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
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Open Works Weekly 6/24/22
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