I've been a member at Artisan's Asylum since 2017, and it's been one of the most meaningful creative communities I've been part of. I started out pretty tentatively, just learning and exploring. Over time, I got more involved and eventually became the laser shop lead for four years. That experience opened the door for me to build a small business creating bamboo candle lanterns and piggy banks--something I never would have been able to do on my own without access to the tools and support there. That's really what makes a makerspace like this so special. You get access to equipment that would be wildly expensive (and impractical) to own yourself, and you're surrounded by people who are both learning and generously sharing what they know. A recent moment really drove that home for me. I needed to test out my tent system for an upcoming show, but the weather outside was terrible. I was able to set everything up in the common space and run a full test. Honestly--such a small thing, but incredibly helpful, and exactly the kind of flexibility that makes this place so valuable. These days, my focus has shifted to painting, and having studio space at the Asylum has been just as important for this next chapter. I have the room I need to work in encaustic, lay out panels, prep surfaces, and wrap finished pieces for transport. The shared spaces make all of that possible in a way that would be hard to replicate anywhere else. It's a welcoming, diverse environment with something for everyone--whether you're just curious or looking to build something serious. If you've ever thought about trying something new, take a class and see where it leads. You might surprise yourself. Time to get creative. read more

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My third review (and probably last) for the Artisan's Asylum, specifically for classes. My wife wants to take a jewelry class there. She has sent several emails requesting information, it's been several months and still has not received a response. I guess they don't care about new business and growing their class offerings. Customer service is not their forte. read more

I had an abysmal experience here. The shops are barely maintained and the membership is not a community. The financial reports indicate that around 2% of the budget goes towards tooling but it is VERY unlikely that those reports are factual. The management is at the very least disinterested in managing and at worst a weird nepotistic clique. I personally had theft happen in the private spaces and asked for mediation after identifying the culprit, which was dealt with VERY poorly and unprofessionally by one of the members of the Board of Directors. I wouldn't recommend having anything to do with this place. If so, GOOD LUCK! read more

We recently had a three hour enamel class at the Artisan's Asylum taught by Barbara Marder. It was A M A Z I N G !!! First the organization was extremely accommodating to my small group's needs making the class possible in the first place. Then Barbara's contc.f.unual flexibility with our timing sealed the deal.. We hit the jackpot with Barbara. Before we even got started she gave the organizer thorough information about accessible parking, places to eat, and detailed driving directions. Then at the workshop it n(cllll"dozen directions, everyone wanting to use her skills, and to get us out of the various "messes" we got ourselves into. She was very creative at solving problems after we had made a mistake with our piece, or if the process simply didn't yield a positive result. Lastly, one of our group forgot their phone in her workshop area. She drove to our next stop, a restaurant, 20 minutes out of her way to return the phone. My entire group was astonished. I would takle a class with Barbara every week if I could. I've now experienced a small bit of the "Maker phenomenon." Thank you Barbara. We're all committed to sending you photos of our artwork. read more

It is a 40,000 square foot space of awesomeness - one of the largest hacker-spaces / maker-spaces in the world. It is a mix of private studio spaces, and shops that have all the equipment that you ever wished you had in the garage, but couldn't afford / justify for the use you'd make of it. The 'inmates' are a bunch of people in all sorts of different fields, with tons of expert knowledge that they are willing to share. The range of projects that people are working on is astounding, from fine arts to heavy engineering, and everything in between.... Does it have it's limitations and drawbacks, yes, but it is what it is... In response to some of the other reviews - 1. Yes the machines are often battered - they get a LOT of use and abuse - many are older, and were either donated or purchased for low cost - But where else do folks get access to equipment that normally is only found in professional shops? 2. Not all of our instructors are great, but course fees are FAR less than what you will see at any other formal schools - and negative reviews of instructors are listened to. Also while they get some compensation, the instructors are semi-volunteers in that they are not 'doing it for a living' rather they are sharing their knowledge as professionals in what they are teaching. 3. A big point - 99% of the Asylum is run by VOLUNTEERS - there are only about THREE people that get a weekly paycheck. Most of everything from equipment repair and maintenance to cleaning and taking out the trash is done by volunteers. 4. With a tiny overworked staff, and a lot of volunteers, things sometimes take time, and sometimes 'fall through the cracks' If something is (not) happening that isn't what it should be, you do need to work at escalating / pushing for it. (The front desk volunteers can generally help tell you how best to do this - treat them kindly, buy them an occasional beer or pizza....) In spirit of disclosure - I'm an 'inmate', rent a studio, and am a volunteer on lots of things, including the front desk.... read more

