John Eich
Gunnar Thompson takes advantage of the spacious new woodshop.
Madison’s The Bodgery makerspace is now open in its new home in the former machine shop of the old Oscar Mayer plant. And board president and co-founder John Eich is almost giddy with enthusiasm: “We have the chance to be in this enormous new space with all these possibilities and it’s pretty exciting.”
Eich says The Bodgery has evolved since its founding in 2013 from a few people who wanted to share tools — “a micro-vision” — to a much wider vision: “Now we will be stepping out into the community more. We’re making a commitment to offer more classes and find ways to collaborate with other organizations,” says Eich. “We’re looking outside our walls in a more intentional way.”
The new space, at 14,000 square feet, has made it possible to provide accessible bathrooms, separate spaces for most activities, and “clean spaces” (for crafts like knitting and sewing) walled off from dust-making activities in the wood shop. “There’s a classroom now, too, where we can sit without noise or dust,” says Eich. “All of the workshops within the space are bigger, and for training sessions, now we can have many more participants — plus instructors and aides.”
As envisioned, the OM Station development will include cafes, businesses and residences. “It’s a fun place for people to be and that means more visibility for this kind of work,” says Eich.
Currently The Bodgery has 180 members “and it’s rising,” says Eich, “which is both exciting and terrifying” for a volunteer-led organization. Eich foresees the possibility of a paid organizing position at some point.
There are four ways to become a part of The Bodgery: Take a class; come to free open shop nights (Mondays and Fridays); become a member; or rent studio space. The new Bodgery has 21 studios, available for rent. These are great for “someone who’s doing something regularly and doesn’t want to put their stuff away, or has specialized tools or materials, or is starting a business,” says Eich. The Bodgery did no advertising for the studio space — “we didn’t even really tell anyone about it,” yet nearly all the studios have rented. “I think that speaks to Madison’s need for studios, that people just found out about it and called us.”
John Eich
Crafts such as sewing, spinning and knitting now have a space in the “clean room.”
The open shop nights were a founding principle for The Bodgery. “We wanted to be a friendly community,” says Eich. “If you really don’t know how to do something, you can come here and feel like you are cool enough.” And while The Bodgery has plenty of tech attractions — electronics lab, machining area, welding and metal fabrication — it’s also home to paper- and book-makers, sewers, knitters and upholsterers. “We wanted that you could just come in make stuff,” Eich declares.
The Bodgery has already relaunched its Monday and Friday open shops. But it’s also throwing a grand opening Saturday, Sept. 21, from noon-5 p.m.
Even if you saw the new space earlier this summer, Eich says, come back — “our space changes every week. People are super busy in all of the areas, it’s like an anthill in there — people are always making the spaces better, adding things.”
At the grand opening, there will be tours, tool and technique demos, “meet a maker” sessions, a magic performance for kids, and food. “We really want to make it a celebration. It was a huge move for us, so it is something for us to celebrate — and we want to invite everyone else in to do it with us.”
The Bodgery
740 Oscar Ave., Madison
See the event calendar at thebodgery.org/events
