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• 🗞️ News ↓

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• 🖼️ Throwbacks ↓

• 🎨 Ways to support ↓

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Hi Friend 👋🏾

Quick FYI that this week’s newsletter is a weeee bit longer than last week. I got giddy with excitement and had to let you in on all the nitty gritty details. I hope you see yourself in our journey, and visit us soon.

Best,

✨ Jaleria Rivera, Founder

🗞️ News ↓

Wowza, some of you donated to our space! Thank you for contributing to the next generation of maker space in Knoxville. Today, we are paying out pocket for all upcoming renovations to the space.

We believe that incremental change is better than a debt-induced one. Why look for an investor, when we can build it all debt free? I mean, that’s what day-time corporate jobs are for!

Without further ado here are the upcoming renovations, plus the partners making it happen:

• We recently installed ~75 sqft mirrors with the support of Maddei and Wesleigh from Knox Community Street Dance. This is hands down the simplest and cheapest project we’ve completed so far! It was a non-negotiable to have mirrors at SpaceCraft because they are an essential tool for dance. But, as many of you know, studio mirrors are DUMB expensive! Instead, I opted for 16 mainstay mirrors. With the support of the velcro command hooks, we were in business. Today, we have a lovely mirror wall that elongates the space and bounces the sunlight.

• We’re installing a ~325 sqft dance floor with the support for our board members, Jessica and Josh Wright from Machinations. During a random weekday, we visited Stover’s in Oak Ridge to stomp, dance, and walk across soooo many types of flooring. We landed on a snap and lock vinyl floor with built-in underlayment (yes, I learned flooring terminology—teehee). It was truly a blast chittie chatting in the car and buying little mystery jewelry bags. I got a squirrel ring!

• We’re building custom module storage window benches with wood worker extraordinaire, Rainey Rawles. I know social media sucks, but my goodness instagram’s algorithm knows me. One night, I saw someone build a gorgeous and funky designer bench for under ~$100! Ofc, I was hooked and needed to make a version for SpaceCraft. I’m slick embarrassed going to Home Depot by myself, so I called my friend Rainey. We were in last year’s Let Her Lead program together, and I knew she was the best person to trust with this project. Teach a girl to woodwork, amirite?

• We’re upgrading our windows with a custom mural designed by Ari Farley. Once again, instagram did its thing and recommended Ari on my fyp. I was in awe by this woman’s work and loved seeing a black woman express joy + authenticity in her art. The moment SpaceCraft was ready to invest, I filled out her booking page so fast!. Turns out, we’re fans of each other! It’s a pleasure to support Ari, as well, as be supported by her. That’s what our arts community is all about.

• We’re elevating our indoor storefront with a custom mural designed by Steph Wadman. Steph is an integral person to SpaceCraft’s success. Not only is she a board member and co-op member, representing Stone Fruit Collective, She is also a dope visual artist! There is genuinely no one I trust more than to bring the zany, playful, and bold nature of SpaceCraft to life.

If you’d like to support the renovations + ease the financial load, you’re welcome to contribute to SpaceCraft here. Or better yet, become a member! I’d love for you to experience the joy of our community first-hand.

We won’t be the scrappy, folding tables + chairs maker space for long—catch us before we hit the big leagues!

🎉 Happenings ↓

View the calendar below to learn more about events, classes, and shows happening at SpaceCraft. Feel free to subscribe to our calendar because it’s ever-evolving as we add more programming.

NEW Tiny Stage is a co-op member and is launching a monthly comedy show, called Supernova! This is a monthly showcase + writers group, where comedians can show off and workshop their jokes with other funny folk.

🖼️ Throwbacks ↓

Tuesday, August 13th marked the first of an on-going gathering called Artists Playground. This gathering was birthed during the pandemic, during a moment in my life where I craved nothing more than to be in community with artists + creatives in my neighborhood.

Following and witnessing art on social media left me feeling isolated and shameful for not consistently creating new work. To satiate this isolation, I read books on gathering, play, and joy activism. One of the pillars of my book collection is The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker; an incredible book that illustrates how to create gatherings that spark conversation, inspire movements, and champion belonging.

This book left me in awe! One of the first gatherings I wanted to bring to life was the Artists Playground. An hours long open session where artists, misfits, and creatives find solace in the simple act of showing up to create. Creativity ebbs and flows. But, community can be a soft ground to land on whenever life gets tough or personal goal setting falls flat.

The Artists Playground is more than an open session, where you come in with scraps and leave with a finished whatchamacallit. It’s a safe haven for us to detach from the noise of technology, the stresses of capitalism, and most importantly a chance to express the full spectrum of our humanity without being silenced. The Artists Playground acts as a revival, or an opportunity, to show up as you are.

🎨 Ways to support ↓

SpaceCraft is open to all mediums, no matter if you craft, make, design, tinker, or shake! Our intention is to become a beacon for all artists seeking a space to make art uninhibited.

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