alumnus, led the charge last week when he began designing masks for those in need in New York City. As the virus continues to spread, local artisans with the means to help are following suit, contributing any way they can.

Local designer Jill Andrews has adopted a similar spirit with the current operations at her bridal shop, Jill Andrews Gowns. Andrews has partnered with local makers such as Words with Boards’ Kim Strassner to produce a high-end mask that can fit over the top of the N95 surgical masks used at hospitals. They are selling their masks for $15.99, with additional plans to give some away for free.

“Artisans are a close-knit group,” says Andrews, who hopes to work with home tailors and seamstresses to produce as many as 500 masks per day. “We’re all very well-connected.”

Though the coronavirus outbreak remains uncharted territory for many, Andrews has previous experience creating protective medical garments. She once participated in a Johns Hopkins Hackathon, in which she helped design a suit that won a $1.7 million United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant for Johns Hopkins to produce ebola suits that are now made in bulk by Dupont.

“We’ve done six months of work in two days,” Andrews says of the mask production. “We’re still figuring things out.”

Laurel Porter, a teacher at Charles Carroll Barrister Elementary in Pigtown, has also taken matters into her own hands. While she may not have the power of an organization behind her, she did not want to stand idly by in the midst of the pandemic.

“In times like these, when it doesn’t seem like there’s much you can do and it feels like there’s a lot out of your control, it’s really gratifying to find something that you have a skill set for that you feel like is helping,” Porter says.

On Sunday, Porter posted to Facebook about her interest in starting a mask-making project, and immediately heard from multiple healthcare providers in Annapolis and at the University of Maryland Medical Center about their need for the masks. She began sewing them herself—she’s made around 10 thus far—using materials donated by neighbors.

While Porter learned to sew from her mother and received her sewing machine as a bridal gift, she says she never anticipated using it for this purpose. “It’s hilarious for me to think about,” she adds.

Another local DIY artisan leading the charge is Christina Brunyate, owner of Domesticity fabric shop in Lauraville. Using her vast rolodex of contacts ranging from sewers to fabric providers, Brunyate has assumed a facilitator role for those who are willing to help out.

“If you’re going to have a group of people to help with something, the sewing community—which is very gung-ho about sewing—are always going to be kind and considerate and care about others,” Brunyate says. “How often are you asked to use your sewing skills for something?”

In the past few days, Brunyate has become an information hub for those inquiring about obtaining and creating masks. She’s fielded 200 messages of all kinds, even amending her voicemail to contain specific instructions for those interested in lending a hand. She’s also giving out free elastic, as well as selling discounted fabric and scraps to ensure that masks get to the hospitals that need them.

“There’s enough need coming from different places, and enough people reaching out, that I’ve told people to keep making masks,” Brunyate says. “We’ll find a place for them.”

Over the past week, there have been suggestions that efforts like these are similar to what would be prevalent in times of war. Those in the position to give back have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach, diverting their attention to something impactful while social distancing.

“It feels great to be able to focus on something,” Holman says. “It’s why so many people have come out of the woodwork to help. This is an unprecedented national emergency. It’s emotional—I’m shell shocked at the way the community has come together.”

Sometime in between Thanksgiving and the first week of December is when that first wave of gift-giving panic typically hits. What do you do when you’re determined to find the most thoughtful, personalized presents for your loved ones, but want to do it without breaking the bank?

Luckily, the Charm City craft scene has your back with a plethora of pop-up markets happening throughout the holiday season. Mark your calendar for these local bazaars, which feature tons of regionally made gifts that will make you the talk of this year’s celebration.

11/17: Baltimore Vintage Expo
Swing by this Best of Baltimore-winning market for rare and retro finds. Equipped with its original art deco architecture and design, the renovated Ideal Arts Space in Hampden is a fitting venue for the showcase. This time around, organizers are offering early-bird tickets for shoppers hoping to get a first look at all of the vintage clothing, accessories, furniture, and decor. 905 W. 36th St. Free-$12. 443-529-5937. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

11/22-12/24: Christmas Village in Baltimore
Modeled after traditional German Christmas markets that date back to the Middle Ages, this Inner Harbor fête is not one to be missed. Enjoy the vast display of handmade ornaments and nutcrackers while sipping hot chocolate and sampling fresh-baked apple strudel. The Christmas Village is hosting a special preview weekend November 17-18 this year for locals looking to get a jumpstart on their shopping. West Shore Park. 501 Light St. Free.

11/23: Shop Black @ Open Works, a Black Friday Pop-Up Shop
Forget waiting in line at Best Buy. If you’re hoping to score killer gifts while strengthening our local economy, look no further. This Black Friday, support local makers of color and check out the second annual Shop Black Pop-Up, hosted by Open Works. 1400 Greenmount Ave. Free. 410-862-0424. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

11/23-24: BAZAART Holiday Art Market
Make the most of Black Friday and #SmallBusinessSaturday by checking out the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual holiday art market. Regional artists, makers, and craftspeople will come together to transform the museum’s Jim Rouse Visionary Center into a mecca of creative gift giving. 800 Key Highway. Free. 410-244-1900. Times vary

11/24: Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Party at Get Shredded Vintage
Celebrate Small Business Saturday in style at this all day pop-up party hosted by Get Shredded Vintage in Charles Village. There will be snacks and drinks galore, tarot card readings, unique clothing and accessories from local designers, and even a DJ spinning from 4-7 p.m. There’s no better way to work off a lingering, Thanksgiving-dinner food baby than by dancing from rack to rack and shopping along the way. 3101 St. Paul St. 443-717-1826. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

11/29: Holiday Artisan Market
Now in its 14th year, this holiday tradition hosted by The Park School features locally produced paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and sculpture work, as well as homemade pantry products like honey and granola. There will even be a caricature artist on-site to keep the kiddos busy while you browse all of the handmade wares. Park School of Baltimore, Davidson Lobby, 2425 Old Court Rd. 410-339-7070. 3:30-6:30 p.m.

