What a neat place! They offer tours of the space on Saturdays at 11am - no reservations needed, just show up at 11. Ring the buzzer and they will come let you in (be patient, sometimes they may need to walk to the door from the other side of the building). The staff is friendly and helpful, and happy to answer questions. There is a wood shop, a metal shop, a fabric area, a Cricut machine, embroidery machine, 3D printer, laser cutters, and all kinds of other interesting tools to make stuff. They offer classes, and let people use the tools after taking safety classes if you show up during open shop hours when the supervisor of the space is there. They rent out small spaces as incubators and offer classes and guidance for growing businesses. If you have ideas of a thing you want to make, chances are there is somebody here who can teach you how to make it. The organization is very much based around community and sharing knowledge. If you are at all curious, I highly recommend the tour. read more

The Foundry is a place, a space, an incubator. At the Foundry you can learn, create an explore. If you haven't been here or looked them up do it, do it now. So far I've had the opportunity to make a shot glass, make some jewelry and learn the history of glass beads and play with 3D printing. As I mentioned previously the Foundry the incubator for a variety of business that make their home here. I recently attended the holiday market where a number of the vendors that make the Foundry home were open and many visiting crafters. Many if not all of these vendors host a class or two that for a reasonable price you can get hands on to learn a new skill. So far I've taken 3 and I can tell you these classes are small, intimate and really give you a hands on experience that really makes the class worth it. Some of these resident creators include a company that makes pucks and baseballs into bottle openers, a metal worker, glass blower, jewelry maker, a wooden frame bicycle maker and a man that makes bird feeders that resemble Frank Lloyd Wright windows. Most of them have etsy or other stores to browse what is available for purchase. For me, The Foundry is about creation, creativity and the access to be able to taken part in it. To work with skilled craftsmen, hear their stories, get tips while making something in the process. So check out a class or 10, it's worth it! read more

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Wedding time...the room is modern, open and inviting. The staff were friendly and attentive, they were flexible. The meals were ok, fillet was chewy, salmon seemed well cooked, the veg option of cauliflower steak tasted like propane. The kids meals of fries and chicken fingers was standard. No one at our table was served salad as the rest of the wedding was, when we asked for more bread they weren't sure they had any....but the rolls did appear. The most ridiculous and frustrating part was the forced valet parking. They were nice enough but couldn't keep up with the amount of cars and frankly I want my keys and access to my car at my discretion. read more

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This space is amazing- it's affordable, has a ton of resources, and is a great place to either take a class or rent studio space. I've been here since December 2021 and I can't say enough good things about this facility. Now that the weather is nice, I noticed a big outside gathering area with chairs, plants, a table, etc-I can't wait to use it! There's a kitchen, workspaces with a variety of tools, classes and workshops put on by the other studio renters to share skills- it's the space I've been waiting for! Such a gem. read more

The Foundry - Always the last to leave, and have to shut off the lights! - Makerspaces Near Me - Buffalo, New York

What a great experience. It doesn't matter if you are handy or crafty or creative or none of the above, taking a class at The Foundry is such a great experience. A group of friends did today's earring lasercuting class and we will definitely be returning for other lessons. We were shown around the facility, from the woodworking room, to the metal shop, to the textiles space, and the printing area. We learned about how to get involved, how to use the spaces, and about their many school and community partnerships. Then we sat down and had to think about our own creations. From inspiration to final product, we were shown every step of the process, and given a variety of methods and tools for allowing our designs to come to fruition. We all ended up with such different and unique pieces that will be worn with pride. Our next visit can't come soon enough! read more

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You can tell from reading other reviews of this place that The Foundry is a LOT more than any one thing, though I went there today for the first time for one thing only: A Festival of Shorts. Didn't see anyone wearing shorts, in spite of this April 7 reaching 73 degrees. The Festival was a handful and a half of short takes, plays, vignettes. The acting troupe, plus stand-ins, had as much fun with the material as did the audience. During the intermission, chips and water were available in the lobby at 50¢ each. A lot of laughs and relaxation. And the promise of a Festival of Shorts becoming an annual event. Watch for it-- and many other events-- at The Foundry. read more

This building makes its presence known on the East Side with its Second Saturday Artisan Markets every month and the host of workshops and tools they offer for the budding craftsmen. When I attended this market this last Saturday, I saw a guy brewing beer out back, another person blowing glass and selling glass and people selling soup, gelato and other knacks and wares. In the back, there were a few artist studios and even people working on fixing up bikes. The space is a "work-in-progress" and every few months I go and visit it, it looks starkly different. They are constantly building it out and offering more for the community: from classes to access to high-powered tools. If you haven't had a chance to check out The Foundry yet, I highly suggest you check out their Second Saturday market -- it's quite an experience! read more

