Sumi-e is the art of Japanese ink painting; a noble and time-honored pursuit of the Japanese scholar. We will cultivate a Zen state of mind by exploring aspects of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. We’ll look at images of Japanese Ink Paintings and learn the basic brush strokes used in this specific type of painting. These techniques can be applied to a variety of painting media. The art is in the touch of the brush stroke, quality of the line, appreciation of the natural world, and the beauty in asymmetry. All supplies are provided. We’ll create multiple paintings. Come to class dressed to paint. Class time 2 hours 30 min.

About the Instructor(s): Allison Zito has been the shop lead in the Fibers Department at Claremont MakerSpace since 2018.  Allison majored in Fibers and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of the Arts. Her artwork has been exhibited in numerous museums including The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA, The Delaware Art Museum, The Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg, and The Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Allison has decades of teaching experience, having taught a variety of classes at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA, and at the University of Pennsylvania Morris Arboretum. She has taught Studio Art in the Upper Valley at AVA Gallery and Art Center, Craftstudies at Hanover League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, ArtisTree, and Claremont Maker Space with stunning results.  Allison Zito was awarded The Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 for her work as an artist and art educator. In 2019 Allison was awarded an Artist in Residency at The Claremont Maker Space. There she created an art installation addressing the issue of Global Warming and she organized a symposium on site, to inspire positive action within the greater community. Allison created two local public art murals in 2021, one for The Sullivan County Conservation District in Unity and Allison created the Bee and the Monarch Medallions on the Lebanon Art Tunnel Way Pollinator Mural. Creating beautiful art in an effort to open a conversation that can inspire hope and action for a better world. This the cornerstone of Allison’s work as an artist and art educator. 

Class Fees: $80 for members/$90 for non-members

Materials Fee: $15 included in the class fee

Prerequisite(s): None

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years and older)

Composite/Multiple-Exposure App User Testing (led by George)

Over-the-shoulder technical working session to test a work-in-progress app being developed by one of our members. We’ll set up stations to play around with the program, testing the user experience and offering feedback as photographers. Feel free to bring some digital photos you’ve taken, and we’ll have stock images available as well.

About the Club

We are a new group of amateur and professional photographers meeting regularly to learn from each other, practice our craft, and develop the community of photographic artists, commercial photographers, and visual storytellers around Claremont and the Upper Valley. Meetings are free for CMS members, and open to the public with a fee to support operations at the MakerSpace. Each meeting is led by one of our members and focuses on a topic of interest chosen by the group: from technical workshops on shooting techniques, to photo critique sessions, gear show & tells, photo walks, and whatever else we come up with together.

About the Instructor(s): Jeff Dietrich is the Winter 2025 Artist in Residence at CMS. He is an emerging art photographer (as well as a writer; wanderer; community engagement professional; historian of frontiers, wilderness, and civilization in US history; and general-purpose dabbler). His photographs explore the intertwined perceptions of our ‘built’ and ‘natural’ worlds, highlighting the intricacy and aesthetics of their design to celebrate the endless journey of iteration and reconstruction that suffuses what we build and what we’ve borrowed. Recurring themes of Jeff’s work include the juxtaposition of order and entropy–finding moments where meticulously designed & constructed forms linger on with signs of breakdown or with unexpected irregularity–and highlighting the innumerable human acts of making that have been hidden amid the scale of our creations. Put another way, he tries to carry his camera whenever he goes somewhere interesting and is constantly finding that means going nowhere without it.

Class Fees: Free for members/$10 for non-members

Age requirement: Any age (children under 16 years old must be accompanied by their adult)

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Welcome to our open knitting and crochet class! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, our warm and friendly group is the perfect place for you to unwind, learn, and create. Join us for cozy afternoons filled with laughter, creativity, and the joy of making something beautiful with your own hands. Bring your projects, share ideas, and make new friends in a relaxed and supportive environment. We can’t wait to stitch together some wonderful memories with you!

About the Instructor(s): Tammy has been machine embroidering for 10+ years. She has enjoyed being a crafter for most of her life. Her hobbies include sewing, quilting, and anything involving wool fiber. She has been teaching knitting, crochet and needle felting for the past 15 years. She has also taught sewing for three years. Tammy is retired and lives in Springfield, Vt. with her husband and two dogs.

Class Fees: Free for members/$10 for non-members

Bring to Class: Bring your works in progress and any supplies you need to work on them

Skill Level: Some knowledge of knitting or crochet

Age requirement: Ages 15 and up

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Helping hands needed to make warm, comforting quilts for Baby Steps in Claremont! Only basic skills needed. Do you know how to use a sewing machine, iron, or rotary cutter? This is not a quilting class, but we will guide you along through the whole process of making twin and crib size quilts for those in need in our area.

Our space is reserved from 1pm to 6pm, but please come when it is convenient for you, even if you can only spare an hour. 