12/1-2 & 12/8-9: Star Bright Farm’s Barn Market
Infuse your gift giving with authentic Chesapeake charm by shopping Star Bright Farm’s two-weekend holiday market. Natural home, kitchen, and body products available for purchase are made from the very crops grown on the farm. Other local artisans join in for the fun, and cookbook author Nancy Baggett will be leading three sessions on cooking with lavender for those looking to impress their families with something new this holiday season. Star Bright Farm, 2950 Garrett Rd, White Hall. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day

12/6–12/9: MICA Art Market
More than 250 MICA students are preparing their pieces for this yearly sale, which invites shoppers to discover work by emerging and established artists alike. Wander around the showcase to browse jewelry, illustrations, prints, posters, mosaics, stationary, clothing, toys, wrapping paper, and more while chatting with each of the artists about their designs. 1300 W. Mt Royal Ave. 410-669-9200

12/8: Holiday Makers Market 2018
Green Spring Station is a shopping destination in its own right, but for one Saturday only, the retail haven will take things up a notch and give us even more to love. More than 20 local vendors will be showcasing their goods at the marketplace, including our faves Wight Tea Company and Knits, Soy & Metal. Don’t miss DIY workshops from the likes of organic skincare pros Deep Leaf Organics. 10751 Falls Road, Lutherville. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

12/8: Makers Alley
Coffee from Park and Perk will be on hand to banish the sleep from your eyes as you check out the unique gifts available at this Saturday-morning market, which is returning to Local Color Flowers for its sixth year. Look out for one-of-a-kind gifts like floral salt-and-pepper blends by Juniper Culinary Apothecary, original designs from Pangea Printing Co., and more. 3100 Brentwood Ave. 410-262-1494. 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

12/8: Towson Town Center Local Makers Event
The Towson Town Center becomes a one-stop-shop on December 8, when local artists and makers flock to the Level 3 Center Rotunda to set up shop. The pop-up event makes it easy to find the perfect gifts under one roof for everyone on your list, from techy teens to funky aunts. 825 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson. 410-494-8800. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

12/11: Women’s Unity Artisan Market
As the holidays draw closer, “spare time” on the weekends to search for gifts can be hard to come by. The answer for anyone looking for unique gifts and running short on time? This second-annual market held in Mary Gardella’s Clipper Mill photography studio on a Tuesday evening. Gather together to browse creations from local female artisans, and sample signature beverages from Lyon Distilling Company and Le Monade. 3500 Parkdale Ave., Ste. 5. Free. 5-9 p.m.

12/14:Under $500 Sixth Annual Affordable Art Sale
Collectors of all kinds will unite at Maryland Art Place for this aptly named holiday exhibit that offers affordable artworks priced at $500 or less. Mingle with other enthusiasts over beer, wine, and light bites while perusing all of the pieces for sale on a first-come, first-served basis. 218 W. Saratoga St. 410-962-8565. $25. 7-10 p.m.

12/15: Holiday Heap
Charm City Craft Mafia is back at it with a stellar lineup for its recurring holiday hangout. Beneath the strung lights at St. John’s Church, browse goods from the likes of veteran vendors like Annie Howe Papercuts and The Broken Plate, as well as newbies Genevieve Williamson Jewelry, Dorpare Tea, La Loupe Design, Vesta’s Natural Apothecary, and Yinibini Baby. Coffee and treats from Bird in Hand will be available with early-bird admission, which also includes a swag bag full of goodies from participating makers. 2640 St. Paul St. Free-$25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

12/16: For the Greater Goods Market
Grab some lunch at R. House to fuel up for what’s sure to be an epic day of holiday shopping. Every month, this market takes over the garage of the Remington food hall to showcase local vendors and raise money for a charitable cause. December’s market boasts more than 70 local vendors, selling everything from handmade ceramics and home goods to unique clothing and jewelry. 301 W. 29th St. Free. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Patrice Gentile’s line is for every woman. Whether your style can be described as ladylike, tomboyish, or anywhere in between, ALICEANNA designs offer the elegance of handmade couture and the ease of your favorite sweats. We sat down with Gentile to talk about her inspirations and the generational connections among women that inform her practice.

When did your interest in fashion and sewing begin?
When I was a kid, my favorite part of playing with Barbies was their outfits. I would sketch out little outfits in addition to what they would come with, and that was the beginning of my love for clothes. My mom gave me a sewing machine for 16th birthday and showed me all the basic stitches. That really jumpstarted my love of garment assembly and sewing construction. There was a course that I took my junior year at Chesapeake High School in Anne Arundel County called Fashion Merchandising and it went over all the different career paths that you can take in the fashion industry. I just decided then, this is what I’m going to do, no questions about it.

How did your line come to be?
After I graduated from studying fashion at Radford University in Virginia, I worked in New York for a year with a company where pretty much what we were doing was just knocking off other people’s designs. It really bummed me out, so I moved back to Annapolis. I started waiting tables three or four days a week to make some money, and then the other days out of the week I would hole up in my room to make patterns, cut out fabric, and construct clothing. I would spend hours on my hands and knees, all afternoon, making patterns on my floor. I started making one-of-a-kind garments and selling those in a few stores that carried independent designers in Annapolis, D.C., and at Doubledutch Boutique here in Baltimore. Once I was in a few stores, I decided to put on my own fashion show.

After the show, I did a pop-up series in D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis with a designer trunk show meet and greet. Shortly after that I packed up and moved to L.A. A friend got me a connection with Anthropologie and they picked up one of my dresses, which was insane. It completely changed what I was doing and put a lot of eyes on me. I found this old farm table on Craigslist and drove to Pasadena, picked it up, brought it back to my apartment, and I cut and sewed every single dress for the Anthropologie order on that table, with my Brother sewing machine that I got when I was 16. Shortly after that, I launched my website and started selling orders through the site doing made to order.

Baltimoreans must think you named it ALICEANNA after the street in Fells Point.
I didn’t name my brand after the street, although that’s a happy coincidence! It comes from my grandmothers’ names, Alice and Anna. Alice and Anna are so different. They couldn’t be more opposite, and I’ve always been really interested in opposites attracting. My grandmother Alice is very proper. She would wear a button-up blouse and a long skirt every day and was always so put together. And my grandma Anna was so free spirited, wearing a lot of color and fun, flashy accessories. I see myself as being half and half, depending on the day or my mood, and so that was really important for me to connect with and reflect in the brand. I feel like some of the pieces can be pretty ladylike and feminine, and other pieces are kind of more relaxed and tomboyish.

Who or what are some of your inspirations?
My great-grandmother, Alice’s mom, made all her own clothing. Those connections made me realize that the qualities that we as women possess were once possessed by our ancestors and our relatives, and everything is passed down. I feel like women have this bond to each other and to our relatives, and I really wanted my label to reflect that and for that idea to be the namesake.

I am also very much influenced by older styles throughout history, but I would say another big influence for me are television film and book characters. If I’m reading a book or if I’m watching something, especially if it’s a period piece, I get really into the costume and the wardrobe. When I’m reading a book and they’re describing the character, I imagine what they would wear—what would their uniform be?