The Foundry gave me the opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do. For many years I've been talking about doing some woodworking and The Foundry gave me the knowledge, confidence and tools to do it. I have taken 3 classes here, Intro to Woodworking with Jim; who knows everything about woodworking, Woodshop Safety Course and the Cutting Board Class. After all these classes I felt comfortable and confident enough to do a project of my own. I took advantage of the Month Hobbyist Membership that comes with the Woodshop Safety Course to reface my kitchen cabinet doors. The membership entitles you to 20 hours per month of supervised access to the shop. The first day I went to the woodshop I was the only one there (besides Jim, the supervisor). They do only open space for 4 people at a time, so there is always space to work. Jim was very helpful answering any question I had and recommending tools or techniques. After 4+ hours of working with power tools and feeling comfortable with everything I was doing I couldn't help but feel like a bad @ss. It is so rewarding to learn a skill and be able to put it into practice. I highly recommend taking a class at The Foundry. They offer a bunch of different ones throughout the year, not only on woodworking. Right now (July, 2017) they are offering a Beginner Glass Blowing class. I know I'll be keeping my eyes open for the Intermediate Woodworking class. read more

The Foundry - Work table in the woodshop - Makerspaces Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Awesome idea and a great place for people to get some experience and learn skills. I had heard of the Foundry a while ago but never got around to going until last night. Did one of the classes, "Drawing to Sculpture in the MetalShop" and it was a great time. They started us off with a short tour of the entire facility, there a lot of people running small businesses out of the rentable spaces in addition to the workshop spaces. Once we got to the metal shop our instructor gave us some quick safety instruction and made sure we all had safety glasses and ear plugs. We got to use some tools I've always wanted to try but never had a chance including a welder and plasma cutter. Both were a blast and easy to learn the basics. Getting clean smooth welds or cuts obviously requires a lot of practice, but you can go from never have touched either tool to being able to do functional work in a few minutes. I will definitely be on the look out for other interesting classes. read more

The Foundry is a really cool place. At first glance it doesn't look like much but it's basically a space for service and creativity. Local crafters and small business owners can rent space to sell their items and it is also home to The Beds for Buffalo project that builds beds from the ground up for low income children. Both times I've been to the Foundry have been for community service with Beds for Buffalo but it's so cool to walk through and see all the vendor areas as well. The shop where the beds are made can also be rented by community members to work on their own projects. This is a really great facility on the east side of buffalo that fills a need for so many. Definitely check it out and support! read more

'I could tell you my adventures-beginning from this morning,' said Alice a little timidly: 'but it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.' -Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ************************************** Every journey has it's beginnings and The Foundry is a place of beginnings. Beginnings for the people who work here. Beginnings for the people who come here looking for something. What exactly is The Foundry? That is a good question and one I posed to numerous people while actually at The Foundry for an event. It took a while to get anything I could wrap my head around. To the uninformed observer, The Foundry is a gutted warehouse that is slowly being filled back out but is still mid-construction. The half-finished feel is perhaps representative of the people who occupy the space. My friend described it as a business incubator. All I could think of was little chicken eggs incubating. Haha okay, so it's a place for businesses to come and hopefully one day hatch into a cute little feathery chicks who can walk around on their own. Now I got it. Well, what can you actually find here? The first place I saw upon entering was a room where you could go get henna. It was the evening so many of the rooms were unoccupied. A quick look on their website revealed that there was actually quite a bit going on here. Glassmakers, signmakers, bottlemakers, bicyclemakers, jewelrymakers. The list goes on but it's a lot of "makers" and some of them even offer classes. You can learn the basics of woodworking and making your own jewelry among other things. The best time to check out this space is Second Saturdays from 12-4pm where they sell different crafts as well as host classes. Their website is pretty extensive and well-organized. I'm not a super crafty person (unless I'm playing Monopoly) but I can see how this place is a warm home for those who are actually crafty in the good way. read more

A really cool warehouse/workspace. They have artists studios, big workshops(wood, textiles, welding, 3D printed&laser cutter) and offer classes and workshops. The studio space is a little like a business incubator and the workshops are available by membership. They have a reoccurring craft fair as well. read more

This is definitely a neat venue especially for the craftsmen. I went to a "Second Saturday at the Foundry" which was sort of like a hip little Saturday Market featuring work from artists who rent space at the Foundry. There was everything from handmade cards, to woodwork, to glass blowing. It is definitely worth a drive to go visit for a little while. In terms of space as a venue, it's a rustic looking warehouse that has workshops in the back - I would describe the vibe as rustic, earthy, and alternative. read more

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Stopped in for one of their Second Saturday Artisan Markets and was extremely moved and impressed by the level of passion, industry, and optimism. Incubating new artisan-owned businesses, the space is a funky mix of work rooms, studios, warehouse, meeting space, and more. I saw at work brewers, wood workers, metal smiths, glassblowers, spinners and knitters, jewelers, and more. If you are a fan of the DIY movement, it's definitely worth a visit. read more

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A small craft business incubator with a interest in community outreach and youth education. Check their Facebook page for events and opportunities. I did a Saturday upholstering workshop and a Wednesday welding workshop. There is an active wood working shop that you can get safety certified to use during "studio time". Great people, take advantage of this amazing opportunity. read more

The Foundry - Plasma cutter - Makerspaces Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I've been here for a couple of events and a private party. I've had nothing but positive experienced here over the last couple of years. It's also a neat space for artists. Parking can be a challenge, but it's right off the bus line. This place is bringing more people into the East Side and investing in the community. I look forward to seeing how it grows over the years. read more