Sponsorship: All materials are provided thanks to a generous donation from a local quilter. Many thanks to Mascoma Bank for sponsoring the program to provide studio space and additional supplies. The Home Depot is supporting this program by providing storage containers to manage the quilting materials. 

About the Instructor(s): Michelle Goldsmith has been sewing since she was eight and quilting since she was eighteen. She has experimented with many different sewing, quilting and mixed media techniques. Michelle has had many pieces of her work in shows and juried exhibits.

Class Fees: Free! Please volunteer your time to help Baby Steps, a very worthy cause.

Materials Fee: None

Prerequisite(s): Sewing experience helpful, but not necessary

Skill Level: All

Age requirement: Youth + Adult (15 years of age and older)

Come learn to use a jewelers saw (or coping saw) to cut out precise shapes from sheet metal! This class will be focused around getting students comfortable using this essential, and somewhat finicky, jewelers tool.

Once comfortable with cutting straight lines, curves, and sharp turns, students can try their hand at cutting out a complex shape of their choice out of copper sheet to take home and turn into a necklace, earring, Christmas tree ornament, or just a good old piece of windowsill clutter.

There is no specific end goal/project for this class, and there is no promise of taking home a finished item, but students can pace themselves however they like during their learning process, and if you would really like to have something to take home at the end of the night, we can make that happen!

This class is open to anyone who is interested in jewelry making, and while experience is recommended, it is not required.

About the Instructor(s):  Theodore is a jeweler and commercial fisherman from Homer, Alaska. He got his start in metal work taking welding classes in high school, but discovered jewelry making when he attended Dartmouth college and began working at the school’s Jewelry studio, falling in love immediately. That was over three years ago now, and Theodore has since graduated from Dartmouth and is doing jewelry work in the Upper Valley area and teaching classes here in Claremont. Theodore’s specialties in jewelry lie in fabricating unconventional forms and metal overlay work, as well as a Japanese metalsmithing technique called mokume gane. 

Class Fees: $70 members/ $80 non-members

Materials Fee: 0 

Prerequisite(s): none

Skill Level:  intermediate / all levels 

Age requirement:  Youth + Adult (15 years and older)

Safety requirement: hair-ties

Welcome to our open knitting and crochet class! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, our warm and friendly group is the perfect place for you to unwind, learn, and create. Join us for cozy afternoons filled with laughter, creativity, and the joy of making something beautiful with your own hands. Bring your projects, share ideas, and make new friends in a relaxed and supportive environment. We can’t wait to stitch together some wonderful memories with you!

About the Instructor(s): Tammy has been machine embroidering for 10+ years. She has enjoyed being a crafter for most of her life. Her hobbies include sewing, quilting, and anything involving wool fiber. She has been teaching knitting, crochet and needle felting for the past 15 years. She has also taught sewing for three years. Tammy is retired and lives in Springfield, Vt. with her husband and two dogs.

Class Fees: Free for members/$10 for non-members

Bring to Class: Bring your works in progress and any supplies you need to work on them

Skill Level: Some knowledge of knitting or crochet

Age requirement: Ages 15 and up

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Spring is in the air and birds will soon be returning to their nesting grounds. Come join us to build a vintage inspired birdhouse for your yard. This 2-part workshop is designed to be a beginner woodworking class for women. Enjoy the company of other women as you learn / practice some basic woodworking skills. No experience required.

About the Instructor(s): I am a Metal Artist, and co-creator of Reimagined Birdhouses and More. I am passionate about repurposing materials. I love using leftover wood, scrap metal and discarded objects, giving them new life through artistic expression. The deconstruction of materials informs me of their new repurposed role whether it be to embellish my birdhouses or in metal art creations. I am a Master Teacher, and I love to inspire others to try something new in a low risk, collaborative environment. My art has been shown locally, regionally and sold nationally. The projects that I am currently working on are, JAC Metal Art and Reimagined -Birdhouses, each are made of rescued and discarded items who have found new life as nesting boxes or sculptural art.

Class Fees: $65 members/$85 non-members

Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee

Bring to Class: Work gloves, closed toe shoes, a hair tie for those with long hair

Skill Level: No prior experience with woodworking

Age requirement: Adults only (18 years and older)

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Community Critique Session (led by Jeff Dietrich)

An important and invaluable ritual for all photographers: bring 1-2 of your favorite photos to put up on the wall for the group to see give feedback. We’ll start with some ground-setting from Jeff on how to give and receive critique. It’s a scary phrase, especially if you’ve never done one before, but critique is not criticism. Critique is a fundamentally communal, supportive act: we build each other up by giving each other the gift of our time and attention, looking care-fully at what others have made. I promise it’ll improve your craft.

