Walking into the Juneau Makerspace is like entering an at-home hobbyist’s wonderland. What at first might strike you as a bit overwhelming quickly becomes paradise after some patient exploration of the space’s many nooks and crannies. Whether you’re looking to create your own candles, build a circuit board, 3D print some new earrings, or use their vast array of fabrics for a costume, there’s no shortage of projects to tap into or equipment to make it all happen.
“It’s so much for so many people that it’s hard to sum up in just a few words,” says Samuel Bornstein, the Juneau Makerspace president. “We’ve called it a garage for people who don’t have their own garage, a craft space, a community space; If you want to learn stuff, if you need a space to do stuff, you know, this is that place.”
The original space opened up in 2016 in Lemon Creek before relocating to its current home on North Douglas, about half-a-mile past the round-a-bout. Inside the unassuming building, there’s something for just about anyone within the electronics lab, woodshop, craft room, ceramics studio (complete with a kiln), printmaking studio and kitchen.
Originally, Bornstein was motivated to create a space born out of his interests in 3D printing and laser cutting.
Thinking about it from an engineering perspective, he initially thought the space would be great for people who want to build and design.
“What I found was that it was artists who came to use the space, and Juneau has such a vibrant arts community that what has made the Makerspace successful was being part of that and supporting the arts community in Juneau,” he said. “We still have our electronics lab, with all the cool 3D printers and stuff like that, but makerspaces exist everywhere and they have to fit the community that they’re in.”
The space has become a haven for Juneau’s artist community.
“I found the Makerspace because I was looking for access to a pottery wheel and a kiln, and they had both,” said local ceramicist Sierra Barton. “Their membership is affordable for people who are just getting started in small business, which is what I needed.”
Barton utilizes the ceramics studio several days a week to do all of her throwing and firing, and says having access to the space has made all the difference in keeping things affordable as a small business owner.
“I think my business would be non-existent without the Makerspace, to be fully honest,” she said. “Pottery tools and equipment are so expensive. If you want a kiln, you need ventilation and specialty wiring, and I did not have access to any of those things. I’ll forever be singing my gratitude for the Makerspace. I’m getting ready to move and now I can buy a wheel because of the work I’ve done at the Makerspace that let me build a pottery business.”
Success stories like Barton’s are fairly common among members and are at the foundation of the Juneau Makerspace’s mission. A magnet for weekend warrior creatives, Bornstein has seen some interesting uses of the space.
“It’s always just like random stuff,” he says of the things he finds people working on. “At one point we showed up and found a gold spray painted toilet seat in the covered walkway. [After some inquiring], somebody was like, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s for my garden.'”
In addition to being a space for artists, artisans, and crafters, the space has also hosted community events. One of Bornstein’s favorite groups that used the space was a sword club that met weekly to teach sword fighting. Art classes are a regular occurrence, as are birthday parties, and this month there will even be an avalanche safety class.
“One of my favorite things about the space is that you just learn so much about so many different things just by hanging out there and just by trying things and absorbing everything,” Bornstein said.
The spirit of the Makerspace is collaborative and members are eager to share tips and tricks across their various hobbies. With so many people working on vastly different projects, the opportunities for cross pollination in this space are seemingly endless.
Moving forward, Bornstein is hoping for some grant funding to help hire an events manager, and hopes to eventually get the kitchen turned into a commercial kitchen space for people interested in starting food-related businesses.
Until then, the Juneau Makerspace will continue on as a creative hub for anyone interested in engaging with the intersection of art and community. Membership for an individual is just $50 per month and includes 24-hour access to the space, a guest pass, and discounts on classes and space rentals. Family memberships are also available for $75 per month.
Rachel Levy is a Juneau-based photojournalist whose work culminates at the intersections of environmental justice, arts and culture, and sustainable tourism. A 2022 graduate of Harvard University's Environmental Policy program, she is also the director of the award-winning documentary "Hidden in Plain Sight" that exposes the labor exploitation and colonial framework burdening Tanzania's safari industry.
