Studio Bricolage
“Bricolage” means to “fiddle, tinker” and by extension “make
creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand;”
building by trial and error.
Studio Bricolage, a project of Leonardo’s Basement, is a 21 st century,
community-driven art, craft and technology playground for creative and
adventurous adults who want to tinker, get messy, make mistakes, try
again, experiment, geek out, chill out, invent and have fun in a casual,
informal setting. Studio Bricolage offers classes and exhibitions at
various locations and is known for its First Friday Adult Building Parties
Studio Bricolage continues to work at turning the former Whitaker Buick car dealership on University Avenue in St. Paul into a new home. For the latest on developments click here.
Intro to 2D CAD (class)Thursday February 16th, 2012
CAD (Computer Aided Design) is a powerful software tool for drawing and is paramount in engineering, architecture and product design. It comes in two flavors: 2D and 3D. CAD doesn’t necessarily replace hand drawing and sketching but allows for fast and clear iterations. No eraser mess!
This software not only allows you to design and print your design on paper but is used to manufacture things. You can send the data file of your design to a CNC (computer - numerically control) machine like a laser engraver, 3D printer, cnc router, cnc sewing machine, cnc linoleum tile cutter, etc.
Another use of CAD isn’t in the technical realm but as an art form. CAD programs let you draw complicated or freeform lines and shapes and change any or everything in the blink of an eye without redrawing the entire page.
In this class you will learn the basics of 2D CAD drawing using a FREE and powerful CAD software program called DraftSight
www.draftsight.com (Mac, PC, Linux). At the end of the class use our laser engraver to burn or cut your design into something. Click the button below to register for the class. Limited to 10 students. $50. Welding Wun - Oh - Wun (hands on demo)Sunday February 12th, 2012 Never tried welding but are curious about it? Come to a hands-on demo of different types of welding. Bring that busted lawnmower and we’ll let you have a go at fixing it. We will have oxy - acetylene (welding, brazing and cutting), MIG and arc welding machines as well as a plasma cutter. Grab some scraps of steel from our scrap bin and after a bit of coaching try it for yourself. $10 gets you in the door. Wear your grubby clothes; we will supply all the necessary safety equipment.
If there is enough interest we will run a comprehensive class in welding at a later date.
Rube Goldberg Machine VFriday January 6th, 2012
M.A. Sets Off a Rube Goldberg Machine: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com
starts with a glass of milk causing individual mechanisms to whisk, boil, stir, whip, pluck and glaze and ends at the oven where chocolate chip cookies will slide onto the rack before the oven ignites.Wingading, and wingading, and wingading, Hacking the KinectFriday December 2th, 2011
Kinect , a motion sensing input device and Microsoft product originally developed to play interactive video games, has been hacked for far more mercurial purposes. Instead of just controlling sprites on a screen you can control almost anything on and off the screen using your body or anything moving as an input. Lucky for us the Kinect may be programmed through a variety of software languages, of which Processing (Arduino) is used. Come for an intriguing evening to find out what this product can do with our guest artist Anthony Tran.
Anthony Tran is a new media artist exploring the convergence of the physical and virtual worlds through 3D technologies and electromagnetic space. He recently graduated from Macalester College where he studied Cognitive Psychology and Computer Science. He now also works as a web developer in Minneapolis. In his spare time, he likes to VJ and hack electronics.
He has participated in Northern Spark with his
Security Gate 26.11 [2011], at the Soap Factory’s WORKHORSE showcase with an installation called
Touch Screen [2009] and at the Walker Art Center’s Open Field with
unregulated radio: the promise of the democratization of media [2010]. He is currently a Northern Lights' Art(ists) of the Verge fellow, where his next installation will be utilizing a Kinect, live 3D projection mapping and a radio frequency sensor. This fellowship will result into a month long exhibition at the Soap Factory, March 2012.
See his work and videos at
www.ioioio.cc and
vimeo.com/nart
NOTE: If you are a Kinect hacker and want to show us what you can do
let us know and we can find some space for you! Click the button below to register:
Introduction to Blacksmithing NEW INTRO CLASS ADDED! Saturday, January 21st, 2012
You keep asking and we keep delivering. Come pound on some yellow-hot steel and make something brilliant. It's a great way to get your frustrations out, learn something new, and make a nifty piece of steel. To register click the button below:
Here's a slideshow of a previous class. All abilities are welcome.