Can you describe what makes your designs so wearable?
When I was in school at Radford, it was a very old-school program. We learned how to design and create everything by hand, which is kind of a dying art to not use a computer to design. We spent a year learning how to sew professionally using old-school sewing techniques. Every garment was fully lined, every garment had some kind of fitting device like darts, a zipper, or buttons, and everything was super structured.

In L.A., women wear whatever they want, however they want, and it’s a lot of loose, breezy silhouettes. I just loved it. It’s so comfortable, especially if you’re like me and no two days are alike and you’re running all over the place, or if you’re a woman who has children and you’ve got to take your kids places. I started adapting to this laid-back style, but I didn’t lose the clean-lined, structured construction that I learned in school.

How has your brand grown since you moved back to Maryland?
I did something new last year, and I ordered fabric in bulk from a warehouse so that I could create a small inventory for the first time, which was really amazing. I moved back from L.A. a year ago, and I started sewing and working out of Open Works. Being there has really helped me because they have top-of-the-line Juki industrial sewing machines that have sped up my sewing process, and I rent out a studio there as well where I can keep all my fabric, drop my things off at the start of the day and just get started.

Being able to take those pieces to markets, like the For the Greater Goods Market in Remington, is such a great experience. It’s so fun for me because I get to see people interact with the clothing, which when you’re doing an online business you don’t see that—you just mail things out and never know their reaction. The next market I’ll be at is December’s Greater Goods Market, so I’m really looking forward to getting to spend that time with people around the holidays.

What is your favorite thing about being a creative entrepreneur in Baltimore?
Baltimore is so much more about community and people coming together. We are in a major city, but it’s such a supportive community and there is this sense of women supporting other women. I’ve connected with other women who all help each other out, send each other links to new opportunities and markets. And I just feel like, wow, this is how women should be with each other because we’re all in the same boat, making small businesses our livelihood and balancing the amazing months with the really trying ones.

If there were one person, past or present, you’d like to dress in your designs, who would it be?
I would love to see my clothing on my grandmothers, actually, that would be really cool. I did a photo shoot in February and had my mom model. She was surprised I asked her because people normally get younger girls to model and my mom is in her mid-60s, but she loved it and she looked so cute in the clothing. I’d also have to say my daughter! I am four months pregnant, and recently found out I’m having a girl, and I’m beyond thrilled. I can’t wait to make mini-sized ALICEANNA outfits for her.

On a sticky Tuesday evening toward the end of summer, the air inside the Station North Tool Library smells of sawdust and magic. Projects by artisans of all skill levels are in the works. A handful of 20-somethings wander into the workshop around 6:30 p.m. to learn how to build a coffee table. To a newcomer, the piles of wooden planks and massive planer saws can seem daunting, but these folks have been here before—to take the prerequisite safety class, if nothing else—and know that in this quiet woodshop, anything is possible.

When class begins, instructor Sarah Hrovoski slowly pulls samples of wood from shelves and describes each kind, most of which are reclaimed from Remington’s Brick + Board salvage store, in detail—fir and pine are soft and sand nicely, maple is sturdy, mahogany’s color is rich. With fears cast aside, within an hour or so, each student has a rough design of their table, and then, sporting plastic safety goggles, they’re sawing, cutting, and sanding all manner of wood to bring their visions to reality.

“Everybody’s work is always different,” says Hrovoski, “which is really cool, considering the limitations in size and materials.”

In recent years, spaces such as the Tool Library have sprouted up across the city for those looking for weekend hobbies, after-work stress relief, or an education to launch a new profession or small business. We’ve all found ourselves in those post-grad and mid-career slumps. Whether you have a specific project in mind or just want to scratch a creative itch, chances are there’s a space and supportive community in Baltimore to help you see it through.

While traditional colleges and universities offer a variety of continuing education options, they typically involve a larger commitment, stricter schedule, and higher tuition than maker spaces like the Tool Library, The Foundery, Open Works, and many others. Through single classes, full-day passes, and annual memberships, these community hubs allow students of all ages and aptitudes to try their hand at a new trade. They also serve a need for existing artisans who no longer have access to tools, equipment, or workspace to continue honing their craft. Plus, advances in technology mean new ways to make things, and many of these spaces have added resources such as 3D printers and computer-controlled machines to their inventories. Many of the spaces’ founders want to lower the barriers between novice and expert by making shops, education, and resources more accessible.

So whether you’re looking to mold pottery, forge your own metalwork, or build a coffee table, Baltimore has a variety of spaces to help you break your Netflix habit and embrace your inner artisan. Here are a few of our favorites to help you get started.

Baltimore Clayworks

5707 Smith Ave., 410-578-1919

Since opening in 1980, Baltimore Clayworks has continued to grow and literally expand outwards, adding onto its original structure and opening a gallery and office space across the street, creating something of a miniature ceramics campus in the heart of Mt. Washington. Artful benches and a sculptural fountain adorn the walkways between the buildings and are perfect for hanging out and talking shop. But it’s the old brick building where the true magic happens.

Shelves of pottery-in-progress line the walls, chalkboards are filled with design concepts and instructions, and a wall of glaze samples shows some 144 combinations. Studios and classroom areas offer options for hand-building and wheel throwing. Several kilns fill the basement, while a beloved wood kiln is outside.

“People will come from two hours away, sleep on cots, take shifts through the night to use this kiln,” says Mary Cloonan, Clayworks’ exhibitions director. “You have to keep feeding it wood, so it becomes a community thing, keeping it going.”

Clayworks briefly closed last year, but with a new board installed, bankruptcy was averted, and the space reopened quickly, due in large part to its strong community of teachers and artists.

Clayworks offers open studio time so people can work at their own pace, and a range of courses offers a little something for everyone—from the serious student to the late-night bachelorette party, to three-hour “Try It” workshops where people can see how they like the art form. “Everyone starts somewhere,” Cloonan says. “Sometimes people just want to come make something and have fun.”

Baltimore Jewelry Center

10 E. North Ave., Suite 130, 410-243-0479

Not every city is so lucky to have a space dedicated solely to jewelry making.

In 2014, a group of Maryland Institute College of Art faculty members and students from the school’s now-defunct jewelry program founded the Baltimore Jewelry Center inside the Meadow Mill building in Woodberry. It’s now located in Station North, where artists sit at worktables beneath bright white lights and tediously take pliers to their pieces, pound metal with hammers, and painstakingly clip together fasteners and hinges. Exotic necklaces, small sculptures, and other one-of-a-kind pieces dangle above work stations and are clipped to desks and exhibited in gallery spaces.