I have no idea how well the classes here would be because the computer system this place uses is really bobo. There is no way for them to indicate that a class meets on Mondays and Thursdays so instead they listed their screen printing workshop as running from 9/24 - 9/27. I was sick the first day, and their policy is if you miss a class your ability to attend is up to the instructor. I called and wrote an email about 3 hours before class was to meet, asked if I could maybe take the class that meets on a Saturday instead if it's an issue. Still no response, which is why I'm complaining on yelp. When I showed up (after driving an hour in the rain) yesterday, they said class wasn't meeting today. When I had called on Monday they didn't think the workshop was meeting since it wasn't listen on the calendar and couldn't tell me the time. I showed the fellow an email, thinking maybe it was another issue of staff being unaware. He explained to me how the system worked. I asked who I could speak to about the issue and he told me to email some education account. I told him I've been waiting for a response. I tried to see if the instructor was available but they wouldn't let me go into the studios. The fellow at the front desk was kind of getting condescending with me when I asked how to contact the instructor. I had to ask the woman at the front desk just to get an actual "I don't have her email on file." Some kind soul who overheard us gave me the instructors email. At that point I just wanted to call my bank and see if I could get my money back, maybe I can register in time for a class at AS220... which has their shit together. It's unfortunate because I was hoping to take a class and become a member in preparation for an art book fair I'm participating in. Oh well. **edit-- Apparently people are communicating there because when I called monday the class wasn't listed on their online calendar and suddenly it's listed this morning. But no one can answer an email. Cool. Anyway, if anyone at Artisan's Asylum is at all interested in running a decent art space, I'd say: - Having a non refundable policy is kind of a scam if your house is not in order - Answer your emails like a normal business does - Show date and times in the class descriptions - A responsive website design would be nice but the place doesn't even answer their emails so hey, i'm not holding my breath. - People who are saying that this is volunteer run or whatever have clearly never been to functional volunteer run art spaces or venues. The management simply sucks, doesn't train their staff, has a mediocre way of dealing with disputes, and is generally unavailable. - Read your yelp reviews... which it looks like they don't read them at all :) clearly :) Also, I think it's weird that the class wasn't going to cover prepping our own transparencies and I wish they had said that in the class description as well. I guess this is more oriented toward people who don't have a lot of printmaking experience. read more

I've been using the Artisans Asylum for a couple of years now as a day-pass member. This place is a tremendous resource. They always seem to be progressing with more tools and better organization. That said... To the management: The one thing I am critical of is the new policy that day-passes must be bought in minimum blocks of 5 days and they expire after 90 days. This "use them or lose them" policy seems counter-intuitive. Someone like me who only needs to use the facility once every 4-5 months for a couple of hours gets screwed by this new policy. Like a gym wouldn't you want your facility over-subscribed and under-utilized? You've got my money, why do you care how often I use it? "Making" me use the Asylum more often doesn't create my need to use it. My suggestion: either the day-passes shouldn't expire (as before) or let us purchase single day passes. read more

They have a ton of communal tools which at first glance are awesome. Most of the tools are beat up and abused. In order to use the tools you have to either pay for a class that teaches the tool, or get tested out by a member who is authorized to do so. Prepare for it to take months to get access to the tools. There are no closed studios so load noise and dirty processes will be discouraged. I think they have just got a little too big for their britches. If you are a maker/hacker nerd you will love this place. There are tons of really smart people there and some of them may chat with you. Check out their web site. It might be what you are looking for. For me not so much. read more

Kind of like a hackerspace. Lots of amazing classes - metalworking, sewing, robots, arduino, bike maintenance, hacking, jewelry making, glassblowing, machining, tool training, the list goes on. Get on their mailing list and you'll be notified of upcoming classes and workshops! read more

If you need to use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail - upgrade it, charge it, point it, zoom it, press it, Snap it, work it, quick - erase it... you get the idea... This is your place. Almost anything and everything can be built here. If they can't do it someone will know someone who does. They also teach a bunch of awesome classes so you can become one of those people who knows how to do things read more

I love this place! Everyone here is eager to help you with building your circuit and getting to learn more about engineering, physics and applications of electronics! I highly suggest coming here if you want to pick up a new cool hobby. I built a nice musical pencil! Loads of fun! read more

I've taken three classes at the Asylum so far and I've been renting a studio space there for about three months. Five minutes into my tour, I knew I wanted to - and had to - join this community. I saw studios for robot-builders next to silk-screeners, a boat under construction, 3-dimensional printers, wood-workers, puppet-makers...it just keeps going. It's like a zoo of creative humanity - a representative survey of human creativity confined in a one-acre space in Somerville. I wanted to hang out with those people. There are times when tools in the workshops have been broken and unusable, from what I've seen. That can be frustrating, as noted in some other reviews. But what should also be noted is that almost everything that happens there happens when a member starts a ball rolling. That goes for cleaning up the metal-working room, upgrading the paint shop's ventilation system, or starting a whole new shop (a set-up for casting sculptures is in the works) - all of which happened in the last two months! It evolves based on the input and initiative of members. In my short time there, everyone I've interacted with has been friendly, generous with sharing their time and expertise, and patient dealing with me and my rudimentary wood- and metal-working skills. If you're looking for a place where everything's running perfectly predictably at all times, I would recommend Disneyworld. If you want to find a place to work that has a lot of tools you probably can't justify buying or don't have room for in your basement, and a space surrounded by talented tool users, this may be a good fit. read more

Artisan's is a wonderful place, where people help each other and share their passion for craft.

Absolutely awesome place full of incredibly creative people. They offer tons of classes, from woodworking and screenprinting to TIG-welding bicycle frames. They also offer a wide variety of services, and everyone there is incredibly helpful! What a great community space; we could use many more like it! read more

These guys brought out speakers and hot chocolate and threw a dance party/snowball fight/snow art contest in Union Square during the Blizzard of '13. Coolest thing I've seen in a long while... read more

I purchased a woodworking class at Artisan's Asylum through EventBrite. When we showed up, they made us sign up for accounts so that we could complete their waivers. The password / email I provided is one that I reuse for sites that I don't care too much about. Less than four hours after I created the account, I started getting security emails from the other sites saying they had had unusual activity and prompting me to reset my password. Even a volunteer-based organization should have more respect for their customer's information. I'm very glad I did not provide them with my credit card details. read more

Artisan's Asylum is a fantastic playground for makers! The facilities are terrific, with separate shops for woodworking, metalworking, electronics and robotics, jewelry, and more. I've taken all of the basic woodworking classes and have learned quite a bit. Highly recommended for anyone who is into creating things and meeting other like-minded individuals! read more