Our mission
MAC is a nonprofit woodshop for those looking to explore arts and crafts or learn a new skill. We offer a high-quality training environment with first-rate equipment and safe, supportive instruction.
MAC exists:
- To foster creativity and exploration in an environment that welcomes mistakes and gentle learning
- To provide homeowner retention skills (i.e., basic plumbing, electrical, and repair skills)
- To create a community-driven space where individuals can connect, collaborate, and share their work
- To break down financial, social, and systemic barriers that prevent low-income and marginalized groups from accessing art spaces and resources
- To give people the opportunity to work with their hands and escape screens
Our core values
Accessibility
We strive to be accessible, inclusive, and helpful to every member of our community.
Creativity
Imagination and inventiveness are always encouraged.
Connection
More than just a woodshop, MAC serves as a space where collaborative art-making brings people together.
Fun
Playfulness, joy, and whimsy are celebrated in our work and our classes.
The story behind our name
The name Mayest is a reference to John Steinbeck’s East of Eden—a book that holds a lot of meaning for both of MAC's founders. It’s presented as an alternate translation: “thou mayest” rather than “thou shalt.” It’s a book about self-determination, containing one of Steinbeck's most well-known quotes: “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” It's a reminder to ourselves that we all have the freedom to do with our lives what we choose, and that to fail is human. It's also a reminder that we shouldn't hold ourselves to a standard of perfection in our work.
Our team
Sam and Anna Adler founded Mayest Arts Collective in 2025. They’re a married couple who met in their pursuit of architecture masters degrees, but found they were happier in the woodshop than in CAD. They began creating sculptures and furniture together in 2020 and opened their doors to students in 2024. Sam previously taught woodworking at ReBuilding Center in Portland, Oregon. The Adlers live down the street from MAC and are excited to give back to their beloved Seward Park neighborhood.
Cory Sbarbaro, acting executive director
Cory serves as the acting executive director for Mayest Arts Collective. Throughout 2025, Cory led the establishment Mayest’s infrastructure and operations, helping to bring the founders’ vision and aspirations to fruition. Now that Mayest is open to the community, Cory is leading the organization’s finance, human resource, technology, and administrative functions and managing the growth of the Mayest team. Cory has a deep commitment to the vitality of the nonprofit sector. Since launching Turnpoint Consulting in 2003, Cory has served as an interim executive director/CEO for 10 organizations, provided counsel to more than 100 boards of directors, and guided dozens of organizations through complex organizational transitions.
Anna Adler, co-founder
Anna is the co-founder of Mayest Arts Collective, where she brings an architect’s eye and an artist’s heart to the organization’s vision. After earning her undergraduate degree in Scotland and a Master of Architecture from MIT, Anna’s creative path has spanned design, woodworking, and sculptural experimentation. Her work, which has been featured in Fine Woodworking and Luxe magazines, reflects a deep curiosity about how materials shape the spaces we share. At Mayest, Anna leads with the belief that creative environments should be both inspiring and welcoming, that is places where precision meets play and everyone feels invited to make. Her leadership blends thoughtful design with community care, shaping Mayest into a home for exploration, imagination, and the unexpected beauty of handmade work.
Sam Adler, co-founder
Sam is the co-founder of Mayest Arts Collective, where he leads with a belief that creativity and community thrive through shared making. He began woodworking at sixteen, building two kayaks with his father, an experience that sparked a lifelong curiosity for craft and design. After studying creative writing and architecture, Sam discovered his passion for teaching while working at a Portland nonprofit focused on reclaimed materials. Now based in Seattle, he and his wife, Anna, founded Mayest to create a space where hands-on learning, artistry, and belonging intersect.
Meet your instructors
Our instructors are working artists and woodworkers dedicated to sharing their knowledge in a warm and accessible way. They teach from real studio experience, encouraging curiosity, patience, and skill-building at every level. Learn from people who love the process as much as the final piece.
Sam Adler
Sam is a woodworker and instructor who believes that creativity starts with curiosity and compassion. Before co-founding Mayest Arts Collective, Sam spent several years teaching woodworking in Portland, where he discovered that introducing others to the woodshop was even more rewarding than making himself. In his classes, students are encouraged to experiment, make mistakes, and find joy in the process because at the end of the day the best projects are the ones that teach you something new.
Anna Adler
Anna is a designer and educator who loves helping people discover the joy of working with their hands. She teaches woodworking fundamentals and community crafting workshops, encouraging students to follow curiosity more than perfection. Her own creative practice focuses on one-of-a-kind pieces that span from wood to fabric; playful, tactile experiments that bridge art and design. Anna’s teaching style is calm, warm, and deeply encouraging; she believes every student has their own rhythm and that the process of making is just as meaningful as the final piece. Whether sanding a curve or stitching a line, she helps students find delight in the small details that make each project uniquely their own.
Scholarships
All of our classes are funded in part by MAC supporters, which enables us to offer classes at a lower cost for all participants. We also recognize that our class fees may still be a barrier to participation and are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the hands-on learning opportunities that MAC provides.
In support of that aspiration, two scholarship options are available to class participants: partial scholarships (50% discount) and full scholarships (90% discount, which covers all costs other than our administrative fees). If either of these scholarship options would enable your participation, we encourage you to select the option that best meets your needs.
To receive a partial scholarship, enter “MAC50” in the Promo Code field of the course registration checkout page. To receive a full scholarship, enter “MAC90” in the Promo Code field of the course registration checkout page.
Want to be an instructor?
We're looking for skilled artists and craftspeople who enjoy sharing their knowledge.