Winona Creators Collective

Vendors have been rocking and rolling at the makerspace this week, with multiple pieces taking shape. Here’s a quick update on progress towards this community resource:

• HVAC has finally kicked off! This was our big blocker, with vendor selection and then the loan process for our $59k ducting changes.  PMG started ventwork in the space last week, building ducting off site and then assembling it in the southern studios.  We’re not certain how long the rest of the ducting will take, but estimate another week and a half to go. 
• First pieces of drywall installed, in order to prepare for a PMG return air duct.  Our volunteers came out in force last Saturday to start the process, and professional drywallers installed the rest Tuesday afternoon. This was also important, as the city came and inspected the wall’s framing and gave us the green light.  It’s only a fraction of what needs to be installed (about 130′) but with all the windows, doors, and pipes was a fairly complex install.  We’ll mud and tape the seams, then let PMG install their ducting.
• Big drywall delivery was Wednesday morning, with Bond from La Crosse dropping off 230 sheets of 4×12 drywall (nearly 12 tons).  That, plus the donated material from Simonson Lumber, should cover all our walls.
• Electrician now on site, working on a punch list of outlets for equipment, reconnecting lights, and about 50 more items before walls can be fully closed up.
• Fire exit doors have been installed, and just need closers and weatherstripping installed.
• Coworking space about ready to go, just need to finish furniture, art for the walls, and a lot of dusting and mopping.
• Sign on 3rd street is being built by Woodduck Design with installation of at least one half taking place this Saturday. 

Saturday the 7th is our next big volunteer day, so please consider joining us as we prep the space!  We’ll be prepping window frames, improving the men’s room, painting more of the loading dock railing, and much more.  Hope to see you there!

The post Construction Update #5: March 5 first appeared on Winona Creators Collective.

Permits are issued, and walls are going up for the makerspace!  Here’s a bit of a catch up the last few weeks progress around the space:

• Boiler replacement completed, heat is on: The new boiler (funded by the building owner) is now installed and keeping the space a comfortable 72 degrees.  The complex electrical of wiring up 4 boilers meant the project took longer than expected, but it’s nice to be able to walk around the space without a heavy coat on!
• Walls starting to go up: A HUGE shout out to member Matt Shortridge for chalking out official lines, nailing down track with a powdered actuator, and starting off all the walls. We’ve got shifts all this week to get the metal studs in place for the studios.
• Rough In Plumbing starts Wednesday: PMG will start adding plumbing for the new bathrooms, sinks, and water fountains required for the space.  This should start on December 3rd, so we’re trying to finish walls in the requisite areas soon.
• Window Repair Party Happened: We didn’t get as far as we had hoped, but a few of the troublesome plastic windows on the Southern side of the building are now replaced with proper glass windows.  We’ll try and tackle a few more over the coming weeks, but might have to leave the rest until it gets warm again outside. Big thanks to the Redepennings, the Smiths, and Jonathan Worner for helping scrape out window casings and put in new panels!
• Temporary Woodshop Built: Members Dave, Chuck, and Rob turned the loading area and former workshop into a temporary woodshop! This should allow us to build fixtures, fix up doors, and otherwise work on the makerspace as keep building the space.
• Coworking Conference Room (Nearly) Done: The walls & trim of the conference room are painted, the ceiling tiles replaced, and the carpet tiles are glued down. It’s just a matter of a few minor touches, including mounting the TV & whiteboard, before the space is ready for groups to be able to use.  We’re hosting a painting party Tuesday evening to get more of the coworking space ready to go – learn more & sign up on Point.

If you have experience with construction, we could really use your help this week with getting walls in place. Please consider a volunteer shift – you can view the list of available shifts, or fill out a volunteer form with your interests and availability.  If these shifts don’t work but you still want to help, reply back or contact Mark and he’ll get you scheduled.

One of the first walls, thanks to Dave, Matt, & Mark

The post Construction Update #3: Nov 30 first appeared on Winona Creators Collective.