TIME: A night of watch and clock repairFriday November 4th, 2011
(27 minutes) . After 2:08 is Stew's explanation of how to disassemble a watch.Land Speed Racing at Bonneville!Saturday October 15th, 2011
Griggs Park , 1188 W. Hubbard Ave. which is 10 blocks north and one block west of Lexington and University. Rain or Shine. Noon to 4pm. Bring a hot rod if you have one! Contact Greg Meyers with questions at 320/282-4577. See the car that Greg made here .Saturday August 20th, 2011
Hang on to your hats, we're headed west for some fun on Saturday, August 20th. Our first stop is at the
Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden in Minnetrista. It's 13 holes of craziness winding through a sculpture garden. Owned and operated by local artist
Bruce Stillman , he is trying to add a new hole every year. This is one hidden diamond!
Next stop is in Norwood / Young America where the good folks at the
Minnesota Astronomical Society are bringing out their big guns (telescopes) so you can see the local planets and whatever is floating above us. The
Onan Observatory is in
Baylor Regional Park . These guys are smart so ask a lot of questions! Here's what they tout: "
There is now no other all-volunteer public observing facility anywhere in the United States with a similar range of capabilities. Come out to an upcoming event at the observatory and prepare to be astounded by the glories of our universe! ".
Big Stone Mini Golf and Onan Observatory .First Friday Monthly Building Parties! On the first Friday evening of the month, Studio Bricolage offers adults the chance to try different activities. One month it could be a project related to electricity, another month weird and wacky contraptions. As always, you can expect an endless supply of building materials and the necessary tools and building advice to help you build a project to take home.
Bring your creativity -- and your friends! Feel free to just show up. No pre-registration required. No experience necessary. $15 at the Door -- Food & Beverage Included.
We now operate out of two places:
Leonardo's Basement Map Look for the entrance on 43rd Street, near the alley; under Anodyne Coffeehouse.
and
Griggs Park Map
UPCOMING FIRST FRIDAYS Nothing scheduled now. Please check back later! OLD BUT, NOT NECESSARILY TIRED, FIRST FRIDAYS Fire! Fire! Friday, July 1st, 2011 Griggs Park, 1188 W. Hubbard Ave., Saint Paul You may have missed pyrotechnics First Friday last summer and boy, was it a doozy! We made a bunch of home-made incendiaries and blew things up. We’ll relaunch it so others may join in fun. $15 at the door includes snack and beverage. Here are two videos of the night:
VIDEO1 and
VIDEO2 .
YAM! Friday, June 3rd, 2011 Studio Bricolage, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis Vegetable turning on a wood lathe.
Make potato clocks
Build vegetable constructions with woodworking techniques. Want to dovetail carrots?
Make vegetable musical instruments. See this video for examples.Fry your vegetable constructions in tempura batter!
We'll haul out the old spud gun / french fry maker.
Everyone Loves a Parade Friday, May 6th, 2011 Studio Bricolage, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis know if you have an idea and want to use one! But, before we
start cutting, bending and welding metal, we need a plan. A plan for a playful
and interactive parade float that we can transport to summer events across the
Twin Cities this summer and for years to come! On May 21st we'll start building! This isn't a simple process and we'll get dirty and grimy transforming the Scout. Do you want to learn to weld, grind and cut steel and wood and whatnot? We'd be happy to show you! Workspace to be determined. SOUND Friday, April 1st, 2011 Studio Bricolage, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis MmmTsss and if we're feeling gutsy enough we might try our hand at the latest sensation all the kids are wild about: music. Leave with your own MP3 files or DVD or we'll send them up on Soundcloud.com .not to miss Greg's audacious flame organ and Ted's dancing oobleck on a speaker show. Come one, come all!April Fool's Night Friday, March 4th, 2011 Studio Bricolage, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis here .Saturday & Sunday, February 5 & 6, 2011 1 - 4 p.m. Griggs Park, 1188 W. Hubbard Ave., Saint Paul rendering by Ian Llanas We wanted to up the ante this year with a big splash so we decided to make a castle... out of scaffolding! We enlisted the help of a scaffolding company to build half a castle. HALF a castle?? Why? Because of building code issues we couldn't build a big ol' castle and enclose people so the next best thing was to make a great facade. Just imagine that you are on the movie set to a magical castle in the French Alps! We've dubbed the structure: Castle Scaffold. quinzees (sort of like an igloo but easier to make). On Sunday we shifted gears to a fun day of snowball fights, snow catapults, capture the flag games and good old fashioned winter play. 4th Annual Art Sled Rally Sunday, January 30, 2011 Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis
Art Sled Rally website for more photos and hopefully details for next year.Studio Bricolage Rube Goldberg Machine Friday January 7, 2011 4301 Nicollet Ave. S. article from the Southwest Minneapolis Patch about the event.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLASSES
Introduction to BlacksmithingSaturday October 22, 2011 10:00 - 4:00 (includes 30 mins for lunch) In this class you will gain a basic understanding of the metallurgy of steel and how to work with it. You will learn a bit of welding and a number of forging techniques. By the end of the day you will have learned how to draw metal, smooth it out, make a scroll and a twist utilizing a variety of metalworking tools, from an anvil and forge to a mechanical treadle hammer. This metal tease will compel you to return for more forging and welding. We guarantee it.Ivy Building, 2712 East 27th St, Minneapolis, 55406 (Entrance on south side of building. Look for a sign. Park on street.)must bring durable, non-flammable clothing that you do not mind subjecting to wear and tear, ear plugs or ear muffs, safety glasses, closed-toe shoes, long sleeved shirt and leather gloves. All building equipment and materials will be provided.Advanced BlacksmithingSaturday October 29, 2011 10:00 - 4:00 (includes 30 mins for lunch) In this advanced blacksmithing class we will continue with the skills learned in the introductory class. Work on technique, as well as introduce a few more skills, including flaring (spreading) the steel and punching and drifting holes through hot steel, a process required for traditional joinery. As with the earlier class, you will leave with a completed item to take home. Prerequisite for this class is having taken the Intro to Blacksmithing class or by permission of the instructor.
.Ivy Building, 2712 East 27th St, Minneapolis, 55406 (Entrance on south side of building. Look for a sign. Park on street.)must bring durable, non-flammable clothing that you do not mind subjecting to wear and tear, ear plugs or ear muffs, safety glasses, closed-toe shoes, long sleeved shirt and leather gloves. All building equipment and materials will be provided.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE FIELD TRIP SERIES
We’ve taken the summer off to do our own things but we back and are pleased to present the first of the Field Trip Series. Oh, don’t worry, we’ll still have periodic First Friday building parties, but we also want to explore things outside the shop. Check the schedule, sign up for field trips and mark your calendar for First Fridays. Want a reminder? Make sure you are on our Email list, just click here. MIXOLOGY series in that 1) we offer experiences that you can't find any other place and 2) just like MIXOLOGY the Field Trip Series came about because a Studio Bricolage attendee wanted to learn more about making cocktails. Turns out he wasn't the ONLY one! Sound
Stage Tour of tpt Studios Wednesday October 13, 2010, 7-9 pm all the nooks and crannies! $10. Click here to register.
You’ll find TPT studios here . SORRY, NO PHOTOS.
Fagen Fighters & Warhawks, Inc. Saturday October 23, 2010, 7 am breakfast, 8 am leave Twin
Cities – return about 4 pm Granite
Falls MN here to register. Warhawks, Inc is
located here . We’ll grab breakfast at 7:00
am at the Perkins in
Hopkins Acme Speed Shop and their comfortable bus ride.
Saturday
June 11th, 2011, 10-12 pm here to register. (Click Studio Bricolage on left column. You will need to create an account on the Leonardo's Basement class registration system.) Upper River Services is located here . From Red Rock Road, turn left immediately after the large, silver, fuel storage tanks and park anywhere. Meet at the new building. Tour limited to 20 people.Guthrie
Theater Backstage Tour Saturday, February 19, 2011, 10:00 am
In the works . . .
