My name is Grace Kwon, and I am a rising sophomore Fiber Major. During the Summer of 2017, I was an intern for Knox Makers, a makers space and studio in Knoxville, TN. I have always been interested in makers space particularly after visiting OpenWorks in Baltimore. Because of the growing interest and popularity of makers spaces around the country, I researched for these spaces in my hometown, Knoxville. After a couple of intensive internet research excursions and communicating with artist professionals in Knoxville, I discovered the newly opened Knox Makers. Knox Makers was not openly looking for any hires or interns, so I contacted them requesting for a possible opportunity and also attached a resumé. Knox Makers replied fairly quickly, offering an opportunity although it would be their first time hiring an intern. For the next couple of months, we corresponded through email and through phone calls, trying to define what I would do as an intern in the space. Even though it was new experience for both Knox Makers and me, it was fulfilling experience to make internship that seemed impossible work.
Knox Makers is a workshop that features dedicated zones for woodworking, metalworking, 3D printing and scanning, electronics, arts and crafts, fabric arts, leather working, and laser cutting. It is based on the community of makers in Knoxville which is small but growing. My direct supervisor was Doug Laney, the president of the organization, but I also received a lot of help from other members and the community as a whole. I was responsible for making the space a more relatable and convenient space for the members. I was tasked with various types of jobs from fixing industrial sewing machines, to reorganizing space, to teaching my own class. As a nonprofit organization that emphasizes on community rather than profit, Knox Makers was truly made up from the ground by the members and the community. One of the largest projects I had was teaching a beginner screen-printing class. The space had never had a class for screen-printing so I got to experience starting a class from scratch by making the classes’ screens and researching material. From the class, I learned many technical skills such as different wood joints and more professional skills like how to conduct a productive classroom.
The biggest take-away from Knox Makers is the networking and the professional relationships. Although, the relationships are seemingly small scale in a small city like Knoxville. The space and community encouraged me to talk to new people and learn how to build a professional relationship. Since this internship, I have been more interested in the community side and the educational side of the arts, and how to inform the general public. I have also gained many technical skills that I believe I can incorporate into my work at MICA. Knox Makers made me consider the community side of the arts field that I did not think about before.