The center is open seven days a week and supplies a variety of rough-and-tumble tools one might not expect to be associated with this decorative art form—kilns, grinders, sanders, saws, torches, and even a hydraulic press. Here, jewelry is fashioned from metal as well as unlikely materials including fiber and found objects. Other small pieces, like kitchenware and belt buckles, are made here, too.

Classes change each quarter to keep things fresh, ranging from two-day workshops and soldering bootcamps to a certification program. Several local college students take classes, notes one founder, April Wood, who serves as a studio manager and instructor here. “We build on their skills, and we provide a different community.”

The gallery offers artisans a chance to show off their unique and thought-provoking pieces, and it also serves as a way for the center to extend itself into the broader community through free art talks, social gatherings, and exhibits, which have included works by revered artists such as local jewelry designer Betty Cooke and beadwork artist Joyce Scott.

The Foundery

101 W. Dickman St., 855-936-2537

With the exception of the lobby and a break area with hot dogs and and Zeke’s coffee, The Foundery is one gigantic room that somewhat resembles a Home Depot—but this place is anything but a big box.

At nearly 20,000 square feet, the Port Covington maker space (once located on the corner of Pratt Street and Central Avenue) features a wide-open, industrial environment for craftspeople to share materials and sneak peeks at one another’s projects, which helps spark ideas. “Walls can be intimidating,” says CEO Jason Hardebeck, who was a nuclear engineer in the Navy before his Foundery days began. “When people start working with new materials, they tend to push the boundaries.”

“Anyone who has an idea can start their project here.”

One section of this sprawling space is reserved for old-timey blacksmithing, while massive computer-controlled machines run nearby, making metal signage, embroidered pillows, and custom-designed skateboards (Bustin Boards is a regular). They serve a niche for those who have started a business but haven’t reached the point of being able to justify buying a $10,000 machine. “We’re democratizing access,” says Hardebeck. “Anyone who has an idea can start their project here.” The space’s name reflects that idea; it’s purpose is to support founders.

The cacophony of machinery runs seven days a week, with artists dropping by to use the space and tools or to attend one of the 100 classes offered each month, like laser engraving, embroidery, bowl turning, Women Only Welding, or even making knives from scratch—and then going to a steak restaurant as a class to try them out. Unlike many other spaces, The Foundery will hold a class even if only one person signs up.

Open Works

1400 Greenmount Ave., 410-862-0424

Want to make a drone or learn how to 3D print your own sculpture? At this massive and modern Greenmount West maker space, you’ve come to the right place. Technologies that weren’t widely available some five to 10 years ago—or simply didn’t exist at all—can be found within this 34,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2016.

Open Works acts as a starting point to try these new gadgets and gizmos, and many classes—even safety and beginner classes—involve some element of making, says executive director Will Holman, adding, “We’re here to lower barriers.” Membership gives you access to tools, workspace, and other resources, including computer software such as Adobe Creative Suite.

Meanwhile, graphic designers, copy editors, architects, and other artists fill 115 cubicles, creating a community that fosters a cross-pollination of ideas and expertise. Even sitting in the space is inspiring, as much of Open Works’ interior design elements were custom made right here. Plus, there’s a coffee shop on the ground floor that helps fuel even the greenest of makers into work mode.

Station North Tool Library

417 E. Oliver St., 410-347-0850

The Station North Tool Library prides itself on being an inclusive community shop that caters to the absolute beginner but also supports the high-level artisan. Here you can find more than 30 classes on everything from plumbing to handcrafting a coffee table from scratch.

What began as a lending library of tools (which still fill the front room) quickly expanded into classroom and workspace in 2014 as demand grew. A smaller classroom area was added this year.

“There was a skills gap between the tools we had in the library and the projects people wanted to take on,” says Arman Mizani, director of library services.

Traditionally, someone interested in woodworking would do an apprenticeship or attend a trade school, but “we’re trying to change the culture so that it’s not just an older man with the knowledge—it’s not this elitist thing,” says Chris Lavoie, who handles programming. “We want everyone to have access.”

The library offers sliding-scale membership rates for access to open studio time in addition to that extensive inventory of tools. Because it’s a relatively small space, some of the popular machines come with a 20-minute time limit, sometimes you have to share a table, and you always have to clean up after yourself. At the end of the day, the Tool Library team wants to maximize resources, but first and foremost build a supportive community. As Lavoie puts it, “People before projects.”

EXTRA CREATIVE

A few more spaces worth checking out.

Baltimore Hackerspace

Get geeky with the latest innovative technology in this East Baltimore maker space that brings computers, science, and digital art to the forefront.
6410 Landay Ave., 410-261-9691.

Baltimore Print Studios

Who says print is dead? This Station North print studio allows you access for letterpress and screenprinting projects, with introductory workshops each month to help you learn the machines.
18 W. North Ave.

Domesticity

This fabric shop and craft studio run by Christina Brunyate offers material (from kitschy to couture), classes (sewing, quilting, even macrame), and social nights.
4321 Harford Rd., 443-885-0369.

A Workshop of Our Own

Also known as WOO, this woodworking space in Woodberry is for women and gender non-conforming craftspeople and offers a variety of classes as well as open studio time.
1780 Union Ave., 443-449-5886.

Four Hour Day Lutherie

Want to build an instrument from scratch? Creative director Tyler St. Claire will show you the ropes. He also hosts concerts in the Lauraville space.
4305 Harford Rd., 410-637-3728.

Maker Practice

This new walk-in space offers craft kits that rotate every three months, allowing you to try your hand at making items such as leather totes or stained-glass windows.
721 Frederick Rd., Catonsville. 410-402-9125.

Impact Hub

While not technically a maker space, Impact Hub serves an important role for the maker community by providing free talks geared toward artists and small business owners.
10 E. North Ave., 443-821-7482.

EAT

Oct. 13: Fells Point Fun Festival

Thames St. at Broadway. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Free-$18.

Fells Point has undergone a number of changes in the past few years—a fancy new hotel, beloved old dive bars biting the dust—but one thing that remains largely the same is the historic waterfront neighborhood’s annual celebration of all things local. This year, the 52-year-old festival is condensing from a weekend of revelry into one action-packed day of fun. Explore the newly renovated Broadway Square and taste to-go eats from tons of local vendors including Ekiben, Papi’s Tacos, and The Urban Oyster as you stroll along the cobblestone streets.

DRINK

Oct. 12-21: Baltimore Beer Week

Locations, times, and prices vary.

