Innovate and Create: MakerLab - Where Creativity Knows No Limits

Open the door to limitless creativity at MakerLab, the dynamic makerspace in Southwest Colorado. As a community-led makerspace, MakerLab empowers individuals to harness their creativity through an array of powerful tools and a network of like-minded individuals. From the metal shop to the woodworking lab, laser lab, textile lab, 3D printing lab, and electronics lab, MakerLab is where ideas flourish and collaborations come to life. You're watching the Local News Network, brought to you by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q in Sky Ute Casino. I'm Sadie Smith.

A lot of the reason for makerspaces is that we have so much equipment here that people can't really own all of this themselves. It's expensive, it takes a lot of space, but when we come together as a community, we can afford to have all of this and have access to it and keep it up and keep it maintained, and being part of a community, we can learn to do this together and work together, not only in putting the equipment together, making it run, but using it in making projects.

MakerLab isn't just a space filled with tools. It's a community-driven haven where individuals unite to overcome the challenges of ownership, costs, and space. At its core, MakerLab is a community of creatives and problem solvers with a passion for making and creating. MakerLab enables people to not only operate a variety of equipment, but to also collaborate on meaningful projects.

We are all volunteers. There are no staff members here, so we all run it together as a community. Different people volunteer to run certain areas and take charge of certain pieces of equipment and make sure they're maintained and that people are using them properly, and other members take on different events and projects.

The MakerLab showcased its remarkable capabilities in the creation of the Snowdown float, a display that not only caught the eyes of many, but also earned them the Best Float Award in the Snowdown parade. If you witnessed the parade, it would have been hard to overlook their float adorned with luminous dancing mushrooms and vibrant neon lights.

Absolutely. That was a really fun process. It was very much a group project. All kinds of members participated right from the beginning, from idea formation to making it all happen. We used our textiles lab to make the mushroom hats and costumes. We had people doing electronics, creating the electronics from absolute scratch to control all of the lights and the sounds and linking everything together. We had structural, people building the structure for the float, the platform, and the stands for the mushrooms. And we had people who have amazing skills with lights and sound that brought all the speakers and the lights and made it all work just right. It was really quite the brilliant combination of making at all levels.

Whatever sparks your creative vision, MakerLab provides the tools to turn your imagination into reality. From the precision of industrial sewing and leather equipment to cutting-edge technology of 3D printers and laser cutters to the versatility of table saws, MakerLab showcases a comprehensive array of resources. In order to access these state-of-the-art tools, interested individuals must first pay a fee to become a member.

As a member, you have 24/7 access to the space, after taking the intro safety class and the intro classes for the various areas to learn the tools. We do classes here. So as you come in and are learning things, you get the classes not only for the safety, but how to use the equipment, and then project classes to take your education a little bit further and get deeper into the various ways of making that we have.

Whether you're a seasoned creator or just starting out your journey, MakerLab invites you to join their community. Explore your passion and let your imagination soar. Learn more about this story and others at durangolocal.news Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Network. I'm Sadie Smith.