About the Club

We are a new group of amateur and professional photographers meeting regularly to learn from each other, practice our craft, and develop the community of photographic artists, commercial photographers, and visual storytellers around Claremont and the Upper Valley. Meetings are free for CMS members, and open to the public with a fee to support operations at the MakerSpace. Each meeting is led by one of our members and focuses on a topic of interest chosen by the group: from technical workshops on shooting techniques, to photo critique sessions, gear show & tells, photo walks, and whatever else we come up with together.

About the Instructor(s): Jeff Dietrich is the Winter 2025 Artist in Residence at CMS. He is an emerging art photographer (as well as a writer; wanderer; community engagement professional; historian of frontiers, wilderness, and civilization in US history; and general-purpose dabbler). His photographs explore the intertwined perceptions of our ‘built’ and ‘natural’ worlds, highlighting the intricacy and aesthetics of their design to celebrate the endless journey of iteration and reconstruction that suffuses what we build and what we’ve borrowed. Recurring themes of Jeff’s work include the juxtaposition of order and entropy–finding moments where meticulously designed & constructed forms linger on with signs of breakdown or with unexpected irregularity–and highlighting the innumerable human acts of making that have been hidden amid the scale of our creations. Put another way, he tries to carry his camera whenever he goes somewhere interesting and is constantly finding that means going nowhere without it.

Class Fees: Free for members/$10 for non-members

Age requirement: Any age (children under 16 years old must be accompanied by their adult)

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Come learn some new metalworking skills! This is a really fun and beginner friendly project that can go in a bunch of different ways depending on how you want to start and finish it. Students can do as many strands in their braid as they would like, but I recommend that everyone starts with just 3.

The base materials price is for a cuff bracelet made in brass or copper, so the charge for a silver cuff will depend on how much metal is used but will most likely be somewhere in the 25–30-dollar range. I recommend bringing cash if you are interested in using other materials.

About the Instructor(s): Theodore is a jeweler and commercial fisherman from Homer, Alaska. He got his start in metal work taking welding classes in high school but discovered jewelry making when he attended Dartmouth college and began working at the school’s Jewelry studio, falling in love immediately. That was over three years ago now, and Theodore has since graduated from Dartmouth and is doing jewelry work in the Upper Valley area and teaching classes here in Claremont. Theodore’s specialties in jewelry lie in fabricating unconventional forms and metal overlay work, as well as a Japanese metalsmithing technique called mokume gane. 

Class Fees: $95 members/$105 non-members

Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee for basic materials

Prerequisite(s): None

Age requirement: Youth and Adult (ages 15 and up)

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Join Us for a Trade Up Claremont Information Session!

Are you ready to gain in-demand skills and take the next step in your career? Trade Up Claremont is a new workforce development initiative offering hands-on training in high-demand trades – facilities maintenance and machining. If you’re looking to start a new career this program can provide the skills and support you need to succeed.

Join us for an information session to learn more about the program and how to enroll:

Location: Claremont MakerSpace, 46 Main St, Claremont, NH
Session 1: Saturday, March 15th at 10:00 AM OR
Session 2: Tuesday, March 25th at 6:00 PM

During the session, you’ll get details on:

• Program timeline and commitment
• What you will get from completing the program
• How our partners are ready to support you in a career change
• Don’t miss this chance to explore an exciting new future in the trades! RSVP today or drop in to learn more.

For questions, contact Cortney at cortney@twinstatemakerspaces.org.

Learn the principles of taking beautiful photos, cull and edit your work, then choose 1-2 to print on archival fine-art paper. This course will also set you up for a planned April workshop on frame-making and mounting (stay tuned for details!)

Session 1: Tools & Taking – Visual Storytelling, Essentials of Photography Equipment & Technique
Session 2: Work Session – Culling, Editing, and Printing Your Photos
Session 2a: Community Critique (free as part of CMS Open Photo Meetups)

Questions and Details

I don’t own a DSLR or mirrorless camera—can I participate?
Absolutely! Smartphone cameras are remarkably powerful tools—they just have some limitations to anticipate and work around (same as professional cameras). I also own a few camera bodies that I don’t use daily, so we can talk about lending something out on an individual basis.

Is there homework?
Call it fieldwork, but yup! You’ll take your photos before Part 2. And after Part 2, we will all be bringing our photos to a CMS Open Photo Meetup for a community critique session. I know that’s a scary phrase if you’ve never done one before, but critique is not criticism, it’s a fundamentally communal, supportive act: we build each other up by giving each other the gift of our time and attention, looking care-fully at what others have made. Critique is how we all learn from each other.

I’ve been taking photos for years, what value will I get out of this class?
Quick pitch? This start-to-finish workshop is an opportunity to challenge yourself to create something that expands your practice, and you’ll contribute to everyone else’s process and product by walking along with them. Some of my most rewarding photos came from putting myself into situations I didn’t strictly have to be in: out of my comfort zone, out of my geography, and often out in the sun (sweating buckets). And most of my editing technique and style came from freeing myself up to play with the tools I saw other people using in ways I wouldn’t have thought of myself.

