BETHLEHEM, Pa. – From glass-blowing to the skills of woodworking, a new creative spot is bringing a whole lot of art to Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Grab a pair of safety glasses: making something from nothing is always on the agenda at a new space in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to bring real wood back, we want to build it here in this country,\u201d said Joe Capparell.<\/p>\n
Capparell is an instructor and manager at the Air Products MakerSpace inside the new ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL.<\/p>\n
He says their goal is to teach skills that are being forgotten about.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood 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,\u201d said Capparell.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople that can\u2019t 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,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Perfect timing for the National STEAM Day on Nov. 8, standing for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.<\/p>\n
\u201cAir Products wouldn\u2019t 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,\u201d said Allison Quinn, the corporate relations and employee communications & engagement manager at Air Products.<\/p>\n
She says its partnership with ArtsQuest opens doors for the entire community.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreating opportunities, removing barriers for people to have access to things that they might not have otherwise,\u201d said Quinn.<\/p>\n
The ArtsQuest Creative Factory Powered by PPL and Air Products MakerSpace will celebrate its official grand opening in the new year.<\/p>\n