Makers Market will be a place to share creativity.

Erica Karmeisool

Open house tonight.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — When Erica Karmeisool moved to Ludington in 2005, she was living in a 900 square foot condominium with no place to put her woodworking tools and certainly no place to actually work with the tools. “I really started thinking about creating a space where people who were in the same circumstance as I was could have a communal place where they could share equipment,” she said.

Erica started to research the idea and found out that “makers spaces” are becoming common, especially in larger cities. Earlier this year, she was one of the top five finalists in the Momentum Business Plan competition. Though she did not win the $50,000 prize, she decided to move forward with her plans to open the Makers Market of Ludington in the old NAPA building, on the southeast corner of Ludington Avenue and Robert Street.

Tonight, Erica will hold an open house from 8 to 11:50 p.m., celebrating the launch of the Makers Market.

“I am hoping that people will come in and check out the space and then let us know what they would like to see here,” Erica said. “This is meant to be a place where people can use their skills in woodworking, metal arts, printing, ceramics, and just about any other type of craft. The possibilities are endless.” In addition to providing a space for artisans and craftsmen to work, the building will also feature a vending area for the goods to be sold. She also plans on offering rent of private studios, as well as use of the communal spaces.

The business will operate mostly on yearly memberships and also fees for classes.

Erica plans to open Makers Market in March. She has use of the building until next spring, when it is scheduled to be razed. “This first year will be a good way to test to see what people want in the market,” she said. During her Momentum presentation, Erica stated the former Harrington Tool building, at the northwest corner of Ludington and Rath avenues, may be the location for the second phase of the market.

For more information, check out Makers Market of Ludington’s Facebook page here.