Plans have been sent by the architect to the city! While we’re still waiting for the city to approve the plans for the wall construction and change in building occupancy, we’ve been trying to keep construction moving in the makerspace.  The following has happened in the last two weeks:

• Boiler replacement has begun: The old boiler was from the 60s and seemed to be put in place before the walls in the offices were built.  PMG has spent the last couple days just cutting out the old boiler so newer boilers can be installed.  This project, covered by the building owner, will make sure we have reliable heat throughout the makerspace.  We expect it to be completed around November 12th
• Continued Prep in Offices and Coworking: The offices and coworking space are continuing to get some simple repairs, paint, and fixes to the lights and drop ceiling.  Since we can’t work on walls in the other studios, this is good work for us to get done while we wait for the permits.
• Wall Supplies Ordered: Last Friday, Mark ordered $7,500 in construction supplies from Menards, including 495 metal studs and nearly a mile worth of insulation for the internal studio walls.  We’re organizing a partial donation of drywall from Simonson Lumber, and trying to find an affordable supplier for the metal doors.
• Window Plan Formulated: Between board member Garrick Holey and community member Molly Brown, we now have a plan for repairing the south facing windows and preparing some internal studio windows.  The southern facing windows were replaced with acrylic plastic at some point, have numerous holes, and are poorly tinted – replacing those panes will make a big difference to the Fabric Arts, Ceramics, Glass, and other studios.  Watch for a few “Window Repair” volunteer sessions later in the month, where we’ll train you how to repair the windows with us.
• More Tool and Equipment Donations: We finished up our scheduled Fall Tool Drive, but the donations keep coming in!  Today, we received donations from member Rob Brault of some great woodworking equipment, as well as donations from community member Jon Mauser of a 20w laser cutter, grinder, and more.  We also received a large donation of office supplies, including a microwave and PA system, from Engage Winona.  THANK YOU to everyone who’s made donations to our space!

As an all-volunteer organization, we do still need help with preparing the space and writing some grants.  The jobs are a wide range of tasks, that fit whatever skills you might have. You can view the list of available shifts, or fill out a volunteer form with your interests and availability.

The post Construction Update #2: Nov 2 first appeared on Winona Creators Collective.

We’ve got the keys to the makerspace!  Now we want to regularly update you with our progress as we construct the workshops and prepare for opening (currently planned by end of year). 

• Insurance locked in and keys picked up: allowing us to get in the space and start assessing next steps
• Architect finishing drawings: Our architecture drawings are 95% complete and a draft was sent to us on Friday.  We’ll be giving them some review and sending any changes back, so they can go to the city for review and for permits to be issued for work.
• Fabric Arts Studio Funded! Thanks to a Winona Community Foundation grant, we have funding for equipment for our Fabric Arts studio!  The $6,174 grant covers about $5k in tools and $1k to pay an instructor to teach free sewing/mending classes.
• Infrastructure going in: You can’t run a great makerspace without Internet and trash pickup, so we’ve been focusing on getting services started at the space.  This week we’ll be getting card key readers up on key doors in the space.
• Coworking/Office Prep: As we wait for final approval for our studio construction project, we are working on the cleanup and preparations of our coworking and private office/studio rentals.  This will give us a conference room for meetings and potentially some early revenue as we build out the studios.

Want to help out with setup?  We’re adding shifts to POINT, our volunteer management system, for a range of needs.  You can view the list of available shifts, or fill out a volunteer form with your interests and availability.

The post Construction Update #1: Oct 18 first appeared on Winona Creators Collective.

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Winona Area Makers 


July 7, 2025

Winona Creators Collective Announces Location of Largest Community Makerspace in Minnesota, to Open In Late 2025

Winona, MN, July 7, 2025 – 

The Winona Creators Collective nonprofit has made significant steps towards opening a makerspace in the former Technigraph facility at 850 W 3rd.  The nearly 22,000 square foot facility is conveniently located near ReStore on the west side of town.  When it opens in late 2025, it will be the largest community makerspace in Minnesota.

The space will offer dedicated areas for woodworking, pottery, fabric arts, metals, glass, 3d printing/prototyping, a coworking space, a podcast studio, and private studio rentals. The spaces will be stocked with equipment, from common tools to specialized machinery such as CNCs, welders, laser cutters, and more. Members will get 24/7 access to all the resources, and anyone can take classes to learn new skills or techniques.

“The former Technigraph facility has more than history for Winona: it has great infrastructure we’ll be able to easily pivot from manufacturing in order to host a great makerspace,” says Collective President Mark Zocher.

