“We would love to see it become a lasting community resource that continues to foster innovation, creativity and lifelong learning for generations to come.”
– Allison Quinn, Air Products Corporate Relations and Employee Communications & Engagement Manager
For more than four decades, Air Products and ArtsQuest have shared a partnership built on their commitment to creating opportunities that expand access to arts, culture and education. From Musikfest to the Air Products Town Square, Air Products continues that partnership as one of the first partners of the Re-Imagine That! Capital Campaign through the new Air Products MakerSpace inside the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL.
As a company built on innovation, technical expertise and problem-solving, Air Products saw a hands-on, STEAM-focused space as the perfect fit for its support. The space will give community members access to state-of-the-art tools, technologies, materials and educational opportunities. Through hands-on learning, experimentation and making, participants can build confidence, develop practical skills and discover new possibilities for the future.
“While our historic support has helped create memorable experiences that bring people together through events and public spaces, the Air Products MakerSpace extends that legacy by creating a permanent place for hands-on learning, creativity and innovation that will serve the community year-round,” said Allison Quinn, Air Products Corporate Relations and Employee Communications & Engagement Manager.
The Air Products MakerSpace will welcome students, aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, hobbyists and lifelong learners who may not otherwise have ready access to specialized equipment, instruction or creative experiences. In doing so, the space will broaden ArtsQuest’s educational programming and offer meaningful opportunities for discovery at every stage of life.
Through workshops, classes and hands-on experiences, participants will be able to build skills progressively—from trying woodworking for the first time to completing a finished project with professional-grade equipment. ArtsQuest’s first announced offerings, including woodworking, resin art and metalworking workshops, illustrate how the Air Products MakerSpace can pair technical learning with the satisfaction of turning an idea into something tangible.
“Planning the first round of programming for the Air Products MakerSpace has been an exciting opportunity to think about how this new space can serve the community from day one,” said Steve Ott, ArtsQuest Vice President of Operations and External Projects. “We wanted to build a schedule that is welcoming, practical and hands-on, giving participants of all experience levels the chance to build foundational skills, explore new techniques, work with new tools and leave with something they created themselves. This initial lineup is just the beginning of what the MakerSpace can become as we continue to grow programming around the interests and creativity of our community.”
Air Products also sees the space as a gathering place where people with different perspectives, experiences and interests can learn alongside one another. By bringing together artists, students, entrepreneurs, families and other community members, the Air Products MakerSpace can encourage collaboration, strengthen relationships and create the conditions for new ideas to emerge. Access to tools, technologies and hands-on learning can nurture experimentation, creativity and problem-solving – whether participants are exploring a new hobby, developing an artistic practice or discovering interests that could lead to future opportunities in design, engineering, advanced manufacturing or entrepreneurship.
“What stood out to us was ArtsQuest’s vision for a space that encourages multidisciplinary thinking and learning, allowing participants to explore a variety of media and art forms while developing practical skills that can support future education, careers and entrepreneurship,” explained Quinn.
The MakerSpace also represents the latest chapter in a relationship that has evolved alongside ArtsQuest for the last four decades. From supporting experiences that draw tens of thousands of people together to investing in spaces that serve the community throughout the year, Air Products’ partnership has grown along with ArtsQuest’s reach and impact. Looking five or ten years ahead, Air Products hopes the Air Products MakerSpace will be known as a welcoming place where people discover skills, passions and opportunities—and where an early class, workshop or project can help inspire a personal or professional journey.
“We would love to see it become a lasting community resource that continues to foster innovation, creativity and lifelong learning for generations to come,” said Quinn.