It’s no secret that Charm City’s beer scene has exploded over the past decade with more new breweries, beer-centric events, and homebrewers than ever before. During this nine-day celebration all things hoppy and frothy, check out annual brew week events such as this weekend’s Baltimore Beer Legends Hall of Fame at the Mt. Washington Tavern, Das Bier Oktoberfest at M&T Bank Stadium, along with endless pairings, new releases, and tap takeovers across the city.

SEE

Oct. 13-Nov. 24: Jim Burger: A Charmed Life

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.

From Baltimore Orioles fans leaving Memorial Stadium for the final time to women waiting under hair dryers at a Highlandtown salon, images by former Baltimore Sun photographer Jim Burger have encapsulated the city’s hidden beauty over the years. View more than 130 photographs by the MICA grad during this retrospective exhibit, and on Saturday night, join the locally loved lensman at Creative Alliance for a reception to commemorate the opening of this six-week-long presentation.

HEAR

Oct. 12-14: Les Misérables

Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 & 8 p.m., Sun. 1 & 6:30 p.m. $54-199.

This weekend, catch this Tony Award-winning musical during its final days on the hallowed Hippodrome stage. Rediscover the timeless story of love and redemption set during the French Revolution in this updated production presented by famed British producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh. With an iconic soundtrack, including songs like “I Dreamed a Dream” and “On My Own,” and an intricate set inspired by creator Victor Hugo’s original artwork, this rendition of the timeless tale will leave audiences wishing the show lasted one day more.

DO

Oct. 12: Open Works Turns Two

Open Works, 1400 Greenmount Ave. 5-8 p.m. Free.

To celebrate two years of helping the city get back in touch with its industrial roots, this beloved Station North makerspace is throwing an anniversary party full of surprises. Stop by on Friday night to check out impressive creations by member makers, sip on local brews from Charm City Meadworks and Peabody Heights, and stick around for the unveiling of Open Works’ new slogan as well as new improvements to be made to the two-story facility.

Four years ago, Tammira Lucas, a business consultant and founder of co-working space The Cube, and Scrub Nail Boutique owner Jasmine Simms were total strangers on very similar paths. Both were mothers of young daughters trying to run successful businesses. After realizing their common interest, they began brainstorming ways to help other moms thrive. 

“Originally, I thought that we should do something for all women,” Simms said. “But Tammira really stressed the point that there’s nothing really out there specific to moms.” 

Moms As Entrepreneurs (MAE, pronounced mah) initially began as a podcast and vlog about the particular struggles of being a mom and business owner. The pair would share tools and resources to guide other moms to unlocking their entrepreneurial itch.

Even with their best intentions, the podcast had a minimal following and didn’t reach the number of people they intended. It wasn’t until after speaking at a Women’s Conference at Morgan State University in 2014 about their experiences that other moms were ready to listen to what they had to say. 

“We had so many moms approaching us like, ‘What’s next?’” Lucas recalled. “We scratched the surface at that conference and people wanted to dive deeper into learning how to be successful while still being a great mom, because being a mom in this industry is a totally different experience.”

After two years of planning and hearing “no that won’t work” numerous times, in the spring of 2016, MAE was able to give the people what they wanted by creating an 8-week long academy that offered the blueprint to balancing life, a business, and being a mom. For $149, participants are provided on-site childcare, mentorship, and guidance from local professionals that assist with building business models. Each biannual session accepts 10 women, and since the first academy, MAE has been able to set 36 women on the path to owning a business. The next session begins on April 2 with a fully booked cohort.

“We know that each person who comes isn’t going to build a million-dollar business,” Lucas said. “But what they’ve been able to do is add to their financial situation and are now able to sustain that.”

In addition to the original academy at The Cube, MAE has partnered with the makerspace Open Works, the Kauffman Foundation, and Keisha Ransome of Baltimore Etsy Sellers, to expand their programming to include a 16-week long Moms Maker’s Academy that began on March 5. The new workshop is free and specifically for women who want to manufacture a product for sale. 

“This new partnership will help us to help more women,” Simms said. “We are able to connect to them on the same level to say, ‘This is how you do it, it’s not easy but it’s possible.’”

While Lucas and Simms teach the business side of things, Open Works is training the women to use the machinery to create their products, and the reps from Etsy will teach the moms the art of selling. Topics include business models, customer identification, patent insurance, accounting and finance, marketing, and social media.

“We take them from the planning stages to actually launching their business,” Simms said. “We make sure we provide them with all the resources they will need to be successful.”

At the end of each program, participants will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas and/or products to a panel of local makers and investors in a Shark Tank-style expo at Open Works. Two moms from each group will be awarded seed funding to launch their business.

MAE’s humble beginnings have not stopped its founders from pushing to help increase opportunities for mothers in Baltimore. Lucas recently took a trip to Washington D.C. with the Kauffman Foundation to lobby for more funding for entrepreneurship in Baltimore. Next fall, she and Simms plan to add an online version of the workshop due to the increased interest in the program.

“There were a lot of times Jasmine and I didn’t ask for any money—just support,” Lucas said. “And we want to be able to provide that kind of support system to other women.”

Some people jiggle their leg—others click their pens or doodle in their notepads. Fidgeting and finding outlets to control these ticks aren’t new, but there is a trendy toy that has spun its way into the hands of consumers everywhere to help channel these urges. 

A fidget spinner is a palm-sized toy that has a central core and usually 2-3 propeller-like blades that users can spin with two fingers. The kid’s toy is said to relieve nervous energy, even calming ADHD and psychological stress.

“They really came fast out of nowhere,” said Flora Stelzer, co-owner of Shananigans Toy Shop in Roland Park, whose original supply of fidget spinners didn’t last long before they had to order more. “We would get 10 phone calls a day from people asking us to look for them. We had kids line up after school waiting for them.”

Stelzer says the popularity started for her store in April, when kids ages 6-14 would ask for the toy in high demand.

But, in reality, the origin for the fidget spinner dates back further. While there is no clear inventor of the product, Catherine Hettinger is cited as being the creator of the toy by The New York Times and The Guardian because of a “spinning toy” she got a patent for in 1997. But Hettinger acknowledges that there is no concrete connection between her own invention and the fidget spinner.

The little gadget has taken over the Internet and is sold by everywhere from Amazon to street vendors. Videos of fidget spinner tricks have gone viral, with one YouTube video garnering more than 42 million views.

Unlike most toys that have had their five minutes of fame (think slime or hoverboards), these spinners claim to actually be helpful to users rather than solely existing for entertainment. 

