NextFab

Apply to the Artisan Accelerator program, an online 8-week experience that gives artisans and entrepreneurs the essential tools and support.The NextFab makerspace has historically been the place where makers and creatives can build tangible products, providing the physical resources and tools to go from making to selling. Now, we're going a step further with our NextFab Artisan Accelerator, an 8-week experience that gives entrepreneurs the essential tools, support, and structure to focus on the things that matter to build viable businesses. This program is designed specifically to help artisan entrepreneurs craft profitable business models, reach new customers, and build sustainable

Join us in the NextFab Gallery, for the installation of “La Sombrilla,” a self-sustaining environmental sculpture.Join us in the NextFab Gallery, for the installation of “La Sombrilla,” a self-sustaining environmental sculpture that responds to the context of climate change in one of the largest immigrant communities in the city. Multidisciplinary artists Jose Ortiz Pagan, Omar Buenaventura, and Maria Dumlao will discuss the barriers faced by many migrant communities in owning homes, and how their installation begins to open the doors to those conversations.Their installation "La Sombrilla," an installation originally unveiled while it was 100° in Southeast Philadelphia, during an event

How do you set up your table at craft fairs and markets to maximize sales and branding opportunities?What does it take to have an effective and productive product set up at craft fairs and markets, and for retail store popups? As beautiful and useful as your handmade products may be, if not presented in their best light during selling opportunities, they may not sell as well as they should. We'll discuss with our experts on what pieces they use as part of their vending/tabling setups, special touches they have for customers, and what they deem to be the most effective

Shop local and handmade at the NextFab Wilmington Holiday Gift & Art Market! Join us for a special Wilmington Holiday Gift & Art Market as part of the Wilmington Art Loop, happening December 2nd from 4:00 pm - 7:30 pm at NextFab Wilmington. Showcasing NextFab member handmade crafts, furniture, products, and more for sale, guests will have the opportunity to shop a wide selection of unique, handmade holiday gifts while viewing the NextFab spaces. Light refreshments will be available in the 2nd-floor lounge area.

Make Your Own Wooden Frame and Photo in this two-day, hands-on workshop at NextFab!

Make Your Own Wooden Frame and Photo in this two-day, hands-on workshop at NextFab!

Make Your Own Wooden Frame and Photo in this two-day, hands-on workshop at NextFab!

Our second annual Tools of the Trades hybrid conference focuses on connecting artisans and makers to business resources in Philadelphia and beyond. This four-day event provides a concentrated period for creative learning to help craft-focused businesses accelerate growth and find success however they choose to define them. This conference delivers a variety of programming and materials – lectures, resource directories, and a collaborative event – to address the needs voiced by our creatives running small businesses. The conference strives to emphasize approachability, affordability, and a supportive environment where everyone can come together and no question goes unanswered. Tickets to the four-day interactive

Our second annual Tools of the Trades hybrid conference focuses on connecting artisans and makers to business resources in Philadelphia and beyond. This four-day event provides a concentrated period for creative learning to help craft-focused businesses accelerate growth and find success however they choose to define them. This conference delivers a variety of programming and materials – lectures, resource directories, and a collaborative event – to address the needs voiced by our creatives running small businesses. The conference strives to emphasize approachability, affordability, and a supportive environment where everyone can come together and no question goes unanswered. Tickets to the four-day interactive

Join us at NextFab’s makerspace at 1800 North American Street, Philadelphia, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm on March 25, 2023, to conclude the Tools of the Trades conference! Meet the speakers you saw during the week of digital programming and network with fellow attendees. Amongst those attending will be gallerists, curators, artists, makers, local business owners, collectors, and more. Enjoy food, drinks, live music, and a trunk show of local artists! Saturday, March 25, 2023: Workshops and Networking Happy Hour Workshops 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM – In-Person: How to Approach Galleries, Whole Sellers, and Store Owners Workshop This workshop

