Page 4 • Wednesday , March 29 , 2017 • The Hammonton Gazette
Hammonton celebrates NJ Makers Day
THG / Stephen Pistone . To purchase photos in The Gazette , call ( 609 ) 704-1940 .
Images from the Hammonton celebrations of NJ Makers Day . Left : Joseph ( top left ) and Theresa Barberio ( right ) paint recycled plastic bottles at an art station set up my Warehouse 15 to celebrate New Jersey Makers Day on March 25 . Right : Members of the Hammonton Makers at Warehouse 15 , the future site of a makerspace that will serve as a business incubator and workshop for people to learn and practice various maker skills and trades . The Hammonton Makers
MAKER , from Page 1 littleBits and arduino open-source ,
electronic prototyping kits and several arts and crafts materials and instructional books in order to foster the creativity and ingenuity of Makers Day .
Librarian Michael Bleming oversees the initiative to promote the maker supplies within the library and said he is a proponent of encouraging these types of skills — especially to children — because they are valuable , practical skills that should be instilled at a young age while the mind is still developing .
“ these are major skills that most people should probably learn as early as they can ... it ’ s good to introduce that to kids because there ’ s so much time in school spent at a screen and using things other people have created . it ’ s good to get kids thinking about doing things themselves and making things themselves ,” Bleming said . along with several public libraries throughout the state , public makerspaces are a key venue for Makers Day activities . they serve as incubators for any aspiring craftsmen or artists looking to hone various skills pertaining to making , tinkering , creating , learning and innovating . for about three years , the Hammonton Makers have been working to bring such a space to town and during this year ’ s Makers Day , showcased the site of their upcoming makerspace . Warehouse 15 is located at 15 eighth St ., the former site of the J . Morano & Sons . trustees of the Hammonton Makers set up various maker stations and live demonstrations along the property and also laid out the plans for Warehouse 15 for any potential members . the warehouse is projected to be broken up into five separate sections , including a community kitchen and wood shop ; a section serving as a lobby and main office with classrooms and studios ; a section with a computer lab , more offices and studios ; and a metal shop .
Not only will the space serve as a prime environment to learn and practice various maker skills , but the vision is also for Warehouse 15 to serve as a space to start and operate their businesses while collaborating with neighbors and avoiding the expensive overhead that usually comes with it . the plan is for Warehouse 15 to include 18 sheds available for office and studio rentals .
Hammonton Makers trustee robert Derose said he believes Warehouse 15 has the potential to be a valuable asset to members who are looking to advance their business and don ’ t want to do so out of their homes or pay a fortune to do so out of a traditional office space .
“ You come and your rent a space , make it yours , and it ’ s better than working at your house . it ’ s a place where you can actually bring clients and can actually have meet-
are a volunteer non-profit organization who have worked towards building maker culture for multiple years . ings . Whereas you ’ re at a house , it ’ s really kind of hard ,” Derose said .
Derose also said the goal is to keep the membership fee below $ 100 a month once a stable amount of paying members is generated , and the offerings of Warehouse 15 will be tailored according to the interest and demands of the community . as of now , more than 30 people have expressed interest in joining the makerspace as members .
Celeste Bumpus has been one of the chief driving forces behind the Hammonton Makers and their efforts to create a strong maker culture in Hammonton . Bumpus said New Jersey Makers Day is a good opportunity to showcase to local residents , young and old , the importance of learning how to make things , whether it is stained glass , birdhouses or sculptures made out of scrap metal .
“ this is a family event . i ’ ve really been pushing that because i want the parents to understand how important it is for young kids to use their hands and make things . it kind of changes the way their brain thinks … it is all things that are going to help them in all their subject matters in school ,” Bumpus said . as for the parents , having a local maker space can allow them to learn about various trades they may
have missed out on when they were children .
“ it ’ s a new opportunity for [ parents ] too , to foster something that they might have been curious about . So , we ’ re going to have classes and workshops that will be for all ages ,” Bumpus said . the Hammonton Makers are hoping to help enrich the virtue of hands-on craftsmanship for the next generation , which in turn helps generate interest in Science , technology , education , art and Mathematics ( S . t . e . a . M .) education and careers . trustees acknowledge that Warehouse 15 is a work in progress that has no determined date of completion but want potential investors to know they ’ re committed to their cause and have a viable foundation in place to support makers of all ages for years to come .
“ We ’ re doing events like this to show different organizations we ’ re serious about this , we ’ re putting our money where our mouth is ,” Derose said . anybody interested in learning more , can visit njmakersday . org . to learn more about the initiative of the Hammonton Makers , e-mail info @ hammontonmakers . org or visit www . hammontonmakers . org .