Dr. Pilar Trelles, a psychiatrist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, acknowledges the benefits in an interview with health.com and encourages using gadgets like this along with actual treatments. Trelles admits that the effectiveness of these spinners depend on each individuals place on anxiety/autism/ADHD spectrums, so it won’t work for everyone. 

One post on Amazon furthers this and claims that they can be “helpful for anxiety, focusing, ADHD, autism, quitting bad habits, staying awake. Definitely a blessing for someone with a nervous disorder where keeping the hands busy is a symptom.”

While fidget spinners have primarily been used as entertainment or an anxiety reducer, they can also be a source of scientific inspiration. Such is the case for artist C. Harvey, the mobile maker manager at Open Works in Greenmount West.

Coming from an engineering background, Harvey noticed that there weren’t enough high quality and relevant STEM programs for black youth so she wanted to introduce 3D printing technology, in a way that was non-intimidating and relatable to their lives.

“These kids don’t relate to making sailboats or robots, so I asked them what they would want to invent if they had 5 million dollars and they said fidget spinners,” Harvey said.

So with 3D printing pens in hand, Harvey went over to a local recreation center to meet with kids K-8 and that’s exactly what they did. The kids were excited to make their own spinners, and learned a lot about how to use advanced technology the entire time.

With that said, not everyone has such a positive attitude towards these toys. Though many find the spinning to be calming, others find the spinning to be incredibly distracting. So much so that schools and some individual teachers from multiple states including Florida, Connecticut, and New York have already banned these toys from classrooms.

According to a report on WMAR, spokesmen for the Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County Public School systems say they haven’t experienced any problems to impose a similar district-wide ban.

Though this gadget seems to be taking the world by storm, Stelzer at Shananigans is sure that this is only a fad. She laughs and says, “they’ll be on to something else soon, maybe even by the time you print this.”

When we hear the term “food desert,” we tend to think of a dusty and isolated small town, not a neighborhood in a major U.S. city. But the USDA defines a food desert as a community of “at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract’s population must reside more than one mile from a market or grocery store.”

Baltimore’s Greenmount West neighborhood falls into that category and residents Saché Jones and Myeasha Taylor of Two Moons Food Group were asked to come up with a solution.

“We were approached by the neighborhood association,” Jones says. “This came from a very personal need for us to have a place to buy groceries and a way for us to get to residents in the community.”

Partnering with local makerspace Open Works, the Two Moons Food Group put the plan in motion for the new Greenmount West community market. Beginning on June 4, Grow Market will make its debut in the Open Works parking lot at 1400 Greenmount Ave.

As part of the planning process, Jones and Taylor wanted to be sure this was something the community wanted, so the duo walked door-to-door to survey their neighbors.

“We wanted to move forward with the support of the community and not be yet another project that someone thought would be a good idea and didn’t bother to ask,” says Jones. “Our first question was, ‘Do you even want a market?’”

Other questions on the survey covered shopping habits and frequency, as well as product preference. The results of the survey weren’t surprising—residents wanted a grocery store within walking distance with quality produce.

Lacking the resources to build a grocery store, Jones and Taylor are doing the next best thing: a farmers’ market. Both have experience with farming and planning, and sympathize with the problems of the neighborhood.

“We sometimes travel as long as 30 to 40 minutes to go to the grocery store that has the freshest produce,” Jones explains. “The residents need markets that are going to meet those needs close by. We found people that can provide those things at the market.”

At the Grow Market, customers will be able purchase fresh food including vegetables, fruits, dairy, breads, and coffee. There will also be prepared food from area chefs, as well as items from the local artists and makers at Open Works.

In an effort to assist customers receiving government assistance, all vendors will be required to accept EBT (electronic benefit transfer) for eligible products. Each vendor will be educated on which of their products are eligible to ensure that no resident is excluded from receiving quality goods.

Becoming a vendor at the Grow Market involves a careful selection process beginning with a questionnaire followed by an interview with Jones and Taylor. During the interview, the prospects must disclose how and where their products are grown, and how long they have been in business.

“We ask about their business: who they are as people, their goals, what they want to get out of the market,” Jones explains.  “Do they have anything to contribute to the community besides their product?”

To date, the market has 10 vendors locked in with space for 13. Current vendors include a fresh farmer with organically grown produce, a ginger tea family business run by three brothers, and a local baker. The goal is to have at least 30 vendors that will rotate each week to give the customers variety. All of the current vendors are from Baltimore City or County, with some directly from the Greenmount West neighborhood.

“We are hoping to be as local as we can, but not just for the sake to say that we have local vendors,” she says. “We want to highlight the vibrancy of our neighborhood.”

The Grow Market is set to open on June 4 at 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. and will operate rain or shine every Sunday until November 19.

“We have a mission to be a people-centered marketplace that connects neighbors with local business,” Jones says. “There’s love here and we want to share that.”

Women’s rights have been in the news a lot lately, with fears of female freedoms being endangered by the new right-leaning Republican White House and Congress. But if January’s Women’s March (and these 13 events) are any indication, our country’s wonder women won’t be backing down any time soon.

Lectures & Workshops

3/8: Nadia Hashimi
Baltimore County Public Library, 1301 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville. 2:30 p.m. Free. The young novelist behind The Pearl That Broke Its Shell comes to the county to discuss Afghan women and the immigrant experience.

3/12: Guerrilla Girls
The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 3 p.m. Free. In conjunction with the closing of the Guerrilla Girls exhibit, artist-activist Frida Kahlo joins the BMA’s contemporary curator Kristen Hileman to reflect on the human rights group’s legacy.

3/15: Society of Excellent Women
Open Works, 1400 Greenmount Ave. 6-9 p.m. Free. At this new monthly meet-up that celebrates lady power, enjoy a zine workshop with the female frontrunners of Baltimore’s self-publishing community and explore the new Open Works makerspace in Station North.

3/23: Roxane Gay
Maryland State Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, 415 Park Ave. 6:30 p.m. Free. The acclaimed author chats about her best-selling books, such as Bad Feminist and Difficult Women.

History

3/2: Celebrating Women of the Renaissance
The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 6:30 p.m. Free. National Museum of Women in the Arts associate curator Virginia Treanor discusses the experience of women artists and patrons in European history.

3/17: 4,000 Years of Women in Science
Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum, 300 Oella Ave., Catonsville. 7 p.m. Free. Join astronomer Sethanne Howard to learn about female contribution to the study of science.

3/19-5/19: Women of the B&O Railroad
B&O Railroad Museum, 2711 Maryland Ave., Ellicott City. Fri.-Sun. 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free-$8. Get to know the female employees of the B&O, including legendary engineer Olive Dennis.

