The STEAMery

~story and photos by Mandi Rainwater

Spacious bay doors provide convenient access to the proposed space for the ceramics lab.

A New Community Project

Helmsburg is poised to receive a revitalization in the form of a community center that will serve educational and cultural needs.

Kirstie Tiernan led the proposal for what was originally dubbed the Helmsburg Community Center Lab.

After she started the Helmsburg 4-H Coding Club to teach children data science, programming, and AI skills, Tiernan realized that the club needed a specialized technology lab to better achieve its mission.

Connecting Creativity, Innovation, and Community

In the search for a suitable space, Jeff Clark suggested that the group contact David Watters and Scott Daemer at The Beamery in Helmsburg.

The Beamery property has evolved over the years. It originally housed the Helmsburg elementary school, and later Kenneth Fleener made it into a motel/dining/entertainment establishment. In the 1990s Sharon Rivenbark bought the property, added more buildings, and transformed it into the For Bare Feet sock factory. A fire forced the factory out in 2011, and Rivenbark donated the buildings and land (22 acres) to the county.

Eager to get the property back on the tax rolls, the county sold the site to The Beamery group in 2013. The Beamery has leased portions to a number of other small businesses over the years, but still has ample room for new tenants.

Watters and Daemer presented an 8,800-square-foot building as the potential site for Tiernan’s vision of a community center.

In homage to the Beamery Group’s partnership, the proposed center was renamed “The STEAMery”—a play on the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) acronym and the Beamery name. The Beamery property owners have agreed to hold the space for the STEAMery’s fundraising efforts as the group seeks the necessary grants and donations to complete the project.

A team of specialized committee members and supporters has assembled to tackle building code review, marketing, and fundraising including Bob Blass, Doug Harden, Don Waltman, Erika Rudd, Wally Bruner, Emily Tracy, and Megan Wagner, among others. Plans for the building include at least six different labs catering to various aspects of the arts, technology, music, and cooking.

Agueda Formoso Mayan brings her passion for pottery, homesteading, and functional arts to the project. When she first toured the building, she says she “fell in love with the space.” From spacious work areas to easily accessible loading-bay doors, the first floor is well-equipped for the complexities of her proposed ceramics lab, such as sizable kilns and messy clay-smudged floors.

Canning, woodworking, and blacksmithing are among the other arts and activities that the STEAMery would like to host. Brown County and the surrounding communities have a substantial number of skilled professionals with expertise to showcase and share. As Mayan explained, “There are so many people in the background that are ready to go.”

The STEAMery labs aim to act as an extension of the Career Resource Center’s offerings by filling gaps in their curriculum. Equipped with a professional-grade kitchen, the STEAMery would be able to provide hospitality training, preparing students for one of Brown County’s most important industries. The culinary lab would also offer cooking classes and professional rentals.

The proposed music lab includes facilities for recording content ranging from music to podcasts. Kenan Rainwater of Rainwater Studios envisages a buildingwide live-streaming system to broadcast the STEAMery’s classes to remote participants and highlight the facility’s activities in realtime.

The planned art lab provides a space for youth to explore drawing, painting, and mixedmedia arts. Adults could utilize the lab for open studio time or participate in workshops and classes.

The technology lab would offer hands-on learning in AI, robotics, and coding, providing Brown County students with some futureready skills. Tournaments and gaming events could be held in an eGaming Lab as a potential source of revenue for the center.

The STEAMery is actively seeking contributors who want to give their time, talent, or financial support to the project. Tiernan anticipates six to 12 months of fundraising before the project enters phase one. This first phase includes a $250,000 renovation and essential upgrades including elevator installation, utility upgrades, and structural enhancements. This phase will incorporate materials and modifications to meet fire safety standards as well as upgraded plumbing to ensure reliable water usage.

Phase two, with a budget of $400,000, focuses on equipping the labs and initiating the STEAMery’s inaugural educational programs. Phase three provides an ongoing maintenance budget of $250,000 annually to manage and sustain the organization. Overall, the STEAMery aims to raise $900,000 for its launch.

Guided tours of the planned STEAMery site are available once a month. You can request more information and contact the team at contact@theSTEAMery.org or learn more about the project via their website and chatbot at TheSTEAMery.org .