MakerSpace move allows for greater creativity

This month, Gorge MakerSpace will be moving from the basement of the Community Youth Center, to Bethel Church’s Fellowship Hall located behind Harvest Market.

“It’s going to be really nice, I feel like I kind of just lucked out,” said Gorge MakerSpace director Jackson Perrin. After last year’s string of camps, and instructing over 250 kids, Perrin found the basement of the Youth Center to be a bit cramped.

“This past winter I realized we were too crowded down there,” he said. “I had a holiday camp, and there was just so many kids.” After sending out inquiries about local building space, Perrin received a tip that Bethel United Church was looking for a tenant to fill its Fellowship Hall building.

The move came at the right time for Gorge MakerSpace, he said. Perrin was ready to take the project from the basement of the Community Youth Center, “To something larger.”

Perrin and Bethel Church Rev. Kelly Ryan soon came to an agreement on Gorge MakerSpace moving in to the church’s space. “She [Ryan] said they actually had some people sleep in here at night, homeless folks breaking in and sleeping here,” Perrin noted. The move is a win-win for both parties, Gorge MakerSpace’s presence will keep the building occupied and clean, while growing into a stronger community program.

The move has been a community effort, from local tech companies donated work benches and photocopiers, to Bethel Church donating the building’s rent for the program to be housed for free.

“That’s what’s been really neat about this move, I’ve just felt kind of affirmed by the community,” said Perrin. “Last year I had nine camps. This will just work a lot better for that many people.”

In the new space, Perrin plans to hold all the same camps and workshops while adding a few more. “I’m going to do a Saturday morning workshop for kids and then I’ll do summer camps too. I think eventually, if I increase the number of digital tools, then it could be a really useful place for adults to come in too, and work in the evening or on weekends just to have access to them.”

“Eventually what would be really great is just to have open studio hours,” Perrin added, “so, it’s not a class just people that want to come in and use the equipment. I’ll add that in the late spring.”

The program will still work with the Community Youth Center and provide activities for kids. Perrin plans to have the program run throughout the moving process.

“All I need is a floor, all I need is an open space, and I can still have kids doing stuff,” Perrin said with a laugh.

Gorge MakerSpace will hold a grand opening celebration in its new space (32 Pioneer Pl, White Salmon) on Saturday March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.