Let’s
go Go-Carting! Mid-March, 2011 adults-only event to drive professional go-carts at eye-drying speeds.Interested? Let
us know . We'd like to rent the entire facility for this event. To help us plan (and figure out how much or little to charge!) please answer these questions:Driving CATERPILLARS Summer 2011 Let us know .Do you have an idea for something that you'd like to learn about or build ? Tell us about it! Check back later to find out where we are going!Facebook Fan Page -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PAST EVENTS
Annual Gift Making Night (or "It's a Metallic Christmas!") Friday, December 3, 2010 7-10 pm 4301 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis Asia Ward , Sara Hanson , Greg Meyers and Ted Goessling for showing us how things are done! FRIDAY, MARCH 5 Check out the fun we had creating photo and video micrographs on a USB microscope, designing small art on big balloons, lasering impossibly small things with the laser engraver and more! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The MIXOLOGY Series at Bradstreet Craftshouse was a great success. Take a look below at the MIXOLOGY 3 festivities and read Randy Hanson's well-written account of the day called Summit Sips . We couldn't have written it better! It is an ongoing collection of musings about recipes, techniques, tools and other cocktail-related topics. . -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take a look at the photos from the 3rd annual Ice Sculpture Party held at Griggs Park in St. Paul. Wow, what a turn out with lots to do. -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x HEY! Check out these great animated Gifs (simple stop-animation movies) made at the Gif It Up! class held on February 9th. -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x -------x
Lamp Making workshop In mid-January we let folks who were enticed at the Lamp Making First Friday to come and play around with some other ideas. For two nights, bricoleurs ripped apart old lamps and re-purposed them into magical light-emitting devices. It was a lot of fun to explore! See below...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- has to say about Studio Bricolage.
And check back for future class offerings.
FIRST FRIDAY 7-10 PM DECEMBER 4 Holiday Party & Gift Making It was a great evening of making fun food and gifts. From spin-art crepes, laser etching Rice Krispie bars bricoleurs created custom cookie cutters & heat-driven turbines. Check out the excitement here !
Do you like this whipped-cream powered rocket ship? Do you want to make a video like this? Hey, we're offering a class to teach you just that.
Performance Sculpture: Kinetic Art was the theme with guest artist Tim Fort who taught us how to build chain-reaction wonders that explode, collapse and amaze. We also dove into the world of slow moving motors and wind powered devices. There's even the world's first wax-powered clock. Here are more
videos and photos than you can shake a sculpture at. Tim's website is at:
http://www.lunatim.com/kinart/kinetic.shtml
October 2 LAMPS! We had a blast making all kinds of lamps and with a impromptu photo studio we bring you these
pictures .
1st Annual Canoe Float Parade A flotilla of creatively fashioned "floats," built upon canoes, navigated the seas of Lake of the Isles.There was an incredible procession of inspired constructions, including a huge galleon, human-powered paddleboat, a tiger in its native habitat, a 40-foot tower with surprises, a rocket ship, and the grand sculpture "Bohemoth!" See all the action here .
Thanks to Schafer Richardson Real Estate for donating machine shop space for building.
July 19th Lake Calhoun Shark!! On Sunday intrepid Bricoleurs braved the icy waters of Lake Calhoun trying desperately to escape the gnashing jaws of a 160'- long shark!here .
June 5 "NO PR ESSURE, AIR PRESSURE" Photos of the windy night !
M ay 1 LAWN ART We created spectacular lawn art, including wind turbines, chimes, mobiles, Tibetan flags, bird feeders and totems.Look at the pictures from the lawn
April 3 PAPER BUILDING In April, local artists
Margaret Pezalla and
Westy Copeland as well as other Makers showed how to make beautiful paper art. We made paper automata, built mathematical structures, cut with the laser, weaved beautiful paterns, created amazing colorful surfaces and "sewed" kraft paper suit jackets, vests and hats. It was an amazing "flatland" evening.
Look at this Slideshow of amazing paper work.
March 6 Second Annual Rube Goldberg Machine Building Event Take a look at the slideshow, and check back to see this years video.
February 8 First annual Ice Sculpture Potluck at Lake of the IslesThanks for coming!
It was held on the East side of Lake of the Isles by the ice skating rink
People made and played with ice and brought it to sculpt with. It was free and it was fun! We have instructions for
making ice here.
January 2 High Voltage an evening in 20,000 volts! - Building Jacobs Ladders
- Lighting up wood and drawing with electricity!
- Making Fluorescent Sculptures
"Uber Tuber" Making fries fly!
A crew from TPT's new television show MAKE:television filmed the amazing spud into french fries invention.
Watch the video.
Want to help?
We're using this website to organize our programs and schedule events and classes/workshops.
In addition to resources, blogs, building instructions and a calendar, this is the place to propose classes or offer to teach one.
Call us at 612-824-4394 if:
You'd like to learn how to do something (solder, make clothes or jewelry, work with wood, build electronic circuits, craft junk sculptures or anything else)
You’d like to teach a small group of people a skill or how to build a project.
