Production Category Spotlight: Make Salt Lake

by Susannah Anders

Make Salt Lake is Salt Lake City’s Premier Makerspace.

What’s a Makerspace? A Makerspace is a shared collective community interested in creating.

“A way to pursue your passion project funded by us.” – Ben Shop Manager

About seven years ago, Kelly Anderson and his friends were looking for a space to pool their resources, share their tools, and work on projects together. This is how Make Salt Lake was born. I sat down with Ben, the current shop manager and only employee, on a rainy afternoon to see what Make Salt Lake is all about. Make Salt Lake is a non-profit, their goal is provide a space for people who want to create, no matter what their passion. Currently, this makerspace has approximately 200 members from all different backgrounds and different levels of expertise. The members are granted 24 hours access to the facilities, along with classes, and certifications.

Make Salt Lake has grown rapidly in the past few years, and as it grows so do the resources available. “When someone in the community comes in with a passion and asks for new tools, if they can show us why these tools would be beneficial, we make it happen.” Make Salt Lake is a makerspace that is sculpted and created through its members. Most of the tools, machines, tables, shelves, all the supplies available has been donated or put on loan by its members. Make Salt Lake gives people in the community the ability to learn a new skill without the roadblocks of access to a workspace or tools. Currently, this makerspace has three different buildings containing a woodshop, a machine shop, sewing room, 3-D printers, an electronics  bench, a plastics station, a leather working station, and much more.

3D Printer at Make Salt Lake. Photo: Sussanah Anders

Resilience is the ability of a system to hold together and maintain its ability to function in the face of adversity. Makerspaces promote community and the importance of shared knowledge. Through sharing these work spaces members also share their expertise, passing this knowledge from person to person. Make Salt Lake is not just a non-profit, it is also a community that is committed to giving people access to tools that allow them to become more self sufficient, and resilient.

Tools at Make Salt Lake. Photo: Sussanah Anders

If you are interested in getting involved there are open nights every Wednesday from 7 to 9 at Make Salt Lake located at 663 West 100 South SLC, UT 84104. For more information regarding classes and meet ups go to http://www.meetup.com/makesaltlake/