RMWBS/Grand Lake MakerSpace - Our Vision for the Future

What is a MakerSpace? Our vision at RMWBS is one of shared work-spaces, creative studios, tool libraries, teaching resources, boat-building facilities, gallery spaces, live-work art residences, all serving the Grand Lake's citizens. A MakerSpace is a creative place that brings together the fine arts with the vocational arts, allowing each to expand into new realms of artistic endeavor. We are thrilled to be a part of Grand Lake's endeavors to further their creative community and economy. We are eternally grateful to Cameron and Deborah Fitch for providing a space for the Rocky Mountain Wooden Boat School in Grand Lake, and for supporting this vision with such generous hearts!

A vision for a MakerSpace arts campus by the RMWBS Board of Directors, with the help of design firm SALTworkshop.

The last few years have seen the townsfolk come together to nourish the community's creative side. RMWBS is proud to be a part of this movement, and the progress has been amazing. In July of 2018, Grand Lake celebrated becoming one of a small number of communities designated as a Colorado Creative District. This propelled dedicated folks from the town to take it to the next level. In a bold move, the group initiated an application for the Colorado Creative Industries 'Space to Create Initiative' (supported by the Boettcher Foundation & Artspace, among others). It was announced in October of 2018 that the town had been selected by CCI to participate in the program, despite stiff competition for this incredible opportunity.

The MakerSpace could include live-work habitation for creatives, workshop & galleries. This image shows what such a campus might look like, surrounding RMWBS' home in the historic red barn.

This is great news for the creative community in Grand Lake, including the Rocky Mountain Wooden Boat School. According to SkyHi News, and DiAnn Butler, Grand County, Colorado's Economic Development Director, the initiative could bring in an estimated around $5 million total investment from Space to Create over the next half a decade. The Boettcher Foundation alone will soon be donating $250,000 to the project.

Space to Create promotes capital improvements that allow for sustained and nurturing residences for creative folks of all types - from music to dance, to (you guessed it) boat-building. We believe that encouraging the vocational arts is essential to prolonged economic stability in small communities like Grand Lake, and we look forward to collaborating with all the efforts toward a healthy, sustainable community, serving creative people of all generations.

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