Building Out

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Building Out We are BOSS: Building Out Safer Spaces & Skill Sets for Women, Q***r, Trans, and Femme of Center folx. BOSS is Building Out Safer Spaces!

Founded & facilitated by WQTF folx, we want to be your launchpad into the building trades by offering educational, creative, & job opportunities. Co-founded by TC Tolbert and Victor Valencia, BOSS was created by and for LGBTQIA+ folks to respond to the needs of our community. Our board, volunteers, and staff are all Women, Q***r, Trans, and Femme of Center folks and we seek to make the building trades accessible to our communities by providing trainings and skill shares, leadership and learning opportunities, and centering trans, q***r, and women experts to guide community builds and education in our space. BOSS wants to build a world in which all people are given the tools and resources (literal and metaphorical) they need to thrive!

Happy mid-autumn! 🥮We kicked off fall with some quick drilling and wood block games at Splinter Fest yesterday. We’re br...
10/04/2026

Happy mid-autumn! 🥮
We kicked off fall with some quick drilling and wood block games at Splinter Fest yesterday. We’re brewing up some new events this season, stay updated by signing up for our mailing list at BuildingOutSaferSpaces.org, link in bio. What do you want to see at BOSS this fall?

***rbuilders

After such a busy season (and recognizing that rest and rejuvenation are crucial to resisting the capitalist death machi...
06/02/2026

After such a busy season (and recognizing that rest and rejuvenation are crucial to resisting the capitalist death machine!), we are taking a break from programming, June-August. However, we are over the moon to announce that during our workshop programming pause, the shop will be filled with the wonder of our 2nd Artist in Residence, Roisin McCool! And not only will Roisin be creating in the shop, she’ll be taking on a mentee who wants to learn stain glass! Here’s a bit more about Roisin and what she’s looking for: Roisin McCool is an interdisciplinary artist and scenic designer working across two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Her practice spans the shop, the stage, and the gallery. This summer she is returning to Tucson after working in set design in New Orleans to focus on her personal work here with us at BOSS. She is looking for a mentee who will work alongside her and wants to learn how to create stain glass. The right applicant is a visual artist or maker who is looking to grow in their craft. Prior carpentry experience is a plus. Expect to work in stained glass and a variety of other mediums while engaging in plenty of experimentation and collaboration. Does this sound like you? If so, please fill out the application form in bio. The sooner the better.

After such a busy season (and recognizing that rest and rejuvenation are crucial to resisting the capitalist death machi...
06/02/2026

After such a busy season (and recognizing that rest and rejuvenation are crucial to resisting the capitalist death machine!), we are taking a break from programming, June-August. However, we are over the moon to announce that during our workshop programming pause, the shop will be filled with the wonder of our 2nd Artist in Residence, Roisin McCool! And not only will Roisin be creating in the shop, she’ll be taking on a mentee who wants to learn stain glass! Here’s a bit more about Roisin and what she’s looking for:

Roisin McCool is an interdisciplinary artist and scenic designer working across two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Her practice spans the shop, the stage, and the gallery. This summer she is returning to Tucson after working in set design in New Orleans to focus on her personal work here with us at BOSS. She is looking for a mentee who will work alongside her and wants to learn how to create stain glass. The right applicant is a visual artist or maker who is looking to grow in their craft. Prior carpentry experience is a plus. Expect to work in stained glass and a variety of other mediums while engaging in plenty of experimentation and collaboration.

Does this sound like you? If so, please fill out the application form in bio. The sooner the better.

OUR LAST WORKSHOP BEFORE SUMMER BREAK! Wednesday, June 36:00 - 9:00pmCarve bracelets out of wood as well as gain basic w...
06/01/2026

OUR LAST WORKSHOP BEFORE SUMMER BREAK!
Wednesday, June 3
6:00 - 9:00pm

Carve bracelets out of wood as well as gain basic woodworking skills. You will learn how to use a drill press, a bandsaw, miter saw, and sander. You will leave the workshop with a finished wooden bracelet!

Register at BuildingOutSaferSpaces.org/events (link in bio). Workshops are $50 - $150 sliding scale. BIPOC & low income scholarships available. Email [email protected] with any questions.

UPDATE! We had to postpone the date on this workshop to next Wednesday. Sculptural BraceletsWednesday, June 36:00 - 9:00...
05/26/2026

UPDATE! We had to postpone the date on this workshop to next Wednesday.

Sculptural Bracelets
Wednesday, June 3
6:00 - 9:00pm

Carve bracelets out of wood as well as gain basic woodworking skills. You will learn how to use a drill press, a bandsaw, miter saw, and sander. You will leave the workshop with a finished wooden bracelet!

Register at BuildingOutSaferSpaces.org/events (link in bio). Workshops are $50 - $150 sliding scale. BIPOC & low income scholarships available. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Library Box with a Living RoofSaturday, May 302:00 - 6:00pmThere’s something about the idea of “take a book, leave a boo...
05/08/2026

Library Box with a Living Roof
Saturday, May 30
2:00 - 6:00pm

There’s something about the idea of “take a book, leave a book” that brings community together beautifully. Having a planter box as the roof adds another element of living beauty that can be shared with the community.

Skills/tools covered:
* Marking and measuring
* Table saw
* Drills and drivers
* Working in a team

Please note: we will not be providing soil or plant material for the roof planter.

Register at BuildingOutSaferSpaces.org/events (link in bio). We are encouraging teams for this class. Workshop is $150 for one participant for their own box, $200 for two participants collaborating to make one box. BIPOC & low income scholarships available. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Need an empowering gift for your mama or caregiver in your life? If they have been meaning to get into carpentry, home repairs, or DIY projects, a BOSS gift certificate may be the perfect gift! Come build a library box as a team or take any of our other skill-building workshops.

Sculptural BraceletsWednesday, May 276:00 - 9:00pmCarve bracelets out of wood as well as gain basic woodworking skills. ...
05/05/2026

Sculptural Bracelets
Wednesday, May 27
6:00 - 9:00pm

Carve bracelets out of wood as well as gain basic woodworking skills. You will learn how to use a drill press, a bandsaw, miter saw, and sander. You will leave the workshop with a finished wooden bracelet!

Register at BuildingOutSaferSpaces.org/events (link in bio). Workshops are $50 - $150 sliding scale. BIPOC & low income scholarships available. Email [email protected] with any questions.
***rwoodworker

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Tucson, AZ
85745

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