Author: ted@thebrickyard.org

It’s time to let the cat out of the bag – We’re MOVING!

But wait! There’s SO MUCH MORE!

Yup, you read that right! After 3 (short) years we’ve started to bust at the seams… and finally we’ve found a spot that we can grow into and do all the things we’ve wanted to. We’re moving into a 10,000 square foot space, just around the corner at 760 Western Ave!

To help us commemorate this huge step, the Good to Go team at RAW Arts is creating a brilliant painting for our wall, in spite of the scorching heat wave-

They still have work to do to put on the finishing touches, but these folks are amazing and the mural is everything The Brickyard is all about. Here’s another peek:

The new space will let us do a whole lot of things we’ve been working on – including workshops and classes, community events, shows and exhibits, and taking on a whole bunch of new members with 4 times the member studio space available. We have a lot of work to do before our move-in in October, but here’s a look at what will be our main meeting area:

It’s just a few blocks away from our old shop but it feels like we’re much more a part of the Lynn community! We’re steps away from the new rail trail (and are planning a container “bike kitchen” shop, with a rest stop and tools for bike repair), across the street from Market Basket, and a stone’s throw from the Common.

There’s so much more, though! We’re working with Kayak and Sail Lynn, and have donated one of our containers for their Blossom St Extension site as a boat house, and that’s being painted by the Sirens Crew, headed by Allison Miller. We are planning some boat building classes there, maybe as soon as next Spring:

And then there’s the AMAZING WAMX team from RAW Art, and their mural at Lynn Museum – they needed some help with saws and wood, and that’s what we do – we taught the artists how to use our stuff, and stood back to watch their concept come to life!

Oh, there’s even more… we have a new shop dog, Maddie! We now have the New England Belt Sander Racing Association track (the “X2000”) and are planning an upcoming race (the “We Don’t Know What We’re Doing and You Can Too!” race) and we’ve signed on to the Lego/FIRST robotics and are putting.a team together for this season!

More on all this as plans progress, but as always, if you’re interested in helping or have questions, reach out and we’ll get you some answers and info.

It’s been a long haul, with many challenges in the last few years, but we’re finally seeing our vision come to life. The new space will be everything that we have been working for… a place for makers, STEM, artists and the community to do what we all dream of. On a personal note, I was showing the new place to a member who’s been on-board since day one, and he asked, “…did you ever expect to get this far, this fast?” We never dared dream it, no. But because of the community and the incredible support, and an amazing, ever-changing and growing team of members and leaders, here we are.

As always, “Keep making stuff. Take care of people, play nice and clean up after yourselves.”

See you at our new home in October!