Fresno Ideaworks is like a quirky yet wise grandfather (or maybe uncle) who is always up to something new. I can rely on it to be there any time the desire strikes to make something new. The people are what make it great and despite leadership changes through the years (as can be expected), there’s always someone with a smile who is waiting to show you around. I’ll be a member for life.
Fresno Ideaworks is a great place for everybody who is interested to learn New skills or just let out their creativity. No idea seems to big or complicated with all those friendly and helpfull members. For me it was the perfect place to use and develop my skills, find New friends and made my time in America so special. Thanks to all the Volunteers whom make this Makerspace to the great place it is.
Keep up the great work for the community
Best Regards from Germany
Leon
I have been a member of Fresno Ideaworks for several years now. I volunteer as a shop steward every week. I spend most of my time lately in the textile room but hope to get back into woodworking and ceramics. Ideaworks is full of talented artists making wonderful things and people like me who like to dabble and learn new stuff. What ever your interest or level of expertise you can find someone who knows more that you can learn from, someone who knows less but wants to learn from you, or even just someone who will say wow and listen to you talk about your project. The shop has a comfortable and welcoming vibe.
fresnoideaworks 09/10/2023
Thank you so much for sharing, Kirsten. We are nothing without our volunteers, and we are grateful for all you do. We're also happy for you that you've found your niche in the makerspace and feel welcome among the community of "Ideaworkers".
My son did summer camp here with Fresno Unified and let me tell you he really loved it. He came home with so much cool woodwork he made. I was so proud of him. He wanted to do it another week but the classes were full. Glad that they teamed up with Fresno Unified to offer to the students such an awesome experience he has. Thanks Ideaworks!!
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
It's always good to know that we've engaged a new maker, and we're especially glad to help a young person gain confidence to try new things. We'll happily keep partnering with Adventure Education Solutions and Fresno Unified!
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
It's always good to know that we've engaged a new maker, and we're especially glad to help a young person gain confidence to try new things. We'll happily keep partnering with Adventure Education Solutions and Fresno Unified!
I love this place! Everyone is so friendly and helpful! I decided to take a ceramics course after not having been In a ceramics studio for over 20 years. My instructor was welcoming and very helpful! I loved it so much I took the same ceramics class 5 more times! I definitely recommend this place! They also offer woodworking, welding, sewing, and some other classes.
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
Our ceramics regulars are a great group of folks, inspiring and friendly. We're so glad you found your niche at Ideaworks!
This place is always so welcoming and has such a variety of skills you can learn, you're bound to find something for yourself.
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
Thanks for letting us know that you feel welcome in the makerspace. Our Stewards and other volunteers will be glad to know they're doing things right!
My partner and I took Matt’s introduction to woodshop in 2016 and we learned so much, we have built our own woodshop in our garage in the years since. Everyone there is so welcoming and so knowledgeable! We always stop by to support their vendors during arthop and in a few years, we will be signing our son up for their coding class. Ideawork’s collection of knowledge and skills are invaluable to the community!
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
Matt has been the backbone of our woodshop for many years, and the collaborative spirit he nurtures is the whole point of the makerspace. And thanks for letting us know that there's future interest in our CoderDojo!
When art hop comes around, this place transforms the city to something magical. With all the smiling faces and hard working members, this place always feels like home. This is where I go to recharge my art battery. The community here is excellent. If you aren’t already a member here, what are you even waiting for?
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
Although we don't have a gallery space (yet!) we're proud to support the Fresno Arts Council's efforts to bring folks downtown during Art Hop every month. It's so much fun to open our doors to the public and hang out with local artists and makers like you. Thanks for sharing your energy with us!
I've been a member almost since the beginning. The best part isn't even the physical space, though the shop has continued to add work areas from the original woodshop, machine shop and electronics, to include 3d and laser as well as fabric and textile areas. The best part is the community, where someone is always available to answer a question or let you bounce ideas off so you can get your projects done and learns something along the way.
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
The growth of Ideaworks over the last 11 years - from small hacker club to full blown maker community - is more than we could have hoped for in the early years. Where will the collaborative creativity lead to next???
This place is AWESOME. In my opinion you won’t find a more dynamic, nurturing, collaborative, and co-operative community based studio/workspace anywhere. People are great, supportive, thirsty for new ideas and additions to community. It is truly a unique multi disciplined environment from simple hand tools to high tech equipment. Come on out and add to our richness.
I work primarily in wood currently using traditional wood carving techniques with hand tools.
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023
This is an especially heartwarming message, and we hope people will read it and take your invitation to "Come on out and add to our richness" seriously.
I found out about Ideal Works through a group called Woolie Wednesdays. We had group meetings on Wednesday evenings to work with fiber, cleaning, carding, dying, spinning into yarn, felting wool and animal fiber, knitting and crocheting. It is a great place to let your creativity loose! Lot of experienced helpful people and an exciting environment! I intend to attend a clay working class as soon as I get the information!
This is a great shop with lots of people there to help!
fresnoideaworks 09/15/2022
We're so glad you've connected with others through Fresno Ideaworks! Thanks for your support.
