Thomas Asmuth always had the vision that the Makerspace inside the Museum of Commerce would create community engagement.
“The real power of them is when we get communities to intersect,” said Asmuth, artist and University of West Florida professor. “I’ve seen magic happen when two people who happen to be working on individual projects are in the same lab.”
And that’s what he found with the Makerspace Studio course, which is offered through UWF’s Continuing Education.
The catalog of continuing education courses is varied, from career training to youth programs and personal enrichment. The Makerspace Studio course provides an opportunity for non-degree students to use 3D printers, laser engravers, CNC mills, and sewing machines to design and fabricate both art and functional objects.
No prior experience is necessary to enroll in the course. It’s open to anyone who is curious about the machines or wants to further develop their skills.
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“We are in a very creative community with the high-tech used at the university, military bases, and so we have people who relocate here and have years of experience in these types of shops,” said Asmuth. “This provides them an opportunity to come in and add their expertise to our community at the university.”
For students who want to continue using the studio beyond the class, they can enroll in Open Studio sessions for monthly access.
“You’ll be around professionals where you can develop a project on a month-to-month basis,” explained Asmuth.
The holidays may be a time when people want to come in and create one-of-a-kind gifts, he added.
Students in the pilot course had backgrounds in architecture, coding, and at least one student was active duty military. Asmuth called them “technologically creative.”
“It’s a real spectrum of people,” he said.
Helping people tap into their creativity is rewarding for Asmuth. The course opens that opportunity for more engagement and involves practical use of STEAM education.
“Deep down, I just want to create all the time, and it’s much more fun if you have a community,” he said. “It’s allowed me to learn so many things from so many fields.”
Learn more about the Makerspace Studio course and open hours here.
