BETHLEHEM, Pa. – From glass-blowing to the skills of woodworking, a new creative spot is bringing a whole lot of art to Bethlehem.

69 News Reporter Sydney Kay gets a look into how you can learn from the pros at the new ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL.

Grab a pair of safety glasses: making something from nothing is always on the agenda at a new space in Bethlehem.

“We want to bring real wood back, we want to build it here in this country,” said Joe Capparell.

Capparell is an instructor and manager at the Air Products MakerSpace inside the new ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL.

He says their goal is to teach skills that are being forgotten about.

“Good ole carpentry skills, welding skills, but we also have state of the art equipment to do all the new fun things like a CNC, a laser, and things like that,” said Capparell.

The ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL was built at the site of the former Banana Factory on West Third Street. It celebrated its soft opening last month.

The Air Products MakerSpace is hosting its first-class Thursday, starting with an intro to building birdhouses and cutting boards, but will later expand to creating tables and longbow carving.

“People that can’t afford to make a built-in cabinet or a book shelf or a desk, we can teach you how to do that here. We can teach you the skills to do that,” he explained.

Perfect timing for the National STEAM Day on Nov. 8, standing for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

“Air Products wouldn’t be the company it is today without success in every letter of that acronym so we really see honoring that day and celebrating that day with being here at the MakerSpace,” said Allison Quinn, the corporate relations and employee communications & engagement manager at Air Products.

She says its partnership with ArtsQuest opens doors for the entire community.

“Creating opportunities, removing barriers for people to have access to things that they might not have otherwise,” said Quinn.

The ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL and Air Products MakerSpace will celebrate its official grand opening in the new year.

For more information on the Creative Factory, you can click here.

ArtsQuest previously announced which studio artists will work in the ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL:

Alania Mariano – photography and film

Alicia Rodriguez – ceramics

Anthony Delluva – paper

Anthony Viscardi – mixed medium/drawing

Brandon Santiago – photography

Cody Abrachinsky – spray paint, acrylic, epoxy, photography, silkscreen

**Chris Severn – oil and acrylic

David Sommers – oil on canvas

Deming King Harriman – collage, mixed media

Doug Boehm – acrylics

Douglas Wiltraut – egg tempera and drybrush watercolor

Elliot Rose DeCaro – painting and mixed media

**Erin Emaline Crimmins – painting and mixed media

**Gabriella Gentile – mixed media sculpture and ceramics

Gary Giordano – painting, sculpture, drawing

Katie Barrett – drawing, painting, printmaking

Khalil Allaik – sculpture

Lauren Kuhn – oil and acrylic

Madison Bailey – ceramics, mixed media

Marie Jeanne Haba – stained glass and multimedia art

Mark Wonsidler – sculpture, objects, installation

Michael Brolly – wood

**Nasia Palaios – ceramics

Rachel Bell – floral design

Rebekah Burgess – photography

Richard C. Harrington – oil, acrylic and woodcut

Scott Krycia – photography

**Tina Cantelmi – painter, watercolor, oil acrylic, mixed media, pour and texture techniques

Victoria Lawrence – acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media

Ward Van Haute – oil on glass / oil on canvas

William Murray – ceramics

**This studio artist is also a Teaching Artist at the Creative Factory.

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