James W. Johnson
Executive Director
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James W. Johnson is the executive director of MAKE Santa Fe, CEO of Mindshare Labs, and sits on the board of Trustees at Santa Fe Playhouse. He’s also an avid creator. James studied Theater and Art at the University of Idaho, earning his B.F.A.
To date, James has designed or built over 150 different theatrical sets. His work has been on stage at Santa Fe Playhouse, Hedgerow Theater, Flat Rock Playhouse, NC Stage Company, and many others nationwide.
His career in the theater slowly evolved into becoming a non-profit administrator. Over the past decade, James has helped theaters, non-profits, and higher education institutes make their mark on the web by creating online systems that benefit the missions of those institutions. He’s led fundraising, marketing, and business development teams and is a self-taught web developer specializing in programming languages related to web design.
James maintains artistic inspiration through photography, metalwork, and as a scenic designer. He’s passionate about leading MAKE Santa Fe and loves sharing his knowledge.
Upcoming Classes
Third Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: May 15, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: May 21, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassCNC Intensive with the ShopBot
Date: June 7, 2026 10:00 am
Unlock the potential of CNC woodworking with our hands-on, project-based course designed for aspiring makers and professionals. Over four weeks, you’ll gain comprehensive knowledge and practical experience with the ShopBot 48×96 PRSAlpha. From understanding the basics of CNC machinery to... View Article
View ClassCNC Intensive with the ShopBot
Date: June 14, 2026 10:00 am
Unlock the potential of CNC woodworking with our hands-on, project-based course designed for aspiring makers and professionals. Over four weeks, you’ll gain comprehensive knowledge and practical experience with the ShopBot 48×96 PRSAlpha. From understanding the basics of CNC machinery to... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: June 18, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: June 19, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassCNC Intensive with the ShopBot
Date: June 21, 2026 10:00 am
Unlock the potential of CNC woodworking with our hands-on, project-based course designed for aspiring makers and professionals. Over four weeks, you’ll gain comprehensive knowledge and practical experience with the ShopBot 48×96 PRSAlpha. From understanding the basics of CNC machinery to... View Article
View ClassCNC Intensive with the ShopBot
Date: June 28, 2026 10:00 am
Unlock the potential of CNC woodworking with our hands-on, project-based course designed for aspiring makers and professionals. Over four weeks, you’ll gain comprehensive knowledge and practical experience with the ShopBot 48×96 PRSAlpha. From understanding the basics of CNC machinery to... View Article
View ClassPowertool Racing Build and Test Days
Date: July 8, 2026 2:00 pm
Get Track-Ready with Us! Join us at Make Santa Fe for hands-on Build & Test Days leading up to Power Tool Racing! Whether you’re a seasoned fabricator or a first-time builder, these open shop sessions are your chance to design,... View Article
View ClassPowertool Racing Build and Test Days
Date: July 9, 2026 2:00 pm
Get Track-Ready with Us! Join us at Make Santa Fe for hands-on Build & Test Days leading up to Power Tool Racing! Whether you’re a seasoned fabricator or a first-time builder, these open shop sessions are your chance to design,... View Article
View ClassPowertool Racing Build and Test Days
Date: July 10, 2026 2:00 pm
Get Track-Ready with Us! Join us at Make Santa Fe for hands-on Build & Test Days leading up to Power Tool Racing! Whether you’re a seasoned fabricator or a first-time builder, these open shop sessions are your chance to design,... View Article
View ClassPowertool Racing v4 & Maker Olympics!
Date: July 11, 2026 5:00 pm
Supersized, turbocharged, and turned up to eleven! Power Tool Racing returns to Make Santa Fe for another year of outrageous competition, absurd engineering, and summer-fueled chaos.
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: July 16, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: July 17, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: August 20, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: August 21, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: September 17, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: September 18, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: October 15, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: October 16, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: November 19, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: November 20, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassFusion 360 for CNC
Date: December 17, 2026 5:30 pm
Fusion 360 for CNC is a hands-on, practical class focused on preparing parts for CNC milling using Autodesk Fusion 360. This class is designed for makers who want to move beyond design and into real-world fabrication by learning how to generate reliable, shop-ready toolpaths for CNC machines.
View ClassThird Friday at Make: Open Forge & Fire Arts Night
Date: December 18, 2026 5:00 pm
Blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku! Join us for Fire Arts Night, a blazing celebration of molten creativity! This immersive evening showcases the dramatic beauty of fire-based making with live demonstrations in blacksmithing, bronze casting, and raku ceramics. Watch as glowing steel is shaped on the... View Article
View ClassArticles by James W. Johnson
Institute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Art Institute Collaborate on Transatlantic Rising Stars Project Artist Residency
Article Published: May 7, 2026
Original Article: https://nativenewsonline.net/arts-entertainment/institute-of-american-indian-arts-and-santa-fe-art-institute-collaborate-on-transatlantic-rising-stars-project-artist-residency/ The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Santa Fe Art Institute (SFAI) through the Transatlantic Rising Stars Project (TRSP), known as Transatlantic Stars, a three-year initiative of the European... View Article
Read MoreInstitute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Art Institute Collaborate on Transatlantic Rising Stars Project Artist Residency
Article Published: May 7, 2026
Original Article: https://iaia.edu/iaia-sfai-transatlantic-rising-stars-residency/ by Levi Rickert | May 2, 2026 The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) has announced a new collaboration with the Santa Fe Art Institute through the Transatlantic Rising Stars Project, a three-year initiative led by the European... View Article
Read MoreMake Santa Fe launches three-month fellowship program mixing craft, art, engineering
Article Published: March 24, 2026
Boldness. Audacity. And failure. Those are three of the words James Johnson, the executive director of Make Santa Fe, uses to describe what he hopes to see emerge from his organization’s new maker-in-residence program, which will offer three-month fellowships to builders, designers and creative technologists working on a specific project.
Read MorePhilosophy on the Organization of the Makerspace
Article Published: January 7, 2026
Over the past two weeks, Make Santa Fe staff and volunteers completed one of the biggest upgrades our space has seen. In anticipation of turning 10, and largely out of necessity, we closed the doors and spent two weeks over the holidays upgrading and improving the space.
Read MoreMaking Skills Visible: How Make Santa Fe Supports Career Pathways
Article Published: December 23, 2025
Recently, Make Santa Fe was featured on Job Hunt New Mexico to talk about a challenge we see every day: many people have the creativity, curiosity, and drive to build things but don’t always have access to the tools, training,... View Article
Read MoreCreative Mornings @ Make Santa Fe
Article Published: December 23, 2025
Last week, Make Santa Fe hosted Creative Mornings Santa Fe, and our executive director, James, shared a talk on why failure isn’t the problem—it’s the process. He explored the difference between “work mode” (producing) and “creative mode” (exploring), and offered five... View Article
Read More2025 Annual Report
Article Published: December 8, 2025
Letter for Executive Director Dear Makers & Community, As I’ve been compiling our 2025 annual report it’s become clear that MAKE Santa Fe is growing up. I’ve been amazed at the amount of work our small staff has been able... View Article
Read MoreAnnual Report: 2025 Letter from the Executive Director
Article Published: December 8, 2025
Dear Makers & Community, As I’ve been compiling our 2025 annual report it’s become clear that MAKE Santa Fe is growing up. I’ve been amazed at the amount of work our small staff has been able to accomplish. In 2025... View Article
Read MoreWe Make Because
Article Published: December 2, 2025
Every day at Make Santa Fe, I watch something remarkable happen: someone walks through our doors and makes something that didn’t exist. They exercise creativity, passion, grit, and determination to invent and make. They do this because they want to,... View Article
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