This week’s Back Roads is the work of The Land Correspondent Tim King. Photos by Jan King. Discover your artistic bones

Sauk Centre’s bright and spacious 510 Art Lab is called a maker space. That means, it’s a space where Lab members can find the tools and space to make anything from stained glass art to woven rugs to glazed and fired ceramic art and pots. It’s easy to join; but if you’re not a member you can attend one of the Art Lab’s classes.

“We recently had a pottery class in wheel throwing and trimming,” said Pam Borgman, the Lab’s manager. “Eight students took the class. We charged a nominal fee because we received a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. It was a three-session class for three hours each.”

“We also had a glass mosaic class where students made a six inch block of a glass mosaic pattern that will become part of a mosaic tabletop in the Lab. This class was free and was a two-session class held for six hours,” Borgman says.

Some people come to those classes thinking they don’t have an artistic bone in their body, Mike Disher, an Art Lab board member said. Then, people from as far away as Willmar, St. Cloud, and Alexandria discover their artistic bones for weaving, sewing, drawing and glass work. Disher discovered an interest in stained glass; and with the help of a mentor, videos, and tools available at the Lab, has turned that interest into a small business.