Local businessman Ken Stanley makes record donation to CAC
From left: Belinda Fraley Huesman, psat CAC Executive Director; Lou Zagarino, CAC Board Vice President; Lyndsey Beidle Meninger, CAC Board President; Brenda Fraley Garver, past CAC Board member; Ken Stanley, founder of Stanley Engineering; Donna Anderson, CAC Executive Director; Nick Wilson, CAC MakerSpace Manager; and Mary Toth, past CAC Board member
On Thursday, March 12, more than 60 friends, donors, and supporters gathered in Chesapeake Arts Center’s (CAC) MakerSpace to celebrate a milestone event: the dedication and naming of the MakerSpace in memory of Michael Stanley.
Stanley, who passed away in 2018, was the son of Kenneth Stanley, founder of Stanley Engineering in Glen Burnie, who in December 2019 donated $100,000 to CAC. At the event, the new Michael Stanley MakerSpace name and logo was unveiled.
“The CAC Board and staff are indebted to Ken for this generous donation,” said Belinda Fraley Huesman, CAC’s former Executive Director. “We are so thankful to Ken for his generosity and are honored that he chose to invest in CAC in memory of his son, Michael.”
Stanley’s gift is the largest individual donation CAC has received in its nearly 20-year history. Stanley says of his decision to donate to CAC: “I spent the first 12 years of my working life in Maryland, in and around the Brooklyn, Brooklyn Park, and Curtis Bay areas. I saw firsthand the need for educational and cultural opportunities for the youth of that area. The Chesapeake Arts Center has blossomed into a haven for these young people to find a pathway to improving and molding their lives. In the memory of my son, Michael Stanley, I am thankful to be able to donate to this wonderful facility. It is my hope that this donation will be an inspiration to others to help in whatever ways possible to promote the growth and success of the Chesapeake Arts Center.”
First established in 2017 on the ground floor of CAC, the newly-named Michael Stanley MakerSpace is a collaborative workspace designed to enhance hands-on learning experiences, bringing technology tools into the hands of our community to foster an environment for invention, imagination and skill development.
The MakerSpace includes a woodshop; metal shop; digital fabrication equipment including a computer lab and 3D printers; and screen-printing capabilities. Through the Michael Stanley MakerSpace, CAC offers classes, workshops, and open studio time for students to imagine and create.
Thank you to Sticker Mule, our go-to for custom stickers, which made our goodie bags extra special!
