Making Center Workshops

An ongoing goal at Parsons is to support learning beyond the classroom. The making facilities across the University serve as spaces for experiential and cross-disciplinary learning through hands-on practice, allowing students from varying departments and disciplines to work side-by-side, informing each other along the way.

The Making Center is proud to offer a suite of Technician led workshops for all Parsons students held throughout the Spring semester. Technicians in all of the Making Center facilities have a depth and breadth of knowledge in an array of mediums and industries. For the first time last semester, shop Technicians developed and led hands-on workshops outside of course curricula, to share skills and processes from their professional practices. The result was a success- with students from Product Design, Fine Arts, Interior Design, and other Parsons programming working in collaboration to pick up skills that might support their studio work and personal practice. This semester, the shops are building from this pilot program to bring an even larger suite of workshops.

Workshops will be held at the making facilities in 25 East 13th St. and  and 2 West 13th St. facilities. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 – 4:30pm. Topics include advanced woodworking techniques such as carving, lathing, and steam bending. Technicians will also lead sessions on sewing fundamentals, bending metal, and, for the first time, there will be workshops to learn the basics of electronics and Arduino.

We are excited by the opportunity this will allow both students and faculty and look forward to the discourse that follows this academic year, as we receive feedback and prepare for the coming Fall and the opening of the Making Center in 2 West 13th St. and 66 5th Ave. and the exciting new affordances it will offer.

Class size is limited and attendees must RSVP online at resources.parsons.edu.

Thanks all!
The Making Center Staff

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Steam Bending
Led by Abby Mechanic
Parsons East, E4 Wood Shop
Tuesday, March 15, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Workshop attendees will use steam bending techniques to make a wooden bow. In this process, strips of wood are steam heated using a steam box. The applied heat and moisture makes the wood pliable enough to easily bend around a mould to create a specific shape. Eat Your heart out Katniss Everdeen!

Bending Metal
Led by Matt Leabo
Parsons East, E4 Metal Shop
Tuesday, March 17, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Workshop attendees will learn how to operate the E4 Metal Shop Di-Acro Bender. This newly refurbished machine is perfect for bending metal to shape metal stock for various applications from furniture to sculptures. Must wear boots and clothing appropriate for the metal shop.

Cyanotype Printing
Led By Sherri Littlefield
2 West, 9th Floor, L9 Work Shop
Tuesday, March 29, 12:00-1:30pm*
Open to all Parsons Students
Sign Up Here

In this workshop students will make cyanotypes, using the same process that captured the first photographic images. Students will have a hands-on approach to mixing chemicals, applying chemicals to paper, and utilizing sunlight to develop photographic prints. (*Note this time is different than others in the series.)

Sewing Fundamentals
Led by Matt Leabo
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Wet Area
Thursday March 31, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

In this workshop students will learn the basics of sewing and machine controls. This session is perfect for fine artists, product designers and Parsons students working with soft forms.

Handmade Electronics
Led by Hannah Mishin
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Wet Area
Tuesday, April 5, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

In this workshop, students will get an overview of DC electronics: reading simple diagrams, prototyping protocols for circuits, and soldering techniques for making permanent circuits. Students will leave with their own hand-wired LED circuit.

Wood Carving: Spoon Making
Led by Abby Mechanic
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Wood Shop
Tuesday, April 7, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Wood carving and shaping by hand is perhaps the oldest style of woodworking. This workshop is for beginners and intermediate wood workers alike to gain an understanding of the properties of wood, grain and density. Students will make a hand carved spoon.

Intro to Arduino
Led by Hannah Mishin
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Wet Area
Tuesday, April 12, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Arduino is a microcontroller, a mini computer, which takes code and translates that to electrical signals. Those signals send and receive information to one another, allowing students to program interactivity, algorithms, and even interface with certain programs within their laptops (Max MSP, Processing, etc.) The Arduino platform provides students a gateway tool to for inserting ultimate control over any project utilizing electricity. Students will leave this workshop with fundamental and basic understanding of the Arduino IDE and code format and of basic DC electronics. This workshop will explain how the two go together. We will use Arduino to make an LED turn on and off with code and with analog and digital inputs. This is a very basic course, if you have any Arduino experience, please do not sign up for this course.

Turning Green Wood
Led by Phoenix Lindsey-Hall
Parsons East, E4 Wood Shop
Thursday April 14, 4th Floor, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

The wood chips will fly as attendees learn to turn freshly cut green wood on the lathe. During this hands on workshop, students will learn how to make a natural edge bowl. Everyone will take a turn!

Mold Making and Casting
Led by Max Garett
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Wet Area
Tuesday, April 19, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Students will learn about synthetic mold making and casting materials. There will be examples of how casting in different materials can deliberately alter an object’s original dimensions or weight. Students will then take part in a hands on demo experimenting with provided materials.

Tapestry Weaving
Led by Nica Rabinowitz
2 West, 9th Floor, L9 Work Shop
Thursday, April 21, 3:00-4:30pm
Open to all Parsons Students
Sign Up Here

Attendees will learn the basics of tapestry weaving with locally sourced yarn and peg looms. Students will design a small tapestry project and practice traditional and contemporary weaving techniques.

Glass Slumping
Led by Andrea Distefano
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Metal Shop
Thursday, April 26, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Slumping glass is a highly technical operation that is subject to many variations, both controlled and uncontrolled. Attendees will learn and experiment with slumping processes. Must wear boots and clothing appropriate for the metal shop.

Raising Metal
Led by Heechan Kim
Parsons East, 4th Floor, E4 Metal Shop
Tuesday, April 28, 3:00-4:30pm
For Sophomores and Above
Sign Up Here

Raising is a metalworking technique whereby sheet metal is formed over a stake by repeated hammering and annealing. Must wear boots and clothing appropriate for the metal shop.