Five guests sat down at the
Make Saint Clair maker space at the Eddy Center in St. Clair with wooden embroidery hoops, tiny scissors, and colorful thread on a frigid weeknight evening.
One of the class participants, Jamie Leslie immediately signed up for the embroidery class when she saw it posted on
Facebook.
“It’s been a trying new things kind of year,” Leslie says. “I want to create art.”
St. Clair native Anson Pavlov launched the space late last year as a collaborative community space for creatives, remote workers, freelancers, and anyone in the community to gather.
Inside are cameras, 3D printers, computers, editing software, a green screen, video recording equipment, laser engravers, and other creative equipment that guests can use for personal or professional projects. He also provides basic training for guests who are new to the equipment.
“A maker space is a place where people of all different types of creative backgrounds can come together and make stuff in one room,” Pavlov says. “It’s half community workshop, half gathering space for events and things.”
Creators can host classes, workshops, or community events, such as photography or embroidery classes, open mic nights, poetry slams, or community concerts. Class topics are limited only by creators’ imaginations.
Pavlov hopes the space will be a place to foster community and creativity.
“I want people to consider this a place to gather and something to do,” Pavlov says. “I’m a big believer in third spaces, somewhere that’s not home and it’s not work, but somewhere that everybody can go and just hang out. I want people to think of the maker space as a nice night out. I want to empower people to find their own creativity.”
How It All Began
Pavlov’s idea for a collaborative creative space grew from his desire to connect with other creators through his freelance photography, videography, and graphic design work. He serves clients throughout the Blue Water Area, Lansing, and Metro Detroit through his media company,
Finch Multimedia.
When a suite at
The Eddy Center opened, Pavlov brought his idea to life. He stocked the makerspace mostly with equipment he already owned; although he estimates he invested between $5,000 and $7,000 of his funds to purchase additional equipment and to get the space up and running.
He held an open house as Make Saint Clair’s first official event in November 2024.
Making Art Accessible
Pavlov wants creatives and potential businesses to connect and share ideas, skills, and resources.
“I know there are other creatives in this area who are better at the things that I do than me, and I want to meet them,” he says. “I want to learn from them. I want to give them a platform to teach their craft, and that’s a big reason why I wanted to do this.”
Creatives often find themselves with an idea, but not the resources to bring them to life because they don’t have the funds for expensive equipment like professional cameras or 3D printing machines, Pavlov says.
He adds the open-air nature of the one-room space allows guests to modify the room however they like.
“One of the great things about the space is that it’s very modular,” Pavlov says. “There are a bunch of standing desks on wheels that can be configured how you want. Or, for the embroidery class, it’s going to look different than the photography class. I set up the room however you want it and make sure the tools you want to use are available to you.”
The makerspace is also a nonprofit, with prices designed to be as accessible as possible, Pavlov says.
Katie Weatherly, a volunteer and family friend of Pavlov, says she plans to use the space for creative projects such as videos and sound recordings.
“I’m excited to have a spot that is like a library of resources,” she says. “There are so many things I wanted to do in the past, but I didn’t have the room or resources to do it. Now I do.”
Lori Weatherly, a teacher with the non-profit sees the space as a place to share her passion for fiber arts with others. She had free time as a retiree and a stash of embroidery supplies at home, so she approached Pavlov to host the maker space’s first set of classes.
Makerspace guests can sign up to use the space at a specific date and time through
Make Saint Clair’s website. Guests can also sign up for a one-time drop-in pass for $10; a monthly membership for unlimited use during open hours and half-off all events for $25 per month; or a seven-day punch card for $50. Ticket prices for events, classes, and workshops vary.
The makerspace also accepts donations and feedback through its website. Sponsorships for local businesses will be available in the future.
Upcoming events include Game Night,
Poetry Night, and a
beginner photography class.