Login

Jeff DeBellis

FUSE Welcomes its First Makers-in-Residence

FUSE is excited to welcome its first ever Makers-in-Residence: Jessica Metz and Elan Retzlaff.

Jessica is an artist and architect with a research-based practice focused on the relationships between physical landscapes, psychological landscapes, and systems of power. She explores these relationships through sound, which is a form of invisible language, and written language, which is a silent manifestation of visual sound. Her sonic practice extends to the realm of listening, field recording, soundscapes, sculpture, and writing to blend digital practices with analogue methods of making. Jessica was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. Growing up in the Far North, a place physically and metaphorically far away from the “lower 48,” continues to be a defining element of her life even though she now calls Albuquerque home. Jessica holds Bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts and Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Fine Arts, with a focus in Art & Ecology, from the University of New Mexico.

Elan Retzlaff, one of FUSE's Summer 2026 Makers-in-Residence.

Elan is an interdisciplinary artist focused on textiles and installations, and interested in themes of community health, familial legacy and queer identity. Their work is energetic, emotional, and eclectic and has included weaving, quilting, film, interactive media, sculpture, puppetry and physical computing. The variety of media in which they work and their experimentation in combining these art forms is reflective of their larger curiosity around the intersections of art and other disciplines. Their background in traditional textiles and new media has led them to their current practice of creating textile objects with experimental technology integrations. They hold a BA in Interdisciplinary Arts from the University of New Mexico. Outside of their artistic career, they are passionate about and actively involved in local community organizing.

During the course of their three month residencies, Jessica and Elan will use various equipment at FUSE to create original work. They will each give an artist talk and lead a workshop that will be open to the public. At the conclusion of their residencies, they will display their completed works. We will be posting the specific dates and locations on our site shortly, so please check back.

FUSE’s Maker-in-Residence program is supported by a grant from the Nusenda Foundation.

How FUSE Makerspace Helped Launch a Company that Bridges the Digital and Tactile Worlds

Pooya Rezai has had many careers, from the military to civil service. But after an unexpected job loss in 2025, he was ready to step out on his own.

“Even though losing my job was difficult, it was also the push I needed to try something new and reflect on how I could continue to provide for my family while still serving others,” he says.

Pooya started his upskilling journey in various 3D printing classes and then applied for Training for Your Future funding and a Light the Way grant, funded by the PNM | TNMP Foundation. Those funds covered his FUSE Makerspace membership as well as tuition for additional 3D printing and laser engraving classes.

In those classes, the idea for NooshJar was born.

Each NooshJar is 3D printed using wood filaments. It’s then filled with 15 birchwood coins. Each coin is laser engraved with a QR code that takes the user to a specific digital memory, ranging from recipes to audio recordings. Noosh is also the Persian word for “enjoy” and the purpose of each jar is to encourage the user to enjoy the memories stored within.

“I’d had part of the idea for NooshJar before taking the classes, but it really came to life with the help of the equipment and people at FUSE,” he explains. “I wanted to create something that helped store digital memories of my mother, like photos and videos, while also keeping it a private and more tactile experience.”

Over the last several months, Pooya has been working on perfecting the product and has filled his first orders. He’s also planning on taking screenprinting classes through FUSE so he can create each element of the NooshJar on his own.

Ultimately, he hopes that NooshJar will help people not only remember their loved ones, but also slow down and be more in touch with their own emotions.

“The first NooshJar I ever made was for my mother. Even though she is still with us, I wanted to start collecting pieces of her legacy and share them with my sons,” he says. “Each element of the NooshJar is meant to engage your senses, from smell to touch, and my hope is that the tactile element helps people create a sacred space to feel their emotions on their own time.”

For other entrepreneurs, Pooya says FUSE is a space where they can explore and experiment, and he encourages anyone who has an idea to join.

“If you’re looking to turn an idea into something real, FUSE can help make it happen,” he says. “The staff helped me with everything from ideation to execution and gave me a safe space to learn things that had intimidated me for so long. NooshJar only exists because of the tools, culture, and community available at FUSE Makerspace.”

There is always grass that pushes itself through the cracks in the sidewalk

Adrian Pijoan was one of the artists recently chosen from CNM Ingenuity’s Advanced IoT program to develop his concept in collaboration with The University of New Mexico’s Architecture 603 course, taught by Alex Webb. His concept, There is always grass that pushes itself through the cracks in the sidewalk, is a large-scale steel sculpture, garden, and web-based AR experience located within the courtyard of The University of New Mexico’s Predock Center for Design + Research.

