Stop all your debates about how out of hand the Brooklyn DIY scene has gotten, because 3rd Ward has just raised the stakes astronomically, and artisanal mayonnaise isn’t even in the same stratosphere any more. As everyone from Barack Obama to that mohawk guy knows, space is so hot right now, so 3rd Ward is now offering a make your own space suit class. WHAT?! Why would you even need your own space suit, you ask? Because obviously when Obama gets reelected and forces everyone to get gay married you’ll be so upset you’ll have to leave the planet. “Develop your sculpting skills while learning the basics of space travel!” 3rd Ward boasts. It’s not cheap ($550) but then again, if space was cheap, everyone would live there.
The class is super-scientific sounding: it covers basic physiology surrounding space flight, weightlessness, pressure, heat, and radiation protection. You’ll learn: the basics of casting and mold making, including pressurizeable fingers, fingertips and a valsalva device; working plaster, alginate (body casting), hydrocal, urethane foam, silicone, plasticine, 1-part urethane rubber, epoxy resin, as well as basic fabric working skills.
The instructors are Nikolay Moiseev, a Russian native who graduated Moscow’s Aviation Institute in 1986 and has designed space suits ever since (including gloves that have been used in actual open space); and Ted Southern, a freelance costume and special effects fabricator in NYC, who currently makes costumes for Victoria’s Secret and Cirque du’Soleil, both of which are obviously crucial elements of our 21st century space race. The two have a workshop in Gowanus together.
Registration deadline is Sept. 6 for the two sessions, one starting Sept. 14 and the other starting Oct. 4.