Open Works
Open Works COVID-19 Update 1/8/2021
Happy New Year! We are relieved and reflective as we turn the page on 2020. It was a tough year, but these wonderful folks made it a lot easier to bear! In coming weeks, we’ll be releasing our 2020 annual report and focusing on the work ahead.
Despite the flip on the calendar, we are under the same COVID-19 restrictions as before, so we thought this would be a good time to update everyone on our current planning for 2021:
- We are still in Phase 1 of both Baltimore City’s and Open Works’ reopening plan.
- According to the latest numbers from the Governor’s office, 100% of frontline workers and highly vulnerable folks should be vaccinated by the end of March
- We are currently planning to be fully reopen for 7-day-a-week access and in-person programming by the end of June, assuming vaccinations stay on track.
In the meantime, we are excited to roll out a wider array of online programming, continue improvements to the space while traffic is low, and and continue to offer space and tools to businesses who need them. Want to join our community this year? Sign up for a virtual community orientation to learn more.
Under COVID-19 capacity caps, we are still operating on a day-pass only model. Pay as little as $10.50/visit when you buy a multi-pack in advance — a 58% discount from pre-pandemic day pass pricing!
We were blown away by the response to our rowhouse gingerbread kits last month! We sold 106 kits and were able to donate 30 kits to families in Johnston Square and Greenmount West. We’ve also got merch, masks, and more in our online store — check it out today!
While you’re on our page, please consider signing up as a recurring donor for as little as $5/month. Your contribution will help us extend programming online and keep fulfilling our mission even as the COVID-19 crisis drags on.
Speaking of new programming . . .
Join Open Works and maker mastermind Audrey Van-De Castle on February 13th in a virtual workshop to create a functioning robot hand!
Young folks ages 8-12 learn about automation and robotics in a manufacturing setting, see videos of real robotic arms and hands working in a factory and understand how they move, grasp and point!
Sign up via MindBody (if you don’t have an account with us, you will be prompted to make one first), and you’ll get a link emailed to you the week of the class. Saturday, Feb. 13 from 10 AM-noon. $15.
More interested in grown-up subjects? We’ve got you covered! Take some action on your New Year’s resolutions to learn something new with one of our 7 virtual safety classes. Take the FREE online course on Teachable, then register for an in-person Skill Show session ($55) to get some guided hands-on time with the tools from one of our expert instructors.
Inspired by Desks by Dads, our friends at Tiny WPA in Philly have been making these beautiful desks for students who don’t have a dedicated place to learn from home. Much like our Makers Unite effort in the spring, we are trying to gauge need for a similar effort here in Baltimore. Learning at home? Need a desk? Email our team using the link below.
Link Soup
+ Sandtown Furniture expanding into a custom 32,000 S.F. workshop
+ Is Apple building an autonomous electric car with Hyundai?
+ BmoreArt recaps 2020 — including mutual aid programs like Makers Unite
Open Works Weekly 3/12/2021
Baltimore's Covid trends are all headed in the right direction! With vaccines rolling out, warm weather on the way, and a long hard winter of social distancing behind us, it looks like a move to Phase 2 of the City's reopening plan isn't too far off. However, Mayor...
Open Works Weekly 3/5/2021
Big thank you to Margaret (pictured), Audrey, and the whole team at Stanley Black and Decker! On top of supporting Makers Unite with tool and dollar donations, they have cut 79 desks for us on their CNC router up in Towson! We picked up the second batch on Wednesday,...
Open Works Weekly 2/19/2021
Makers Unite is going worldwide! We've now had 52 downloads of our desk plans from 14 states, Canada, Australia, and India! Our first local distribution is tomorrow, with just about 200 scheduled to go out the door. We are so excited to get these in the hands of kids...
Open Works Weekly 2/5/2021
We have cut over 700 individual desk pieces weighing almost two tons since production started last Monday. That's a lot of desks! We are planning our first distribution days for next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12 + 13, and we need your help. We are looking for...
Open Works COVID-19 Update 1/15/2021
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Greenmount West Community Center and the New Greenmount West Community Association have been collecting and distributing food to neighbors in need. As of the new year, they have been able to secure larger donations from...
Open Works Weekly 10/30/2020
Since July, we have been busy filming, writing, and editing our new online/hybrid safety certification pathway! We are excited to finally release it today! The City of Baltimore is still in Phase Two of their COVID-19 reopening plan. During this time, we must cap our...
Open Works Weekly 8/7/2020
Need to get out of the house? Open Works has been humming! (in an appropriate, socially-distanced, totally-masked-up-but-chill-vibes kinda-way ;) We'd love to have you down as a guest in our beautiful shops again. Sign up for a reservation and grab a multi-pack of day...
Open Works Weekly 7/31/2020
Need to get out of the house? Need access to powerful tools? We've got about 30 gorgeous micro-studios at your disposal, each with a desk, brand-new sneeze guards, four outlets, wi-fi, tons of natural light, high ceilings, fantastic ventilation, cool neighbors -- and...
Open Works Weekly 7/17/2020
The last time America faced a crisis this big, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in office. Fortunately, he just had a Depression to deal with -- not a pandemic as well! Open Works supports dozens of small businesses, most of which are too small to have qualified for the...
Open Works Weekly 7/10/2020
Over the last 100 days, Open Works stood up while most of the world had to hunker down. We did whatever it took to protect our neighbors, our community, and the frontline fighters staring down COVID in hospital corridors and on city streets. Above are just a few of...