Working with Alex’s architecture students, Adrian designed the sculpture to be a full scale “future ruin,” a nonspecific architectural structure that exists in a future where human structures have entered a state of dormancy, no longer inhabited by humans. It looks at this idea not through an apocalyptic lens, but a hopeful one, presenting the bones of our built environment as habitat for new forms of life, and as substrate for the growth of new ideas. In its final version the garden planted in and around the sculpture will eventually, over time, overgrow the sculpture itself.

In order to lead the fabrication of the sculpture, Adrian took FUSE’s CNC plasma, powdercoating, and metal shop workshops. The AR piece currently provides a static experience and geolocated environmental data. In a future iteration, the experience will respond to the environmental data. The sculpture is a continuation of a project that Adrian first developed in CNMI’s IoT training a few years ago, using bioelectrical signals from plants to live-generate 3D visuals and environments in Unreal Engine 5.

Individuals contributing to the project include:

  • Artist: Adrian Pijoan
  • Fabrication + Design Lead: Richard William Stuart
  • Fabrication + Design: Sydney Hopkins, Lyvan Medrano, Jordan Sanchez, Chrystal Taliman
  • AR Coding Assistance: Jay Rentaria

To see more of Adrian’s work, visit https://www.adrianpijoan.net/.

Merry Maker Market: Where Local Creativity Shines

FUSE Makerspace was thrilled to host the annual Merry Maker Market this past weekend—a lively celebration of creativity, community, and small businesses making big things happen right here in New Mexico. With over 20 local vendors participating, the market was filled with handmade goods, thoughtfully designed products, and one-of-a-kind creations you won’t find anywhere else.

The purpose of the Merry Maker Market is simple and intentional: to spotlight local makers and small businesses. By creating an accessible, supportive space for vendors to sell their work, connect with customers, and build relationships with fellow creatives. The market helps strengthen our local maker economy while encouraging the community to shop small and support local.

The event also showcased resources available through CNM Ingenuity, including ActivateNM, which supports entrepreneurs and small businesses with training, guidance, and connections to help ideas grow. Events like the Merry Maker Market are a natural extension of this work—bridging hands-on making with real-world opportunities to sell, learn, and grow.

If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own business making things, FUSE is here to help you take that next step. As a FUSE member, you’ll have access to professional tools, skill-building classes, and a collaborative community of makers who are learning, experimenting, and building together.

The Merry Maker Market is just one example of what’s possible at FUSE. If you’re ready to turn your ideas into reality, join FUSE—where creativity flourishes.

Experienced Instructors make it Easy to Learn New Woodworking Techniques

You may have noticed that FUSE now offers three intermediate level woodworking workshops:

  • Learn to Build a Mitered Box
  • Learn to Hand Cut Dovetails
  • Learn to Build a Shaker Stool

If you’ve already taken one of them, you’ve also noticed that they’re led by experienced woodworkers and passionate educators – Paul Beeman and Mike Duncan. Their workshops build on the basic skills taught in Intro Woodshop (which they also teach), introducing new tools and techniques. The workshops include a one-month membership that starts at the conclusion of the training so you can continue to practice and build on your skills.

Paul has been woodworking for 15 years. This past year, he started Beeman Woodworks, specializing in modern heirloom furniture with subtle Southwest inspiration. Fine Woodworking magazine showcased one of his pieces this year. “Teaching at FUSE gives me an outlet to pass on my skills to new woodworkers and it is energizing to see the excitement it brings to people to learn new skills that they can apply to their creative pursuits,” says Paul. FUSE is a rare place in that it strips away the biggest barriers to getting started in woodworking which is the high cost of tools and education – I am thrilled to be a part of it. I teach Intro to Woodshop, Lathe, and an intermediate class that focuses on advanced machining of wood in which we build a mitered box.”

Mike’s first woodworking project was a sailboat that he built as a kid with his dad using only hand tools. He started getting deeper into woodworking as a young homeowner with no money to pay for furniture and household repairs. What began out of necessity quickly became a passion. He quit his job in 2019 to attend trade school. Since then, he’s done a range of odd jobs in finish carpentry, custom cabinetmaking, furniture repair, and decorative carving. Mike has been teaching at FUSE for about two years. He also develops and leads trainings for local  high schools. “My favorite part of all this is empowering people with knowledge they can use to earn money, express themselves, or maintain their homes. Everybody can benefit from this craft! I’m so grateful to be part of this incredible resource for our community. I’ve studied and practiced traditional hand tool joinery for over 15 years now, and FUSE gave me the opportunity to create a class on hand cutting a dovetail joint. I designed the class around inexpensive, widely-available tools. We also go over sharpening chisels. My goal was to make it easy for students to get started on their own path to expertise with traditional joinery.”

To take a workshop with Paul or Mike, visit our workshops page.

FUSE Makerspace will be closed for the holidays beginning Wednesday December 24, 2025 and will reopen Monday, January 5, 2026. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!