Community members got a glimpse into the space at an informational table at the Winona Farmer’s Market. While kids learned the basics of conductivity playing a fruit keyboard, board members spoke with parents about how STEM and art education at the makerspace would benefit kids and parents alike. 

In addition to youth programs and skill training, entrepreneurs will be able to use the makerspace to launch a new business.  From Etsy crafters, to inventors making prototypes, to small scale manufacturing, owners can find ways to accelerate their small businesses without having to make large investments in tools.  “A makerspace in Colorado named Tinkermill spawned over thirty businesses out of their space, from artisanal earrings to camping equipment.  Winona has a strong manufacturing history, and I’m excited to see what new inventions and products can be made locally in our space,” continues Zocher.

While the nonprofit is excited about the progress being made, several things need to fall into place before it can be opened.  The organization is currently fundraising for $250k in sponsorships, grants, and donations; all to fund tools and expenses associated with preparing the space.  They are also selling “Founders Memberships” to make sure expenses can be covered when first opening.  These early memberships are limited to a hundred people and provide discounts and additional benefits to those members who committed early to the space. Businesses and individuals who are interested in sponsorship, donations, or membership should visit winonacreators.org to learn more. 

To support the space, the Winona Creators Collective is hosting a ceramics painting night at Two Fathoms Brewery where attendees can paint their own stein.  Tickets are $40 with all the proceeds going to the makerspace. Tickets are available while supplies last at winonacreators.org.

About Winona Creators Collective

The Winona Creators Collective is an upcoming collaborative multidisciplinary space for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in creating, regardless of background. We serve the needs of the greater Winona community by providing access to specialized tools, arts & STEM education, and mentorship opportunities, to uplift the local economy and foster the joy of making.

Media kit, including renderings of the space, is available at https://winonacreators.org/media

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Winona Area Makers 


June 4, 2025

Fix-It Clinics Return to Winona, Offering Volunteer Help To Repair Your Favorite Possessions

Winona, MN, June 4, 2025 – 

When your favorite pair of jeans develops a hole, or your lamp starts making a buzzing noise, it might be better to fix than to buy new. That’s the idea behind Fix-It Clinics: a chance to learn alongside a volunteer while they help you repair and mend those items otherwise destined for the trash. These clinics take place around the world, made up of locals wanting to share their expertise with their neighbors. People bring clothes, small electronics, bikes, computers, and wooden items that would otherwise end up in the dumpster. 

Winona had regular Fix-It Clinics for the past year, until organizer Theresa DeGross graduated from St. Mary’s University and relocated to Minneapolis.  The Winona Creators Collective, a new nonprofit developing a community makerspace, is restarting her efforts by hosting the clinics.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the work of Theresa DeGross and her volunteers to kick off repair clinics in Winona.  The ethos of repairing your items while learning basic fixing skills fits with our makerspace mission, so taking on the initiative was a no-brainer for us,” said President Mark Zocher.

The next Fix-It Clinic will take place on Saturday, June 28th from 9AM to 1PM at Bluff Country Co-Op’s Community Room.  The event is free and is not affiliated with the Co-Op.  There will be a total of four Fix-It Clinics in town for the rest of 2025:

• June 28th, 9AM to 1PM @ Bluff Country Co-Op
• August 9th, 1PM to 4PM @ East End Rec Center
• October 11th, Time and Place TBD
• December 13, Time and Place TBD

For more information about the free clinics, or to volunteer to repair items, please visit winonacreators.org/fix

Winona Creators Collective has multiple events planned for Summer 2025 to support the creation of a nonprofit community makerspace, including Farmers Market information booths and a pottery paint fundraiser event in July. Their goal is to build a shared workshop with table saws, 3d printers, embroidery machines and more for working with wood, metal, fabric, glass, ceramics, and electronics. More information about the makerspace and their efforts can be found at winonacreators.org

About Winona Creators Collective

The Winona Creators Collective is an upcoming collaborative multidisciplinary space for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in creating, regardless of background. We serve the needs of the greater Winona community by providing access to specialized tools, arts & STEM education, and mentorship opportunities, to uplift the local economy and foster the joy of making.

