Strategic Plan

Why Making?

Making is a powerful expression of creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving. When people make—whether as artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, or hobbyists—they transform ideas into real objects, projects, and possibilities. The act of making strengthens skills, builds confidence, and often leads to discoveries that extend far beyond the workshop.

Artisans Asylum exists to support this creative process. Our makerspace brings together tools, knowledge, and community in a 52,000-square-foot environment designed for exploration and collaboration. Here, individuals are encouraged to experiment, share ideas, and build the things they are passionate about.

Investing in the culture and practice of making recognizes a fundamental human instinct to create and improve the world around us. The benefits reach far beyond individual projects, supporting personal growth, innovation, and stronger communities.

As Artisans Asylum continues to grow in our Allston–Brighton home, we are expanding both our physical capacity and the reach of our programs. Our strategic plan outlines the path forward as we strengthen our role as a hub for creativity, learning, and innovation in the Greater Boston region.

Our Values

  • Ensure that everyone experiences a welcoming environment at all times, and encourage BIPOC and LGBTQ artists to bring their whole selves

  • Nurture the positive social bonds that form when people come together, ensuring that marginalized voices are welcome and supported

  • Cultivate a culture of curiosity, exploration and discovery that encourages hands-on learning and builds creative agency across disciplines

  • Value talent, skills and ingenuity—and always make room for fun in everything we do

  • We are committed to a reliable, high quality experience for all that sustains a viable, enduring business

Our Vision

Artisans Asylum envisions a world enlivened by makers. We imagine a society where everyone feels welcome to share their talents and continually develop their capabilities, contributing to the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of our communities.

Our mission as an inclusive, nonprofit community workshop is to advance the learning, practice, and culture of do-it-yourself (“DIY”) fabrication. We strive to provide access to the tools, training, and collaborative environment necessary for people to develop creative confidence and build the things they love.

To realize this vision and fulfill our mission, Artisans Asylum is guided by five strategic pillars that shape our growth and the future of our community:

  • Artisans Asylum recognizes the legacy of colonization embedded within the technologies, structures, and ways of thinking we use every day. Even the technologies that are central to much of the art and fabrication we practice generate a significant carbon footprint, contributing to changing climates that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color worldwide. We are committed to actively and continually examining our role in reconciliation, decolonization, and allyship with BIPOC, LGBTQ, and other marginalized communities.

    Artisans Asylum strives to be a refuge for makers of all backgrounds. We aim to create a space where Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQ members have an impact at every level of the organization and are empowered to share their fullest creative expression and bring their ideas to life. As our community grows, we continue expanding our membership and service impact beyond the historically narrow demographics common in fabrication spaces, building a welcoming and inclusive environment responsive to the needs and aspirations of the diverse communities of the Greater Boston region. In doing so, we work to transform our programs, partnerships, and operations into a platform that invites and celebrates “making” in all of its traditions.

    Our long-term goal is to sustain a membership community that reflects the communities we serve and the many creative traditions within them. Artisans Asylum will continue to cultivate diverse leadership, staff, and membership while strengthening our role as an ally organization that supports projects within our communities and amplifies diverse creative voices. Our communication, programming, and brand will continue to reflect the diversity of our members and the inclusive practices that power our community.

  • Increase our physical footprint, powering the growth of membership and the resources that fuel our members’ ingenuity. Artisans Asylum continues to develop unmatched capabilities in both manual and computer-aided fabrication that foster collaboration, experimentation, and creative exploration.

    Our facilities support a growing network of studios, shops, and shared spaces designed to help makers pursue ambitious projects and learn from one another. Expanding these environments allows more artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists to access the tools, resources, and community that make creative work possible.

    Artisans Asylum continues to grow as a fabrication campus offering unparalleled resources to advance the learning, practice, and culture of making for all. Our space supports a vibrant community of multidisciplinary makers who develop individual projects while collaborating to meet the needs of the greater Boston region. Across our nearly 20 shops and shared workspaces, the culture of making is active around the clock, with creativity, experimentation, and collaboration happening every day of the year.

  • Enrich the community by providing unmatched opportunities for lifelong learning in the materials, tools, and processes of fabrication. Artisans Asylum continues to attract talented and adventurous instructors who stretch the limits of our imagination and inspire the next generation of makers.

    Our programs continue to expand the breadth, depth, and quality of both formal and informal learning opportunities. Through classes, workshops, and skill-based programming, we provide high-quality instruction for families and their children, high school and college students, companies and their employees, and lifelong learners of all ages. The Greater Boston region increasingly looks to Artisans Asylum as a trusted resource for tool training, skills development, and personal edification.

    Artisans Asylum continues to strengthen its role as a regional leader in hands-on learning. With dozens of classes offered each month and thousands of students participating each year, our programs help people develop the skills they need to build passions, livelihoods, and careers through making.

  • Empower startups and creative ventures to launch at Artisans Asylum by surrounding innovators with the tools for prototyping, resources to mitigate risk, and the networks needed to nurture innovative and sustainable companies. Artisans Asylum continues to strengthen its role as an unparalleled environment for open innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

    Our makerspace provides the physical, human, and program infrastructure entrepreneurs need in order to grow. Dedicated startup studios, shared fabrication resources, and tailored learning programs give early-stage ventures the space and support needed to move ideas from concept to prototype. At the same time, we cultivate relationships and networks that help connect innovators with talent, capital, and the supply, manufacturing, and distribution chains required to scale their work.

    Artisans Asylum is home to an ecosystem of people, organizations, and resources that empower artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs to build new businesses around their ideas. Through access to tools, mentorship, and collaborative networks, we support early-stage innovators as they test ideas, develop prototypes, and launch new ventures of many kinds and scales.

  • An artistically inspired and technology-enabled space of wonder and amazement, Artisans Asylum offers the public an unforgettable experience in the culture and practice of making. The experiences we create inspire engagement, encourage membership and class participation, affirm our culture, and support a sustainable model for our organization.

    Artisans Asylum continues to evolve as an immersive destination that taps into the growing public appetite for unique and lasting experiences that engage the senses and the imagination. We leverage the creative talents of our members to envision and construct elements of the space, while harnessing the technical capabilities of our engineers and makers to bring cohesion and customization to the visitor experience. The space is accessible to the community through public tours, exhibitions, special events, and private functions.

    Artisans Asylum serves as an arts and creative destination for our local community and visitors to the region. In ongoing collaboration with our members and community partners, the space remains an ever-changing environment for engagement, experimentation, and the presentation of new and ongoing works that blur the lines between art and engineering, performance and exhibition.