By Mary Alice Murphy

The Silver City Arts and Cultural District received a grant to study the feasibility of creating a makerspace as well as training creatives for entrepreneurial development.

The USDA grant is being used to fund the effort using Creative Startups, a non-profit based in Santa Fe as the consultant. "We create economic development in the creative industry," Julia Youngs said.

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, Youngs returned to Silver City for the second time to gather more information.

"Creative entrepreneurs are looking for investment or learning how to get started as a business," she said.

Youngs said a free series of workshops will take place at several libraries throughout the state, using the facilities as a launch pad. One will be held at the Silver City Public Library between the dates of March 18 to April 12, with details to follow. "It is free to apply and free to attend."

She said the feasibility study is taking place under the Southwest New Mexico Arts, Culture and Tourism. "The study will decide whether a maker space or business incubator is feasible in Grant County. The government wants to count buildings and businesses. I will do that, but I'm interested in hearing about the community and what you have to say."

A maker space can be anything or everything from high tech and robots down to traditional crafts such as sewing and wood working, with everything in between.

"I know maker space efforts are happening here already," Youngs said. "We're talking broadly about what's good for start-ups in a business incubator. They likely need mentors.

"We made our first trip down here in October," she continued. "Now we're here to provide updates on what we've learned so far."

She asked a generic question about what brought everyone to this particular session. "I'm guessing everyone here has a vested interest in this conversation. We're having a conversation about the community that you care about. Remember that this is a broad conversation and it affects everyone here. It's your economy, your future, your young people. I've talked to a lot of people in Grant County, about what they want and to determine what works."

"I have visited maker spaces all over the world," Youngs said. "What have I learned so far? I've learned that each one needs to make sure it can stay afloat. I've heard that many maker spaces tend to be non-profit and they struggle with financial viability. Many are volunteer-run. Many of them overlook the young people and seniors.

"I've also often heard here about what an awesome community this is," she said. "You have great young people and many of the retirees are a wealth of information, experience and skills, plus they are willing to share. Most maker spaces need help with funding, outreach and general operations. They also need help in how to bring in and train employees and how to run the place. I hope any initiative begun here will invigorate the work force. For any maker space the importance of strong community buy-in and a strong relationship will help get it started and keep it going."

Youngs said a maker space she visited in Minnesota talked about addressing the need for people to get to where they can call themselves entrepreneurs.

A maker space develops a community culture of innovation.

"I just met with students from Aldo Leopold Charter School," Youngs said. "They have a huge interest in having more places where they can get together, do homework, learn new things or just hang out."

A maker space in the middle of the Yukon talked about creating a culture of skill sharing.

Youngs said that she has been hearing from people in Grant County that they are inspired by the creative community. "A resilient spirit lets people try and experiment and bounce back if what they tired didn't work."

She said she understands one of the challenges is to keep people in the county. "Tourism draws in others. I also hear about the common concern of not re-inventing the wheel. You have to make sure there is support for the current maker space."

Youngs noted that the grant is technically focused on spaces available and feasibility of the efforts toward maker spaces or business incubators.

"I will hold more community interviews," she said. "We will finish the draft report and send it out in mid-April. The final report should be complete by the end of April or first part of May. It's a study, not breaking new ground."

Questions swirled around the room, with some pointed at Youngs and others asking those present.

Youngs said the study is broad without specifics. She noted that she had heard input about e-commerce and wondered if there would be a need for classes on setting up a website.

She said the several models were being looked at, such as a membership fee, or possibly free with the space being run by volunteers.

Some maker spaces and incubators can be found on university campuses. "Sometimes they are free standing; some are connected to a public library. I have seen an energy around reinvigorating libraries." Some maker spaces have tools that a person can use to get started with a project and others may be large enough and well-financed enough that a person can create a prototype of a product before going to market with it.

"I hope the plan we develop does not just sit on a shelf," Youngs said. "A feasibility study makes a case for what you want to do, so it's an advocacy tool. We want help from the community to think about maker spaces. We want a better sense of the skills and education needed."

A participant noted that hands on work is how people learn critical skills. To a comment about people not leaving the area, this participant said she felt that young people need to leave and then come back with more skills and life experiences elsewhere.

"What are the resources we should capitalize on?" Youngs asked. "What is upheld and celebrated? I've heard tourism and outdoors as two main ones. I've also heard about all the people with work histories who retire here. You need to harness them as mentors. It's an untapped potential."

She also said that in her travels outside the U.S., she has seen the creative economy growing by leaps and bounds and the U.S. may be behind. "Grant County could lead the charge in the creative economy by collecting skills for different jobs."

A participant said one issue she has seen is the lack of pride that people have in using their hands to make something. "When I was growing up, we had shop classes and home economics. Pride in making things has to come back."

A man said the schools need to be involved bringing in the students at younger ages and perhaps providing internships.

Youngs said the founder of Creative Startups, Alice Loy, had reported that her daughter in high school said the focus was on asking students where they wanted to get a job, not asking them if they wanted to start a business.

Vo tech would be a place for apprenticeships. But a man noted that he hears from businesses that young people, if they can pass a drug test, may not be willing to work. "Having taught at Cliff, those farm and ranch kids know how to work and know what it takes to keep doing it. They figure it out up here," he said pointing to his head.

It was noted that the Silver City Public Library is holding maker space classes for young kids. "We need communication so that the makerspaces don't compete and don't duplicate the same programs. Sometimes, communication around here is not good. Because we have a smaller economic base here, we may not have the resources for competition. Don't split where the kids go and do."