Brand new Makerspace ‘The Pinedale Wyrkshop’ opens
by Pinedale Fine Arts Council
April 21, 2021
A new Makerspace in Pinedale, called the Pinedale Wyrkshop, opens its doors for anyone who seeks access to best-in-class tech tools so they can take their creative projects to the next level.
The newly renovated space in the Sublette BOCES building has an array of advanced technology tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and high-end sewing machines. Pinedale Wyrkshop is a free community makerspace where people of all ages and ability levels can get together to work on projects and share ideas. Makerspaces are not just for tech savvy folks or engineers, but are spaces for anyone to use. Users can tap into emergent technologies, collaborate together, and start projects they may have only ever previously dreamed of. The mission is to demonstrate that anyone can be a maker.
Development of a Makerspace in Pinedale was made possible through a new partnership with the University of Wyoming’s Innovation Wyrkshop, and with financial support from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). It was brought to Pinedale through a joint effort by Sublette BOCES and the Pinedale Fine Arts Council.
The Pinedale Wyrkshop joins a larger network of six "Innovation Wyrkshops" across Wyoming, also found in Cheyenne, Evanston, Laramie, Casper, and Rock Springs. Through a growing library of workshops and programs shared across all Wyrkshop partners, makers effectively gain access to all six spaces for free.
"The idea behind our network is that a maker can learn how to use equipment in one makerspace, and earn the certification necessary to operate that same equipment across the entire network," said Tyler Kerr, Makerspace Coordinator for UW’s flagship Innovation Wyrkshop, and principle facilitator of DVR’s makerspace partnership. "No more retraining, no additional barriers to access, no membership fees. At the heart of it, the name of the game is accessibility and inclusivity."
Funding for the Pinedale Wyrkshop development was provided by DVR as a means to provide young adults opportunities to work alongside and network with their fellow makers. The program will allow students to work alongside experienced makers, while gaining industry credentials through the shared training program. Students also will participate in career roundtable discussions with STEAM educators and industry professionals, attend workshops and gain work experience. This opportunity to add a Makerspace to Pinedale was a joint effort by the Pinedale Fine Arts Council and Sublette BOCES #1.
The Makerspace will be open Tues, Wed and Thurs from 2pm - 8pm and by appointment. To learn more about the Pinedale Wyrkshop and figure out how to get started, visit www.pinedalewyrkshop.com.
To read more about Wyoming’s Wyrkshop makerspace network, visit www.wyrkshop.org.
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