3/22: The Female Gaze in Anime & Manga
MICA, Brown Center, 1301 W. Mount Royal Ave. 12-1 p.m. Free. Delve into the gender politics of graphic novels.

Theater

3/30: Women Rabbis, Revealed
Gordon Center for Performing Arts, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills. 7:30 p.m. $20-25. The Strand Theater presents a staged reading of stories from On The Fringe, a documentary film about L.A.’s female rabbis.

3/17-4/9: The Taming of the Shrew
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St. Times & prices vary. This topical comedy follows the rollicking story line of the “untamable” Kate and her romantic escapades.

To 3/19: Motherhood Out Loud
Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. $10-20. This moving play turns the notion of parenthood on its head with comedy and celebration.

3/24-25: Womanizm
Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute & Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St. 8 p.m. $20-25. The Eubie Blake Cabaret Company performs this celebration of black women.

These days, it’s no longer necessary to go to an art museum for art or a library for literature. Using two feet and four wheels, local movers and shakers are now shedding these stationary structures to bring paintings, books, and DIY workshops to a neighborhood near you.

Open Works Mobile
The new Station North maker-space has launched a mobile extension of its Greenmount Avenue brick-and-mortar, geared toward offering workshops and events for city students in grades K-12. The van will feature classes and curricula centered around its DIY equipment, including a portable 3-D printer, laser cutters, and a large whiteboard on its exterior.

JHU Art Cart
In 2014, a group of Johns Hopkins employees and students transformed a janitor’s cart into a ray of sunshine for patients and their families. Now an arts-and-crafts station, the volunteer-led cart brings art projects to hospital rooms and waiting areas, toting materials to make paper flowers, origami, and more.

SOGH Art Truck
After his grandmother’s death, Shawn Theron was inspired to make the most of his life, which eventually meant creating art. His colorful, whimsical paintings landed in an exhibit at AVAM and even the pages of our very own Baltimore Bride. Now, via his art truck, they can be found and purchased on Sundays during the farmers’ market under 83.

BMA Outpost
With its high ceilings and marble columns, The Baltimore Museum of Art is the grand dame of Charm City culture, but it turned hip in 2014 with the launch of its mobile museum. Setting up shop at locations like Lexington Market and Healthcare for the Homeless, it encourages passersby to participate in art making, storytelling, and, ultimately, community building.

Taharka Change-Maker Mobile
Out of its bright pink truck, Taharka Brothers’ small-batch ice cream shop is hawking more than just delicious flavors like honey graham and key lime pie. In the back, a small retail space features an ever changing selection of books, showcasing everything from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther comic book to D. Watkins’ acclaimed memoir The Cook Up.

Bookish
This nomadic bookstore features a beautifully curated collection of artist-made, independently published, and small press books. Among the green and white delivery van’s minimalist, hipster-chic interior, you’ll find local poetry, photo albums, adult coloring books, and alternative zines. It also doubles as a mixed-used space for workshops and events related to all things print.

For Adrienne Shevchuk, her amateur carpentry career began with an ambitious goal.

“I had this idea that I wanted to make my own dining room table,” she remembers with a laugh.

A 31-year-old executive assistant at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Shevchuk doesn’t come from a design or woodworking background. But six months after signing up for her first class at the Station North Tool Library, she had built an entire kitchen island for her Hampden home—right down to the tapered legs and butcher-block top milled from wood that she picked up from a salvage yard in East Baltimore.

Although woodworking was new to her, Shevchuk tends a raised-bed garden in her backyard, and has been canning and pickling produce from local farms for the past three years. Outgoing and spunky, with dark, shoulder-length hair shaved on the right side of her head, she also has taken ceramics courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) for fun, as well as a sense of purpose and individuality.

“Even if my mugs look like crap, which my first semester’s did, they are way better to me than going to Target and buying mass-produced mugs that thousands of other people have. I’ve always liked the idea of doing things myself,” continues Shevchuk, who now has a number of the tool lending library’s workshops under her belt, from cutting boards and coffee tables to a chef’s knife class, where she walked away with a beautiful—and utilitarian—blade forged from a rectangular piece of steel and a block of wood. “Making that knife was pretty much the most empowering thing I’ve ever done.”

Aside from the satisfaction of creating something by hand, Shevchuk says the time spent working with wood remains a welcome escape from the stress of modern life and the tedium of staring at a computer screen all day. “It’s an outlet for me, after sitting in the cube during the week, to go on a Tuesday night and spend three hours building something,” she says. “It kind of wakes you up. I also think there’s some draw to returning to the idea of being an expert in a trade.”

Shevchuk may have become an unexpected woodworker, but her experience is not unique. She’s actually part of a burgeoning collective of hobbyists, craftsmen, and amateur and professional artisans in Baltimore who are coming together with a desire to learn and share both new and bygone skills in the Internet age via workshops, apprenticeships, and “makerspaces.” (Makerspace: a community studio where people share their do-it-yourself processes, equipment, and ethos.)

Still somewhat under the radar, the city’s DIY community has grown significantly in the past five years, with the opening of hands-on working and teaching spaces across the city. Before the Tool Library opened in 2013, for example, Baltimore Print Studios launched its letterpress and screenprinting studio in Station North. Two years ago, Boomspace, a tech and workforce development center, got its start in McElderry Park, and when MICA discontinued its jewelry center, several artists banded together and launched the Baltimore Jewelry Center, now at the renovated Center Theatre on North Avenue.

Earlier this year, The Foundery, a tools, training, and metalworking makerspace, moved into its new 20,000-square-foot space at the City Garage innovation hub in Port Covington. And finally, this fall, Open Works, the highly anticipated, creative studio space developed by the nonprofit Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation (BARCO) will launch in a 34,000-square-foot warehouse across from Greenmount Cemetery.

“People [my age] are trying to bring production down to a smaller scale.”

Although the boom in DIY enterprises and makerspacers may feel new, the ideas and values driving the phenomenon have been bubbling for a while. They’re part of a broader cultural movement related to the renewed interest in urban farming ushered in by millennials moving back to cities, industry experts say.

“Maybe 10 to 15 years ago, when the term DIY got really popular, we saw a resurgence of urban farming and things that are associated with people of my age group who are interested in trying to bring production down to a smaller scale that someone can do on their own,” says 33-year-old Andy Cook, a planner with Baltimore City’s Office of Sustainability. “I would hesitate to say it’s a return to something necessarily old—some of these enterprises are technologically advanced—although some things are definitely [a throwback]. We talk about makerspaces like they are new, but I’m sure they were called workshops a hundred years ago.”

