Our mission
MAC is a nonprofit studio 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 is the acting executive director for Mayest Arts Collective. Throughout 2025, Cory led the establishment of 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 a 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 a 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.
Ning Wan, program coordinator
Ning is the Program Coordinator of Mayest Arts Collective. He is also a visual artist whose practice spans painting, Chinese calligraphy, and mixed media collage. A proud son of immigrants, Ning believes wholeheartedly in the transformative power of artistic practice and the importance of accessible arts education for all communities.
Charlie Burch, shop coordinator
Charlie joined Mayest Arts Collective as our inaugural Shop Coordinator. Here he found a confluence of his primary passions: woodworking, education, and grassroots community building. His role is to ensure that the workshop is as safe, inviting, and accessible as possible. Charlie's formal education with woodworking began in 2021 when he enrolled at the Wood Technology Center (WTC) in Seattle. Outside of Mayest, Charlie teaches continuing education classes at WTC, takes commissions through his own business, and volunteers with Sawhorse Revolution. His non-wood-centric activities include cycling, martial arts, queer/trans combat sport tournaments, and time with family.
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.
Alexa Anderson
Alexa is a textile artist, natural dyer, and teacher currently residing in Port Townsend, Washington. She creates place-based art informed by craft tradition. Alexa teaches and leads workshops about natural dyes and garment mending – but her classes are really about caretaking, the emotional connections we make with our garments, the stories they connect us to, the somatic aspects of handwork, and the inherent metaphors for relationship repair to self and others.
Kimberley Mackenzie
Kimberley is a florist, garden coach, and all-around-adorer-of-flowers. After moving to Seattle from Brooklyn, NY, she had a garden space for the first time in her life, and suddenly understood what all the fuss was about. She owns and operates Best Buds Blooms, a floral studio and garden consultancy, where her ultimate goal is to bring the art and joy of flowers into her clients' daily lives. As an educator, she deeply believes that everyone can be an artist & there is no such thing as a "green thumb." She works to collaborate with her students on developing and bringing their unique visions to life.
James Nelson
James is a furniture designer, maker, and educator based in Woodinville, Washington. He has been working with wood for over a decade, developing a passion for thoughtful furniture design and the process of turning an idea into something tangible. His own practice focuses on sculptural, functional furniture that balances craftsmanship, natural materials, and thoughtful design. James’ teaching experience includes instructing at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, where he has helped students build confidence in the shop and discover the satisfaction of making with their own hands. He is also a Trustee of The Furniture Society, where he works with student and emerging-maker programming. James believes woodworking should be approachable, creative, and fun, and enjoys encouraging students to experiment, ask questions, and find their own way through the making process.
Kseniia Koshykova
Kseniia is a Ukrainian wheat weaving artist with nearly 30 years of experience in the craft. She was introduced to straw weaving during her childhood at a summer camp. It was there that she learned this traditional art form. Kseniia currently lives in Kenmore, Washington, where she continues to practice and promote Ukrainian cultural heritage through her work. She is a member of the National Association of Wheat Weavers (NAWW), a U.S.-based organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of straw weaving. Her work includes decorative, ceremonial, and symbolic pieces, often inspired by traditional Ukrainian straw artistry. In addition to creating artwork, Kseniia actively engages with the community through workshops and exhibitions.
Charlie Burch
Charlie has been teaching since 2013, kickstarting his career as an English as a second language instructor in NE China. Since then, he has been gathering skills to share including self-defense, de-escalation, introductory martial arts, and woodworking. Charlie believes that student-teacher relationships should be collaborative. His students constantly show him how to be a better teacher, a more creative problem-solver, and a more effective communicator. All he asks is that you heed his every word regarding your safety around the shop and be patient with yourself as you learn new skills. Charlie says with enthusiasm, "Teaching skills that result in a tangible product is a joy, and I hope students find my classes as rewarding as I do!"
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.
Financial support
All of the programming at MAC is supported by donations, which enables us to offer classes at a lower cost to all participants. We also understand that our class fees may still be a barrier to participation for individuals with limited expendable income.
To ensure that our courses are accessible to as many community members as possible, we currently offer three levels of financial support: 25%, 50%, and 75%. If one of these discounts would make your participation possible, please select the option that best aligns with your personal needs and circumstances.
Individual participants may enroll in up to three discounted classes per calendar year.
To receive a financial support discount of 25%, enter “community25” in the Promo Code field of the registration checkout page. To receive a financial support discount of 50%, enter “community50” in the Promo Code field. To receive a financial support discount of 75%, enter “community75” in the Promo Code field.
Want to be an instructor?
We're looking for skilled artists and craftspeople who enjoy sharing their knowledge.