Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Nunn.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alex. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Our makerspace started in 2012 as a vision by our 3 founders: Clint Crosbie, Ross Beane, and Zak Robinson. They heard of other spaces of a similar nature and wanted that where they lived in Portsmouth, but nobody was doing it. They pooled their resources together, got help from friends and family, and decided to give it a shot. It took a lot of initial work to get things off the ground, and it couldn’t have happened without help from the community. Members and volunteers helped shape the makerspace and made it what it is today.
Now more than 5 years later, we are a thriving space with more than 70 members that serves out our mission: to be a welcoming and inclusive community workspace that provides tools, knowledge, and a collaborative culture to encourage the artist and maker in everyone.
The makerspace is comprised of discrete workspaces that support the disciplines of woodworking, metalworking, machining, automotive repair, bike maintenance, electronics, and digital fabrication. These workspaces, and the broad range of tools available in each space are made accessible to the community through membership and class offerings.
The space is managed by Alex Nunn, who has been with the organization since the beginning and who started as a volunteer. The organization is driven by our Board of Directors of 9, which includes Chris Wright, Stephen Pamboukes, Jeff Gunn, Todd Gallant, Clint Crosbie, Zak Robinson, Ross Beane, Doug MacDonald, and Chris Greiner.
To keep things moving like a well-oiled machine, we have volunteers that help out around the shops. We have Jeff H, who takes care of our Wood Shop, and Zach C, who takes care of our Bike Shop. We also have many members that are regular contributors like Peter, Nick, Paul B, Paul S, Tanya H, Christiana A, Jeff L, and many beyond them.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a non-profit organization with a small budget, it’s been tough trying to grow and improve and get everything done that we want to. Things like expanding class offerings, acquiring tools from our wish list, increasing staff. Most problems that can be solved with more money, but the same can be said for everyone.
Besides the money challenges, it’s always a challenge to keep a space full of creatives clean and organized. In a shared shop, everyone has their own habits. Some are the cleaners, who go the extra mile and take care of more than just their own mess. Others are the opposite and tend to leave things all over.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Port City Makerspace – what should we know?
We are most known for our equipment and class offerings to the community, as well as some projects that our members and volunteers have done around town like the Green Room for the Prescott Park Players.
At least four of our members built tiny houses at our facility, entirely from the bottom up. They were built on top of large trailers so they could be transported to their final destination, or possibly temporary destination if they wanted to relocate. Watching homes be built in our lot was a sight to see for people that drove by.
Personally, I am most proud of the volunteers and how much their contributions shape our space. From the classes, they teach to educate others, to the projects they build to make the shop better, more organized, and safer, to the regulars that keep the shop nice for everyone so they feel a welcome environment to work in.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The most important thing for us is the community. Everything else is secondary: the tools, the space, the classes. It’s all an excuse to bring like-minded creative people together and doing something they enjoy. The same group of people could take a box of sticks and a stapler and create artwork, inventions, furniture, who knows!
Pricing:
- Port City Maker – $50 per month is a regular membership for access during our Open Hours
- Maker’s Guild – $80 per month grants 24/7 access
- Classes – between $30 and $100 depending on the class (welding, wood shop, soldering, etc)
Contact Info:
- Address: 68 Morning Street Portsmouth, NH 03801
- Website: www.portcitymakerspace.com
- Phone: 603-373-1002
- Email: info@portcitymakerspace.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/portcitymakers
- Facebook: facebook.com/pg/PortCityMakerspace/
- Twitter: twitter.com/PortCityMakers
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
