Maker Hive Makes Space for Creativity
Maker Hive Makes Space for Creativity
Maker Hive, on Warburton Avenue, has classes and workshops in a wide array of arts, crafts, and STEM activities
by Janine Annett
Hastings-on-Hudson — Entering Maker Hive at 416 Warburton Avenue (just across the street from Antoinette’s Patisserie), there’s a sense that you could create almost anything with the bounty of materials and information available in the bright, welcoming space.
Aarthi Muthukrishnan opened Maker Hive in Hastings in October of 2023. It’s her vision for a place to support creativity, learning, and community through honing new skills and connecting with like-minded people. Upcoming classes and workshops for children and adults include tinkering, creative tech using hobby electronics with a laser cutter and 3D printer, painting, drawing, knitting, crocheting, block printing, bookbinding, egg dyeing, and more.
Aarthi, who has a background in technology and computer science and also has an MBA, has long been involved in mentoring girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). “Technology is part of every industry now,” she said. She has lived in Hastings-on-Hudson with her family for the past eight years. Before opening Maker Hive, Aarthi ran a Girls Who Code program and also piloted a school break camp at the community center in Hastings. In the camp, kids learned to create interactive projects that came alive with the use of microcontrollers. “Instead of just focusing on learning coding, which was dry, I thought, ‘How can we make it more creative?’ We used physical computing and creative computing, which is all about using small microcontrollers to create interactive projects. I like to call it ‘a code that you can hold.’ It’s very visual and the impact isn’t on a screen. The parents loved it, and the kids loved it,” said Aarthi.
“I just love all the arts,” Aarthi said. She describes herself as a jack of all trades who can knit, crochet, and embroider in addition to being adept at using technology. When it comes to art and tech, “I straddle these two worlds,” she said. “And I wanted to find a way to bring them together.”
Sensing a need in the community for STEM-oriented afterschool programs for kids, as well as a place where people of all ages could create art and learn technological skills, Aarthi began exploring the idea of creating a permanent maker space in the Rivertowns area. A vacation to the West Coast with her family turned into an exploration of maker spaces in places like San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver, further inspiring her to continue working on turning her idea into reality.
Aarthi’s face lights up as she shows off some of the projects that children and adults have created at Maker Hive, including watercolor paintings, miniature carnival rides made out of cardboard, light-up wooden lanterns with laser-cut designs, and toy cardboard cars powered by controllers. Maker Hive’s offerings are designed to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Aarthi is also a member of the Hastings-on-Hudson Conservation Commission. She ensures that the workshops at Maker Hive use recycled materials (like recycled PLA for 3D printers) and upcycled materials like cardboard. In one upcoming class, kids will be building automatic greenhouses using takeout containers from restaurants in the area.
Maker Hive plans to continue offering a variety of classes and workshops, from multi-session tinkering and art classes to one-time workshops, monthly pay-what-you-can fiber socials, and more. Learn about the Maker Hive at https://www.makerhive.space/, or stop by the space on Warburton Avenue. You can also keep up with the latest on their Facebook and Instagram feeds at @makerhivespace.
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