Learn and network with fellow CNC and ShopBot fabricators and enthusists!Join us for a free informal gathering of CNC and ShopBot enthusiasts for a day of presentations and a show and tell. Learn from folks beyond the NextFab community and share what you are or want to be making on the ShopBot!Although each ShopBot Camp is unique, they almost always include a couple of presentations by ShopBot luminaries on topics like what’s new at ShopBot, or to share cool projects they had either worked on themselves or heard about in the CNC community. The heart of the gatherings though is

Join us on Tuesday, June 6th for a Happy Hour with Kickstarter!Join us on Tuesday, June 6th for a Happy Hour with Kickstarter! Laura Feinstein is Kickstarter's Design and Tech Editor and North American Outreach Lead, working to mentor, inspire, and help promote the ideas and projects of both emerging and established creators. She will review past projects she's seen from successful hardware and electrical engineers and provide a mini-workshop where she'll review best practices. During her session, she'll leave ample time for Q&A. Following Laura's presentation, Scott Keely will give a brief introduction to patents. Scott is a patent

What does Philadelphia’s climate future look like? Mural Arts’ Climate Justice Initiative (CJI) invites you to help “Paint the Future” at this family-friendly evening of art and activism! Mural Arts is currently painting a 400-foot-long mural that illustrates the past, present, and future of climate change and climate justice in Lenapehoking (the homelands of the Indigenous Lenape people, including Philadelphia and the Delaware River watershed). On June 8 and July 13, you can help us paint this mural! (Children are welcome to attend, but must be at least 12 years old to participate in painting.) While painting, you will also learn about

Join us on Thursday, September 14th for a magic picture card-making workshop led by Leeway x NextFab Artist-in-Residence, Colette Fu, an award-winning pop-up book artist. The Mid-Autumn Festival, a.k.a. Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture – a time when family and friends get together and celebrate. To ring in the occasion, we’ll make magic picture cards, enjoy mooncakes, and sip on bubble tea. All supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring in any photos or artwork you might want to incorporate into a card. All levels are welcome! Learn more about Colette’s 2023 Leeway

Join us for our next in-person meetup with the Philly Hardware Meetup group! Location: NextFab North Philly 1800 N. American St., Philadelphia Parking lot ——————– Agenda 5:30-6:00 pm: Arrive, mingle, grab some food and a beverage 6:00-6:15 pm: Opening remarks 6:15-7:00 pm: Guest Speakers + Q&A with the audience 7:00-7:30 pm: Open Mic. Anyone in attendance can give a demo or short presentation on their hardware product, startup, or project. 7:30-8:30 pm: Mix, mingle, and close out the night. ——————– Thank you to our partners for helping make this event! NextFab is a membership-based makerspace at the heart of Philly’s hardware

This hands-on workshop invites participants to bring a small amount of display setup, including products, stands, and collateral to practice effective setups in a learning environment. Each participant will be given a small area to stage their craft fair and market setups. They will be expected to give a brief brand statement to the group and will receive live critique to improve the quality of their displays. At the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with tangible feedback on display setup improvements, strategies for pricing and products, and how to maximize customer interactions at in-person tabling events. Workshop

This hands-on workshop invites participants to bring a small amount of display setup, including products, stands, and collateral to practice effective setups in a learning environment. Each participant will be given a small area to stage their craft fair and market setups. They will be expected to give a brief brand statement to the group and will receive live critique to improve the quality of their displays. At the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with tangible feedback on display setup improvements, strategies for pricing and products, and how to maximize customer interactions at in-person tabling events.

Come join us for the opening reception of Colette Fu’s “Unprecedented Novelty” exhibition on Thursday, February 8th, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at NextFab North Philly. Colette Fu (LTA ’13, ATR ’23, WOO ’18) is the selected 2023 Leeway x NextFab Art and Technology Artist-in-Residence. During her time at NextFab, Colette experimented with new tools and equipment, expanding upon her practice of pop-up books by integrating herself within the NextFab woodshop and woodworking community to develop new works exploring the history of Chinese people coming to America. Celebrate and view Colette’s work, Unprecedented Novelty, on display at NextFab North Philly from February 3, 2024, through

Why replace it when you can repair it? In these popup Repair Fairs, the volunteers of the Philly Fixers Guild will help you fix your stuff, free of charge, and they’re ready for the challenge. Got tangled jewelry, IKEA furniture that needs assembling, or a vacuum cleaner that’s on the fritz? Sit down with one of their volunteers and they’ll help you hands-on with fixing it. While they do have some limits, they encourage a read of their ground rules before bringing in your items. This independent collective of talented volunteers from differing technical backgrounds is committed to the idea of “repair rather than

Gallery Talk with Winter Residency Fellow Adam Atkinson | NextFab 1800 North American Street | Fri. March 15, 2024 | 6:30 pm EST | Hybrid Event Click HERE to RSVP Guests may join us either at NextFab North or via Zoom. Join us for a gallery talk with the 2024 Winter Residency Fellow Adam Atkinson. The residency is designed for artists in Greater Philadelphia who work in the medium of wood and is a collaboration between the Museum for Art in Wood and NextFab. An exhibition of the work created over the two-month-long program will be presented at the NextFab North Philadelphia

The annual Tools of the Trades hybrid conference focuses on connecting artisans and makers to business resources in Philadelphia and beyond. This three-day event provides a concentrated period for creative learning to help craft-focused businesses accelerate growth and find success however they choose to define it. Tools of the Trades delivers a variety of programming and materials – lectures, resource directories, and a collaborative event  –  to address the needs voiced by our creatives running small businesses. The conference strives to emphasize approachability, affordability, and a supportive environment where everyone can come together and no question goes unanswered. Wednesday, March

The annual Tools of the Trades hybrid conference focuses on connecting artisans and makers to business resources in Philadelphia and beyond. This three-day event provides a concentrated period for creative learning to help craft-focused businesses accelerate growth and find success however they choose to define it. Tools of the Trades delivers a variety of programming and materials – lectures, resource directories, and a collaborative event  –  to address the needs voiced by our creatives running small businesses. The conference strives to emphasize approachability, affordability, and a supportive environment where everyone can come together and no question goes unanswered. Thursday, March

The annual Tools of the Trades hybrid conference focuses on connecting artisans and makers to business resources in Philadelphia and beyond. This three-day event provides a concentrated period for creative learning to help craft-focused businesses accelerate growth and find success however they choose to define it. Tools of the Trades delivers a variety of programming and materials – lectures, resource directories, and a collaborative event  –  to address the needs voiced by our creatives running small businesses. The conference strives to emphasize approachability, affordability, and a supportive environment where everyone can come together and no question goes unanswered. Friday, March

Got unwanted jeweler’s stones or deadstock? Looking for stones, tools, or displays? Or do you want to meet other jewelry makers in Philadelphia? Join us on Tuesday, March 26th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm in this open-to-the-public Jeweler to Jeweler event at NextFab on North American Street! In partnership with Tshatshke Jewelry Studio and Kate Dannenberg Handmade, this is an opportunity to meet new friends, see the NextFab jewelry studio, and buy, sell, and trade stones, tools, and/or displays. Come as you are with or without goodies – you may leave with some new treasures! Bring what you have,

Why replace it when you can repair it? In these popup Repair Fairs, the volunteers of the Philly Fixers Guild will help you fix your stuff, free of charge, and they’re ready for the challenge. Got tangled jewelry, IKEA furniture that needs assembling, or a vacuum cleaner that’s on the fritz? Sit down with one of their volunteers and they’ll help you hands-on with fixing it. While they do have some limits, they encourage a read of their ground rules before bringing in your items. This independent collective of talented volunteers from differing technical backgrounds is committed to the idea of “repair rather than