{"id":139,"date":"2022-06-30T13:50:40","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T17:50:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/?page_id=139"},"modified":"2026-07-03T14:08:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T18:08:39","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Pedagogy Meets Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div id=\"attachment_1801\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1801\" class=\"wp-image-1801 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-300x226.jpg\" alt=\"The Makerspace @ Williams College\" width=\"300\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/01\/Makerspace-studio-20250130-398x300.jpg 398w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1801\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Makerspace (Sawyer 248)<\/p><\/div>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The Makerspace and FabLab<\/strong> are inclusive communities of practice that foster critical making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative problem-solving. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>We transform your ideas into outcomes<\/strong> using traditional and emerging technologies. We support the Williams <a href=\"https:\/\/www.williams.edu\/about\/mission-values\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mission<\/a> to <em>\u201cendow graduates with an enduring spirit of inquiry and exploration, and a firm desire to lead lives of meaning and purpose.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Project support:<\/strong> David and his <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/about\/\">student workers<\/a> partner with faculty, students, and staff to support curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular projects that address real-world challenges. He will help you design your project and order materials. We do not charge for labor and simply ask that faculty or groups reimburse material costs.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Contact: <\/strong>Email David Keiser-Clark (<a href=\"mailto:dwk2@williams.edu\">dwk2@williams.edu<\/a>) to discuss your project.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Makerspace:<\/strong> We offer state-of-the-art equipment, materials, and a connection with the <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/makersweb\/\">MakersWeb<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Our expertise:<\/strong> 3D scanning, modeling, printing, and post-processing; laser cutting and engraving; microcontroller prototyping with Arduino and Raspberry Pi; woodworking; and metalworking.\r\n<div id=\"attachment_2595\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-scaled.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2595\" class=\"wp-image-2595 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"The FabLab (Sawyer 247)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2025\/11\/fablab2-400x300.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2595\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The FabLab (Sawyer 247)<\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>FabLab:<\/strong> Explore fiber arts during our <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/calendars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open Hours<\/a>. Bring your project, start one, or learn new skills at our free artist-led workshops.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Our expertise:<\/strong> bookbinding, button making, cardmaking, Cricut stickers, crocheting, drawing, embroidery, knitting, mold making, needle felting, paper crafts, quilting, rope making, sewing, spinning, T-shirt printing, visible mending, weaving, and zine-making.<br><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li>\r\n<div id=\"attachment_3147\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3147\" class=\"wp-image-3147 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-300x226.jpg\" alt=\"The FabLab (Sawyer 247)\" width=\"300\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/files\/2026\/04\/FabLab-studio-closeup-20260418-scaled-1-398x300.jpg 398w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3147\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The FabLab (Sawyer 247)<\/p><\/div>\r\n<strong>Group reservations:<\/strong> Faculty, students, and staff can reserve the FabLab (and a student worker) for classes, RSOs, and group activities. Capacity: FabLab (14), nearby FCC breakout room (24).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our student workers <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/projects\/\"><strong>publish blog posts<\/strong><\/a> that synthesize and contextualize their contributions, amplifying the work of project stakeholders and sharing knowledge with a broader audience. We are committed to sustainability and prioritize the use of upcycled and reclaimed materials whenever possible.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2>Critical Making<\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Critical making<\/strong> is a practice that combines critical thinking with hands-on making to explore or critique the relationship between technology, art, design, and social issues [<a href=\"https:\/\/current.ecuad.ca\/what-is-critical-making\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1<\/a>]. \u201cCritical making is an elision of two typically disconnected modes of engagement in the world\u2014<strong>\u2018critical thinking,\u2019<\/strong> often considered as abstract, explicit, linguistically based, internal and cognitively individualistic; and <strong>\u2018making,\u2019<\/strong> typically understood as material, tacit, embodied, external and community-oriented\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/671473287\/Matt-Ratto-FLWR-PWR-Tending-the-Walled-Garden#content=query:elision,pageNum:2,indexOnPage:0,bestMatch:false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2<\/a>]. It is a way of learning through doing, where the act of making is used as a tool for critical reflection and analysis.<\/p>\r\n<blockquote>\r\n<p><q><span class=\"big\" style=\"font-size: 18px\">If I\u2019m studying a piece of art, but have no idea how it&#8217;s made, my capacity to learn from and about it is limited. But if I can walk down the hall and see \u2013 and even try \u2013 those techniques, I\u2019ll have a far greater understanding.<\/span><\/q><span style=\"font-size: 14px\"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\u2014 Williams Art History student<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n<h2><strong>Location and Hours<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Makerspace <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/calendars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open Hours<\/a>: Sawyer Library, Room 248<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>FabLab <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/calendars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open Hours<\/a>: Sawyer Library, Room 247<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><strong>Program Manager: <\/strong>David Keiser-Clark<br><strong>Contact:<\/strong> <a href=\"mailto:dwk2@williams.edu\">dwk2@williams.edu<\/a><br><strong>Social media:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/williams.makerspace\/\">instagram<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Makerspace and FabLab are inclusive communities of practice that foster critical making, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative problem-solving. We transform your ideas into outcomes using traditional and emerging technologies. We support the Williams mission to \u201cendow graduates with an enduring &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1502,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-139","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1502"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139"}],"version-history":[{"count":195,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3252,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/139\/revisions\/3252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/makerspace\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}