About the Instructor(s): Jeff Dietrich is the Winter 2025 Artist in Residence at CMS. He is an emerging art photographer (as well as a writer; wanderer; community engagement professional; historian of frontiers, wilderness, and civilization in US history; and general-purpose dabbler). His photographs explore the intertwined perceptions of our ‘built’ and ‘natural’ worlds, highlighting the intricacy and aesthetics of their design to celebrate the endless journey of iteration and reconstruction that suffuses what we build and what we’ve borrowed. Recurring themes of Jeff’s work include the juxtaposition of order and entropy–finding moments where meticulously designed & constructed forms linger on with signs of breakdown or with unexpected irregularity–and highlighting the innumerable human acts of making that have been hidden amid the scale of our creations. Put another way, he tries to carry his camera whenever he goes somewhere interesting, and is constantly finding that means going nowhere without it.

Class Fees: $80 for members/ $120 for non-members

Materials Fee: $10 materials fee included in the class fee

Bring to Class: Session 1: notebook and open mind; plus optional digital camera, laptop. Session 2: camera with photo files, computer / tablet with the software you use to edit photographs

Age requirement: Any age (children under 16 years old must be accompanied by their adult)

Class full but still interested? Or can’t make the dates above? Use the form below to let us know and we will reach out!

Class Interest and Waiting List

Stick welding is the entry level technique to all other welding skills. Whether you’re a beginner, an artist looking for a different medium or just wanting to learn a new skill, this is the place to start!

You will learn the basics of welding safety, how to strike an arc, how to start making the bead on a flat piece of steel and how to continue to strike an arc and carry it to form the bead.

Students should bring to class: Safety glasses, leather boots, and leather gloves.

About the Instructor(s): Sheldon Heselton has an A.S. in Welding Technology from Manchester Community Technical College and he is a certified welding inspector through the American Welding Society. His experience is mostly in stick welding, but he can weld in multiple processes and he does ultrasonic weld testing and magnetic particle weld testing. Sheldon has worked on power plant construction sites, and also inspections for welded bridges and other components at welding shops.

Class Fees: $110 members / $120 non-members

Materials Fee: $10 included in the class fee

Prerequisite(s): none

Skill Level: beginner

Age requirement: Youth and Adult (15 years and older)

The Claremont MakerSpace has an Amateur Radio club! Before makers, hackers, and DIY, there was Amateur Radio.

Join us on April 20th at 1 p.m. for our monthly meeting. You do not have to be a licensed ham to participate, just bring your curiosity and energy! Everyone is welcome! Each month, we feature a presenter (45 minutes to an hour), and after we adjourn to MakerSpace’s Digital Fabrication and Electronics Lab for open-time kit building, sharing, studying, and socializing. (This month, we will be making j-poles after the presentation. $5 material fee required, but you are welcome to watch and learn for free.)

This Month’s Presentation: Getting Started with DMR and Digital Radio Modes

Curious about Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) and how it compares to analog? Kevin Tyson (KC1VOH) will provide an overview of digital modes, their interoperability, and the equipment needed to get started. He’ll cover setting up a Baofeng DMR DM-1701, configuring an MMDVM hotspot, and navigating common setup challenges. Learn how to install CPS on your PC, flash GD77 firmware, set up wp-star, and create your first Code Plugs. Whether you’re new to DMR or a seasoned user, this session is a great opportunity to get on the air and connect with fellow enthusiasts.

Presented by:
Kevin Tyson, KC1VOH, has been a licensed ham for trillions of microseconds. Since January of this year, he has been exploring Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) with a Baofeng DMR 1701 and a Radioddity RHS-H1 MMDVM Hotspot. In this talk, Kevin will share what he has learned thus far, demonstrating the birdbath-like depth of his radio knowledge.

What is Amateur Radio?

Amateur Radio (often called ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics, and communication together. People use Amateur Radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.

How is Amateur Radio used?

Amateur Radio is used for a variety of recreational and service-related activities. Amateur Radio operators, also called “hams,” use Amateur Radio equipment to engage in two-way personal communications with other hams, as well as:

• Aid communication during public events, such as parades and road races
• Act as a vital communications link during emergencies and disasters
• Advance their technical skills and build their own radio components (ever wanted to talk to an astronaut in orbit?)
• Participate in competitive events and earn awards in contests

Who can become a ham?

Anyone of any age who is not a representative of a foreign government can be an Amateur Radio operator in the US. Before you can get on the air, you’ll need to be licensed and know the rules to operate legally. In the US there are three license classes — Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. The Claremont MakerSpace has resources and support available to help you learn and prepare to take your exam. 

You can learn more about amateur radio here: arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio