A Makerspace created by Makers: meet Nick Ward-Bopp of Maker Village
Nick Ward-Bopp was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Self-described as “always curious and creative” he grew up without anything or anyone who stoked or challenged that creativity. He recalls the first time he worked with wood fondly.
“The little town I grew up in had great public schools and I took woodshop in seventh grade and loved it. Unfortunately, we didn’t have industrial arts in high school, like many other schools,” Ward-Bopp says. He felt the pressure to either go to college or choose a “seemingly random vocational tech program” after graduating. He played football during this time and excelled at it, so he used his athletic abilities to leave his small hometown for a bigger city, Kansas City.
Ward-Bopp was offered an athletic scholarship to Avila University. “It was the farthest school away from my hometown that would help pay for my education, so I jumped at the chance. On my first visit to Kansas City, I remember driving down the Paseo and seeing all the cool, old buildings and architecture in the city. I ate at the original Oklahoma Joe’s and Arthur Bryants and I fell in love with KC,” Ward-Bopp says.
When he wasn’t at football practice or in class, he loved taking the bus downtown for work or internships, and riding his bike around the city. After graduating with a degree in Business from Avila and being saddled with a lot of student loan debt, Ward-Bopp’s creativity began to take off by necessity. He had a hard time finding a job so he and his long time friend, Sam Green, had an idea.
They thought, “What if we can rehab this boarded up building on 31st and Cherry in exchange for rent-equity?” Green and Ward-Bopp approached the owner with their wild idea and after three years, that experience then grew into what is now Maker Village.
“We started with basic construction while rehabbing the old building and have been learning slowly ever since. We needed furniture, didn’t have any money, but had plenty of material to work with so we built it,” Ward-Bopp says. Around this time, the maker movement was taking off in Kansas City and he and Green thought the building they were fixing up could be used as a space where others could learn what they themselves had learned rehabbing. They turned the renovated building into Maker Village, a shared woodworking and metalworking shop offering memberships, classes and workspace. Aspiring makers can sign up for guided classes to build their skills, and utilize equipment during Saturday open shop sessions. Memberships are geared towards experienced builders looking for access to high quality equipment Monday through Friday for their trade or craft. The machines found at Maker Village range from a Miller 211 MIG Welder to LS-2016 60W 24” x 18” Laser Cutter.
Shortly after opening Maker Village, Ward-Bopp also received an offer to work at the Black & Veatch MakerSpace at Johnson County Library. The space is free to the public and includes digital fabrication, digital media production, and talented staff to help users with their projects. “We have laser cutters, 3D printers, vinyl cutters, sewing machines, a sound booth, cameras, and all the software you need! If you haven’t been, please go check it out as it’s a valuable asset to our city,” Ward-Bopp says.
When asked what he himself enjoys making the most, Ward-Bopp says, “I have made lots of stuff for Maker Village and the B&V MakerSpace over the years, but lately I’ve been working on renovating an old bungalow in Hyde Park with my wife. I’m typically a sucker for anything wood and metalworking related, and particularly interested in the intersection of new technologies and old world techniques. I will also say that in the last couple years I have grown more fond of teaching, and when I help a student make something, it is as gratifying as if I made it myself.”
When asked what inspires him about the maker movement in Kansas City, Ward-Bopp says it’s connected, it’s strong, and it’s accessible. “We have guilds, we have places for kids to create, university labs, public library makerspaces, and community shops. Not to mention all of the people who have honed their craft and make a living doing it,” he says. The first intern at Maker Village, Zac Jurden, had no experience in woodworking but picked it up quickly and has since surpassed Ward-Bopps skills. He is now at The Krenov School of Fine Woodworking. “I have learned from Zac and others like Matt Castilleja, Nick Shigouri and online from the greats like Paul Sellers since we opened and I’m still learning today,” Ward-Bopp says.
This self-taught woodworker has a bit of advice for up-and-coming-makers: start small, don’t worry if your idea or product is polished, get feedback, and keep iterating. “Pay people $15 per hour or more, be kind, and vote,” Ward-Bopp adds.
You can find Maker Village at 606 E. 31st Street, and on Facebook and Instagram. Currently they have enrollment for multiple classes open like Intro to Woodworking: Serving Board and Intro to Welding: Plant Stand.
Photos by Jason Domingues
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 7:52 AM.