Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair. There is a lot to share with you as we close out 2023. It's both humbling and inspiring to reflect on the journey we've shared with you all. In the face of the challenges of the past few years, we have not only persevered but thrived and now the foundation of our new community makerspace has been poured and the walls are going up. A little corner of Talent that was devastated by the Almeda Fire of 2020, is starting to show signs of hope and growth.
I find myself in awe of all that we have accomplished. It’s fair to say that 2023 has been a year of tremendous growth for TMC. From expanding our programming and our community partners, to fostering innovation in our new construction project, we have worked together to grow this organization to be SO MUCH MORE THAN A MAKERSPACE.
Together, we've embraced change, cultivated new ideas, and sowed the seeds for a future brimming with possibilities.
You are an integral part of that growth and I want to thank you for being there for TMC every step of the way.
Your continued support is more important now than ever and will help us continue to grow in 2024.
Thanks to you, we achieved great things in 2023.
The strength of our community is measured not just in numbers but in the impact we have on each other's lives. That said, our growth and impact this year was off the charts! Below are just a few of the things you helped us to accomplish this year.
One Connection at a Time.
We worked with three times as many students this year than last year! But, what I am most proud of is that we did this growth focusing on the individuals in our programs.
Our instructor to student ratio average has remained the same since 2021; One instructor to every 6 student makers.
This is how we make authentic connections with the youth we serve. (It’s also how we can safely teach young children how to use power tools!)
Every TMC instructor is trained in trauma informed care practices, equity, diversity and inclusion, building relationships, and human-centered praxis.
This year you supported us with our education programs including partnerships with:
Phoenix-Talent Schools. We continue to partner with special programs to provide out-of-school opportunities – including Phoenix Talent Rising Academy, Migrant Education, Transitions Programs, and providing professional development for PTS staff on hand-held CNC machining.
B.A.S.E. Southern Oregon (Black Alliance for Social Empowerment). Once a month we provide engaging programming to youth in ceramics, robotics, laser engraving, 3D printing, and more.
Logos Public Charter School. Every week we share the makerspace with students who create unique ceramic sculptures, one-of-a-kind screenprinted items, and custom made wooden furniture pieces.
Juvenile Detention in Jackson and Josephine Counties. We continue to support staff on site developing skills to engage youth in more hands-on creative projects while focusing on building connections.
Maslow Project. Every other week we bring “Buster,” our new mobile mechanic bus, to Maslow Headquarters to teach youth who are homeless how to fix their own bicycles. If they don’t have a bike, we provide one that we can fix up together.
The Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon. We provided weekly hands-on opportunities in robotics, printmaking, and ceramics through the summer.
There are many more education partners who we are grateful to partner with including the SOESD STEAM Hub, Umpqua Valley STEAM Hub,Mid-Valley STEAM Hub, Project Youth Plus, New Bridge High School (part of the Oregon Youth Authority), and the Sacramento Country Day School.
The Heartbeat of Our Community.
You REALLY showed up for our Community Workshops! (More than twice as many workshop participants than in 2022)!
We connected with more of you this year through ceramics, woodworking, technology, textiles, screenprinting, bicycle maintenance, and art. We learned together, made mistakes together, and innovated together.
You made picture frames and bed frames. You sewed tote bags and screenprinted t-shirts. You made mugs and threw bowls. You turned pens on the lathe and you felted creatures. You 3D printed your designs and laser cut nametags. You found your inner maker around our workbenches while you made connections with your neighbors and you shared your joy of making with us.
Celebrating Milestones.
We worked alongside more community partners than ever before! Each community partner represents a relationship with an organization.
We hold these partners close to our hearts when we work with them to better serve the community in line with our mission.
We screenprinted swag with Rogue Food Unites, Bridging Communities, and Rogue to Go. We hosted family workshops and supported events around Día de Los Muertos with Coalición Fortaleza and Scenic G. We sewed aprons with the Talent Garden Club. We collaborated with RV Mentoring and custom made a new sign for their office out of a redwood slab. We hosted local businesses in the shop with support from Talent Business Alliance. We laser-cut native themed ornaments and screenprinted quilt squares to be sent to tribal youth across the country with the team from SOU’s All My Relations. We hosted team building workshops in ceramics with Rogue Climate, Baker Charters Schools, and Pathways. We made gender affirming care packages for the Listening Project with the Rogue Action Center.
