Downtown State College is seeing a new creative change with the expansion of The Makery in the MLK Plaza on S Fraser St for First Friday from 6-8 p.m..
Currently located at 123 S Fraser St, The Makery is a nonprofit creative studio, offering artistic classes, parties, and events to the broader area of State College. With 14 artists working at the store, The Makery produces a variety of opportunities for locals. These classes include: Sewing (all ages), painting & Drawing, Knitting, Photography, Pottery, and more!
Located right next door to The Makery, at 121 S Fraser St, the Market is to act more as a store portion of the business. This space will curate different products for customers, including home goods, accessories, and art. They have been working on expanding for years, finally announcing the upgrade at Gather the Girls, an event The Makery held, hosting 100 girls in the original Makery space. The expansion came as a surprise to guests, but was very well received. Around 100 artists applied to be featured in the new market.
Founder, Amy Frank, has been running The Makery for 15 years. Frank noticed a lack of local and regional art in the State College region, wanting to bring a space for this art to be showcased. She stated that this expansion was a fun experience, bringing life to the downtown space. “It’s super beautiful,” Amy gushed. “Expect a lot of beautiful, local art.”
The Makery Market will be employed by young women transferring out of the foster care system. The Makery works with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau, helping give youth the opportunity to get work experience coming out of the care system. Amy Frank came up with this mission after she grew up in a foster family, getting to view the foster system at a young age. “We always wanted to have a way to provide opportunities out of foster care,” Frank states.
Once the market has its grand opening, many of the market’s art pieces will be seen at events throughout the next few months, including monthly First Fridays, Downtown Light Up Night, and Small Business Saturday.
The Makery’s Grand Opening will occur on First Friday, October 4th beginning at 6pm. For more information, visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