I have been a member of Fresno Ideaworks for over 6 years. Not only is it a great place to work in the shop but the camaraderie among the members is outstanding. Everyone is willing to share their knowledge and expertise with others. The shop areas (woodworking, machine, welding, and others) are well equipped with quality tools. It is a great place to spend several hours working on a project either by yourself or with other members.
fresnoideaworks 09/15/2022
It's always good to hear that we're on track with our mission to build the maker community in the Central Valley by connecting people with the community and the tools they need. Thank you.
Ideaworks lives up to its name. You can come in with an idea, and find the the tools and classes and support from other makers to create your work. It's a welcoming, exciting place. It nourishes not only my maker soul, but the social one, too.
fresnoideaworks 09/15/2022
Thanks for sharing! This is what we're striving for.
Ideaworks is a great place and an even better community. Members are helpful, creative and kind. Woodworking, ceramics, textiles and welding are some of the areas I’ve worked in. The other areas are great too!
fresnoideaworks 09/15/2022
Thanks for acknowledging the members who have treated you kindly and shared their creativity. There is no Ideaworks without them!
An amazing place inhabited by an amazing community.
Making is something that's best done with people to bounce ideas off of. Whether it's woodworking, welding, electronics, ceramics, or literally any other discipline, there are people in this organization that can help you talk through things, get unstuck, or just offer up different perspectives.
Stop by for a tour anytime. The shop stewards are friendly and always ready to show someone around.
I've wanted to be part of a namespace for years, so when I moved to fresno I was very excited to become a member at ideaworks. It's been a great experience. I sent most of my time in the sewing room and helping with art hop. It a fun community of folks that love helping each other.
I have been a member for a few years. It's a great place to learn new skills and apply you talents
Recently, have taken the CNC class and Laser cutting. So awesome.
I have more project ideas than time.
The teachers are great. Very good at giving you the confidence to complete your project. You also get to see what everyone else is doing and get inspired to try new stuff
The longer I hang around at Ideaworks, the more I feel like I've met some of the best people I've ever known there. There are lots of personalities, but everyone is generous with their knowledge and curious about new ideas. I'm proud to have been part of the local effort to manufacture PPE for essential workers in the spring of 2020 at Ideaworks, and now that the Shop is fully open again I'm loving getting back to learning and creating.
I have been a part of Ideaworks for over three years now, and continue to be amazed at the things that are accomplished through this organization. It is a haven for creativity and artistic expression that is made available to all level of society. Their work with education and providing vocational skill sets to our youth is an amazing asset to our community.
Love this place. I've revived my woodworking and metalworking skilz, built odd little useful things, started to learn about welding and wood lathe turning, and I'm looking forward to reviving my electronics and blacksmithing skills. Wouldn't mind building another guitar sometime, either and, of course, starting to create complex things under computer control. "Whether you want to make a sweater, or a robot," as they say, you'll find the place and the equipment to do it, and a bunch of people who thrive on making cool stuff. Your only limit is your imagination...but even better, your imagination will expand in directions you never expected.
Fresno idea works is an amazing place to get to build your dream projects they have everything you need to build your project
Fresno IdeaWorks has enriched my life so much. Because of them and their services I can now spin fiber into yarn with confidence thanks to their Wooly Wednesday meet-up. This free program has given me knowledge that would cost a great deal if I had gone anywhere else, bought videos, or even books. Plus it gives me a chance to get out off the house and around good people with similar interests every Wednesday night.
I am now starting to branch out to their other nights like 3D Thursday. The volunteers that spend their time giving free instruction to help people use their equipment and equipment members have at home is a huge benefit to the community.
I would recommend anyone to come to this maker-space. :)
A great place to have your idea for a project come to reality. There are lots of knowledgeable members who are eager and able to help someone learn a craft or improve the skills you already have.
It's like the happiest place on earth for DIYers, crafty and artistic people and makers of all levels. You can build anything here and let your car back in the garage
A great shop, filled with great people. There is always something going on here, something to jump into and explore. Fresno if VERY lucky to have this place!
Great organization that inspires people to make themselves better by creating with their hands. Great sense of community and my favorite thing their members are the smartest people I have ever met.
A truly magical blend of talent, drive, skills, and tools. There is nobody who cant find something cool here.
Ideaworks is the 2nd best part of Fresno, with its members being 1st! You can learn so much from the classes they offer, events they host, and talking to people about the projects they bring into the shop. They'll even be offering blacksmithing soon!
My life has literally changed because of this place. I've met the most amazing people, with the biggest hearts! If you can think it, you can do make it, here at Ideaworks!
I was introduced to Ideaworks at a farmers market outreach event put on my melody boates and Claire! I can't say enough about how awesome this place is.
After months of asking me to join and run the ceramics department with me brushing it off i finally decided to join. I wish i had joined sooner. THis place has been amazing for me and to me and amazing to be apart of. Everyone is super helpful and doesnt shy away from being active and supportive of the general cause. Makers helping makers! One of the best parts of my life so far. I love the fresno ideaworks
Comments ( 1 )
fresnoideaworks 09/05/2023 It's heartwarming to still have so many founding members in the community. You gave us a great foundation to build on as we grow and adapt to whatever comes our way. We are grateful for the love and loyalty.