Shops Are Open!
Hello! We are ready for you! Sign up for a reservation and come on down for some shop time starting Tuesday, July 7th at 10 AM. Reservations are now active for all shops in MindBody or give us a call at 410-862-0424. Please note that we are closed tomorrow, July 4th,...
Countdown to Reopening — FIVE DAYS!
Hello! We are SO EXCITED to welcome you back next week! We've been busy upgrading the space, installing new storage, setting up new tools, and making sure we are ready to be as safe as humanly possible. Like that crisp orange woodgrain mask? It's fresh out of SewLab...
Open Works Reopening 7/1/2020
Hello! Happy Juneteenth! Today we celebrate the day the last enslaved people in Texas learned of emancipation at the close of the Civil War. Not familiar? Learn more about this holiday here. Going forward, we will be adding Juneteenth to the national holidays that we...
Open Works COVID-19 Update 6/6/2020
Hello! We hope everyone continues to be safe and healthy in these perilous times. In the past week, the country has been reckoning with decades of racialized policing. We are proud to have supported Baltimore's peaceful protestors by distributing over 500 face...
Open Works COVID-19 Update 5/29/2020
Hello! We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these perilous times. Thank you to everyone who filled out our survey or joined us for the Community Zoom call last Saturday. We've put the call up on YouTube here and would still love to hear your thoughts on...
Open Works COVID-19 Update 4/30/2020
As the COVID-19 crisis grinds on in Maryland, we are continuing to manufacture critical medical equipment for frontline workers. The Makers Unite initiative has grown so large that we just launched a new permanent online home for it at www.mdmakersunite.org. Check it...
SPECIAL COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENT UPDATE
In light of rapidly unfolding public developments, including Howard County's closure of all public spaces under emergency order late this afternoon, we have made the difficult decision to close Open Works for one week effective 3 PM tomorrow, Monday, March 16. Please...
Classes + Events / Week of 3/16/2020
Our metal shop unlocks a whole new level of making, from sheet-metal forming to alloy welding to CNC plasma cutting. Level up with us this week -- we've got BOTH Metal 1 (Safety) and TIG Welding on the schedule. Give us a call at 410-862-0424 or click the link below...
SPECIAL COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENT
Hello! Thank you for being a part of the Open Works community. In addition to our educational and community programs, Open Works supports dozens of small businesses and entrepreneurs who depend on our resources for their livelihoods. We take our commitment to all of...
OW Weekly / 3/9/2020
Youth Maker Camp registration is now LIVE! Join us for one of our 5 week-long, half-day Maker Camps starting July 6th. We have sessions in drones, laser cutting, and sewing this summer. Register here! Not affordable for your family? Scholarships available. + Maker...
OW Weekly / 3/2/2020
Our spring session of Youth Maker Shop is now open for registration! It runs Thursday afternoons from April 16th to May 21st from 4-6 PM with everyone's favorite instructor, Ms. Sharmane! Youth will learn to sew from patterns and make their own bags, clothes, and...
Classes + Events / Week of 3/2/2020
Last year, we had 68 enrollments in our Senior Foundation series! Over 55? Join us for a 4-class series in Wood or Textiles or a revised 5-week version of our Laser class. Can't afford the sticker price? No worries -- it's pay what-you-can. Last year, over half of our...
OW Weekly / 2/24/2020
Meet Blou Harrison! She is a fashion and shoe designer who just set up shop in our upstairs studios. She first engaged with Open Works in 2017 for the very first cohort of our Teen Maker program, then continued into the next school year. After graduating from...
Classes + Events / Week of 2/24/2020
Always wanted to fix that old chair that Grandma gave you? Have an alley rescue that needs a little DIY love? Join us for our Upholstered Footstool class on 3/1! This five hours class covers all the basics of upholstery -- AND you get to keep your...
OW Weekly / 2/17/2020
This photo was taken 8 years ago -- a year before our building was acquired and 4-1/2 years before we opened our doors as Open Works proper. Since then, we've seen hundreds of new affordable housing units -- and hundreds of new faces -- move into the...
Classes + Events / Week of 2/17/2020
Check out our 2-session CNC Plasma Safety class this week. The first session is this coming Tuesday evening, 2/18, from 6-9 PM. Not enough metal for you? Follow it up with TIG Welding Safety on Saturday morning. Prefer less sparky crafts? We've got something in...
OW Weekly / 2/10/2020
Long-time member and 2017 EnterpRISE 2nd-place winner Groundbird Gear just expanded to a FOURTH studio last week! We are so excited to have been able to facilitate their growth with more space, training, and access to tools over the last 3 years. Their...
Classes & Events / Week of 2/10/2020
CNC routers are some of the most powerful tools in our shop, capable of machining plywood, hard plastic, and even aluminum! They are big, loud, and can seem a bit intimidating -- that's why we offer a 6-hour CNC Safety class, so you can get a more thorough intro...
OW Weekly / 2/3/2020
Thank you SO MUCH to Made in Baltimore members for voting us Best Maker Resource 2019! We are also excited to welcome MIB back as a tenant -- expect some new workshops and programming later this spring. Want to join them and 103 other awesome maker-neighbors? We...
Classes & Events / Week of 2/3/2020
Interested in becoming one of the most legendary designers of all time? Winning the Pritzker Prize (the Nobel of architecture)? Cool, no biggie, just join us for Wood Bending on Monday and learn how to get sculptural like Frank Gehry. We can't give you the...