And, we worked directly with the team at Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection to provide every-other-month wheelchair maintenance workshops. We’re lucky to be a part of their network providing these services.
Clearly we worked side by side with many more of you – and we’re grateful for every opportunity.
Collaborative Spirit.
Finally, as we look at all we accomplished in 2023, it must be noted that none of it would have been possible without the incredible support of the TMC Team.
Our team grew as we grew. We added 8 new staff and 2 new interns to our team this year - and every single one of them is unique in what they offer to our organization. Many of you have experienced firsthand our instructors’ creative spirits and their passion for their crafts. What you might not see behind the scenes is their kind and compassionate hearts and their unrivaled dedication to continuous learning.
We are lucky to have each and every one of them here genuinely supporting our mission. Please take a moment to find out more about them here.
Looking Ahead.
There’s a lot to be excited about in the year to come. Probably the number one thing on our list is the BIG NEWS:
This year we’ll be moving into our new community makerspace!
If you have attended one of our workshops, you know that our current space is more than just a location— you know that it is more like a living, breathing entity that inspires and nurtures creativity and connection.
From the shared laughter around the pottery wheels to the thoughtful conversations in our tech room, every room is a testament to the power of unity and collaboration.
Our challenge this year will be to bring that sense of belonging and community into our new space. Moving and setting up the new building will require dedicated time, attention to detail, and lots of intentionality. Working with Arkitek Design & Architecture and Outlier Construction has been an incredible experience. They have held our dreams and vision for the new space closely and are literally making those dreams come true.
Our new Permanent Community Makerspace will be completed this year! Thanks to generous funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, The Roundhouse Foundation, The Oregon Community Foundation and other kind individual donors and foundations, we are on our way to reaching our fundraising goal for the new building.
But, WE STILL NEED YOUR SUPPORT to:
If you are still looking to be involved and want to impact our community for generations to come, please consider a year-end gift towards the new makerspace. You can MAKE IT SO. Find details about our incredible construction project here!
Your continued support will help us do even more in 2024.
With your support we will:
Continue our Education Programs and Adult Community Workshops! As we continue to build and work on the new building project, we remain committed to continue our education programs and adult community workshops through the year. We may need to take a small break for moving, but we’ll keep our workshop calendar offerings going strong until we start packing up for the big move! We look forward to having YOU in the shop soon. Check out our workshop calendar for details. Your support also helps to keep workshop costs low and provide full or partial scholarships when needed.
Offer More Open Studio Time. TMC’s goal is to provide an accessible, equitable makerspace for the community. Last month we offered more open studio time in ceramics. In the coming months, we will be trying out different systems so that when we move into the new space it is easily accessible to all! We encourage you to check out our website for more information on Open Studio time.
Can you chip in with a year-end contribution? Every little bit counts and goes directly toward fulfilling our mission of building community by making things together.
To every member of our community, thank you for being the heartbeat that makes our community pulse with life. Your presence, contributions, and support have shaped TMC into something truly extraordinary. We’re excited and grateful to continue on this journey with you all.
Here’s to a beautiful, prosperous New Year.
Thank you for your support, today and everyday as we continue to grow together.
With gratitude,
Alli and the TMC team
Sara, Victor, Butters, Piper, Derek, Summer, Berkeley, Amy, Lucia, Lisa, Kate, Hannah, Carlos, Aiden, Ash, Aki, Nina, Molly, Erin, and Sue (and all the other TMC instructors who teach one class or more with us throughout the year!)
Board of Directors - Gil, Darby, John, Melissa, Vanessa, Joe, Jim, and Risa
*Special thank you to Charley Cross Photography for taking such beautiful photos so we can better tell our story.
With automated monthly donations, you help create stable funding for our staff and programs so that we can spend less time fundraising and more time doing what we do best, teaching and creating!
Please consider becoming a sustaining donor today.