Ultimately there’s a limit to the number of people interested in these things, Cook continues, but he adds that he doesn’t believe that ceiling has been reached. “I don’t think everyone realizes they can be empowered in this way, and that’s something the makerspaces in town are especially good for—showing people it’s within their reach. I hope it helps us get to a point where, yeah, more people are making their own stuff instead of ordering it from Amazon.”

Letta Moore, 37, of Knits, Soy & Metal, says that before she quit her job as a marketing director for a real-estate company in September to go full-time with her handmade scarf, candle, and jewelry brand, she didn’t realize the extent of the DIY culture in the city. But in just the past few months, she has been embraced by the colony of craft-oriented entrepreneurs like her in Baltimore, who she says are all about building each other up. “I didn’t even know this huge community existed prior to becoming a ‘maker,’” Moore says. “I’ve worked with so many amazing people, either through vending or using their products myself, and they’re all very supportive.”

Moore feels the physical act of creation is a basic human instinct that has been somewhat lost because of the convenience of modern technology. She adds it’s both an appreciation of that process and a set of skills that she wants to instill in her 16-year-old daughter. “This is going to sound absolutely absurd,” she says, “but knowing that I actually have created something—it’s almost like giving birth. It’s like I’ve brought something into this world that is a reflection of me. I [also] think it’s important that people know how to do things with their hands, because what if at some point technology isn’t available anymore?”

To better connect the city’s growing DIY community and help develop commercial opportunities for startup enterprises, Piper Watson of the Station North Tool Library and Mark Huson of Baltimore Node—a diverse maker group that includes electronics, digital fabrication, wood and metalworking members—discussed the idea of a maker “congress.” With help from several leaders in the local community, including Cook and Will Holman from BARCO, the broad-based Industrial Arts Collective (IAC) formed in the summer of 2014.

Cook attended one of the first IAC meetings to recruit for a city project to reuse vacant industrial buildings; he was looking to identify small businesses in need of warehouse space. “While people definitely felt like they needed more space for production, the more immediate concern for most was retail,” he says. Cook worked with Holman to apply for a grant to hold a pop-up shop where sprouting artisans could sell their goods. “And that became the first real IAC project.”

Following that initial IAC pop-up event in Station North, membership in the collective doubled. Today, the IAC has more than 130 members and holds several pop-up shops throughout the year. At its holiday 2015 event, more than 80 city businesses participated and sold goods.

At North Avenue’s Baltimore Print Studios, husband-and-wife founders Kyle Van Horn and Kim Bentley manage a screenprinting and letterpress studio and teach monthly workshops, all on machinery dating from the 1880s to 1980s. “Not much of the equipment or tools for it are being made new today, so new people are using old equipment to make new stuff,” says Van Horn. “People are excited to get back to the roots of design.”

“Especially designers who have grown up in the digital era,” adds Bentley, explaining that the terminology used in computer programs is based off of physical objects that designers can hold in their hands at the shop. “People who understand what ‘leading’ is, which is the space between lines of type, their eyes bug out a little bit when they see the leading is made of lead, and it’s measured in points and picas, and it’s a real thing,” says Bentley. “And the name has meaning suddenly.”

In addition to designers who yearn for a pre-Photoshop way of doing things, Bentley and Van Horn say the shop’s goal is to enable people to become their own producers. When a couple called asking for their wedding invitations to be printed, Van Horn offered to teach the bride-to-be how to make them herself. “I think it’s surprising to them how achievable that is with just a bit of training and access to the right equipment,” Van Horn says. “We’re teaching a craft and we’re teaching people they can do the task themselves.”

“It’s the tangible object at the end of the day . . . the fruits of your labor.”

Make Tribe, which plans pop-up workshops and skill suppers, takes the concept of maker culture and turns it into a comprehensive entertainment experience. Attendees learn a skill and meet new people, venues are able to attract new audiences, and makers can test the waters by hosting their first workshop. After the first pop-up—a sold-out 30-person terrarium-building workshop in 2013—word about the events quickly spread.

“It was when the workshop movement was first starting to get underway—people were really excited about it and it felt like something new,” says owner and co-founder Jessica D’Argenio Waller, 30.

At a Make Tribe event last fall at Church & Company in Hampden, Jess Schreibstein, known as “The Kitchen Witch,” instructed some 15 guests in the basics of herbalism while they sipped on drinks by Artifact Coffee in a room lit by candles and string lights. In addition to the one-time events, Make Tribe hosts a twice-monthly knitting meetup, known as K1P1. “I think people have an inherent desire to work with their hands and get back to their roots a little bit, especially with all the technology surrounding us these days and the sort of go-go-go attitude that’s very prevalent,” Waller reflects. “It’s nice to take time out for something like making a scarf or even gardening and cooking.”

While she doesn’t eschew technology—in fact, Waller credits social media apps like Instagram for connecting makers with common interests—she still prefers some analog ways of doing things, like reading a hardcover book or cooking by candlelight. “It’s the tangible object at the end of the day where you can really see the fruits of your labor, and see the skill and the process that went into it,” she says. “Whether it’s exactly what you intended to make or not, just having the final product in your hands is such a rewarding experience.”

From the lending desk at the entrance of the Station North Tool Library, where more than 15,000 loans have been completed in its three years, sculptor and woodworking instructor Hannah Wides reflects on the human inclination to build and create physical objects, a yearning the library is finally able to fulfill for so many.

The process of creation itself can be meditative, says the soft-spoken Wides, a petite 26-year-old, wearing a knit cap and canvas work jacket. “It’s a form of self-discipline. It definitely has changed the way I think and work,” she says. “With woodworking, you have to be all in, all the time. You can’t just phase out. I think people like that.”

The Tool Library also prides itself on making its classes approachable, and more than half of Wides’s workshop students are women. It’s something she can relate to as a young woman in an often male-dominated industry. “Here it’s super woman-positive, queer friendly, and just really open. Nobody is trying to tell anyone how to do it right,” she explains.

“When I talk to people, they’re like, ‘Can you show me how to do this? I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.’ Maybe it’s always been in people’s brains but they’ve never had the resources. They come in, and their eyes light up.

“I’ve never seen people so excited to see tools,” she continues, gesturing to the shelves and racks of handsaws, hammers, ladders, and generators, as the sound of a table saw whirs in the background. “You don’t see that excitement in Lowe’s or Home Depot. There’s a kid in a candy shop delight when they come in for the first time.”