The post PRESS RELEASE: Fix-It Clinics Return to Winona, Offering Volunteer Help To Repair Your Favorite Possessions first appeared on Winona Creators Collective.

Looking for a date night activity? Or just want your own highly personalized stein?  Join us for WCC’s first Pottery Painting Night, where you’ll paint a mug and we’ll fire it for you!  This is a fundraiser for the nonprofit makerspace we’re building in town this year.

For people experienced with painting, you’ll appreciate learning that we’re ordering bisqueware stein blanks that will be glazed with high-fire glazes at cone 5/6. We’ll have all the supplies for you to paint your own stein, which you will pick up on July 29th once it’s been fired in the kiln.

Cost for this event is $40 plus tax, and you must buy your ticket in advance so we can order enough steins.  Additional ceramic items will be available to purchase and paint at the event, if you have extra time available.

NOTE: We’ll have two signup sheets, each capped at 20 people max.  This allows us to guarantee you’ll have supplies and space available at the time you pick. 

Tuesday July 15th, 2025 from 5:00 PM to  8:00 PM

Two Fathoms Brewing
65 E Front St
Winona, MN 55987

A big thank you to Two Fathoms for hosting this event for us!

This event has already happened

The post Pottery Paint Fundraiser – July 15 2025 first appeared on Winona Creators Collective.

Inspired by the Olathe KS Library Makerspace, we’re introducing our own Maker Monthly Challenge. These challenges are a fun chance to try a new method or material to make a new project. We’ll create a new challenge each month, and encourage people to make a project and share it – either on social media under #makermonthly or in our forums. And if you want to see a material or theme, please tell us!

For our first month, your challenge is to use paper/cardboard as a material in making… a Paperweight! Share your ideas and progress in our forums

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Winona Area Makers 


March 17, 2025

Nonprofit Winona Creators Collective Formed, Hosting Community Meeting for Upcoming Winona Makerspace

Winona, MN, March 17, 2025 – 

After hearing an outpouring of support for a makerspace in Winona, a group of volunteers have formed a new nonprofit in town to provide a community workshop and education opportunities around art & STEM.  The nonprofit, dubbed the Winona Creators Collective, recently elected a board of directors and will soon submit for 501c3 charity status with the IRS. Their goal is to build a shared workshop with table saws, 3d printers, embroidery machines and more for working with wood, metal, fabric, glass, ceramics, and electronics.

Elected board members are:

• Mark Zocher, President/Chair with 20+ years of technology experience, most recently serving as a CTO in a legal technology startup.
• Dr. Carl Ferkinhoff, Vice-Chair who teaches astronomy and chairs the Teachers Education Assembly at Winona State.
• Suzanne Redepenning, Treasurer is the Director of Grants & Fundraising at the Winona Family YMCA.
• Sunny Nahrgang, board member is a Team Lead at Willet Studios with a background in studio art and ceramics.
• Calla Bilhorn, board member trained at the Vermont Woodworking School in furniture design and woodworking before moving to Winona for a career at Willet Studios.
• Garrick Holey, board member serves as Vice President of Production at Willet Studios with over twenty years of experience in art and business.

“Our board reflects the wide range of audiences that will someday use our makerspace.  From artists and crafters, to scientists and educators, to business professionals, we all see the value a makerspace will have for our communities,” said Mark Zocher. 

On Monday, March 31st from 6:30pm – 8:00pm, the board is hosting a community meeting for all makers and artists to join.  Attendees will get to connect with other makers, share projects they’re working on, and provide feedback on what tools and resources the makerspace needs to have.  The community meeting will be held at 119 East Third Street in downtown Winona. While this meeting is being held at Engage Winona’s office, it is organized by Winona Area Makers and is not a program of Engage Winona.

Businesses, congregations, and social clubs can also reach out to Winona Creators Collective to have a board member join your next meeting to hear ideas for the makerspace.  Talks can be between five and thirty minutes, with audience questions and brainstorming as time allows.

For more information, please contact President/Chair Mark Zocher.

About Winona Creators Collective

The Winona Creators Collective is an upcoming collaborative multidisciplinary space for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in creating, regardless of background. We serve the needs of the greater Winona community by providing access to specialized tools, arts & STEM education, and mentorship opportunities, to uplift the local economy and foster the joy of making.

Home

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