MISSION:

Mat Bevel Company strengthens creative and mechanical capacity by engaging people in theater, kinetic art and hands-on construction, a uniquely human ability that shapes how we build and care for our world.

Our Kinetics Approach
Kinetics guides this work. As people design and build mechanical models, they reconnect with how physical systems move, interact and respond—a form of embodied understanding increasingly absent from everyday life. When ideas take physical form, participants experience their ability to create functional, expressive and meaningful change.

Our World-Building Programs
To fulfill this mission, Mat Bevel Company delivers two immersive world-building programs that integrate theater, kinetic art and hands-on making: World of Beveldom and The Universe Within STEAM curriculum. These experiences open new ways of learning and participation, supporting creative confidence, technical skill and meaningful contribution within individuals, families and communities.

Why This Matters
Our work dispels a common myth that creative genius belongs to only a few. Research by Dr. George Land shows that while most people begin life with strong creative capacity, it often diminishes without opportunities to imagine, build and experiment. Through our programs, people rediscover their creative potential to solve problems, generate original ideas and invent things that improve lives, communities and the world.

Club Kinetic is the First Saturday of the Month.

Join us for a monthly evening of hands-on making, kinetic art, music and imagination inside the World of Beveldom, listed as one of Tucson’s most wondrous art environments by Atlas Obscura.

Club Kinetic is both a physical and virtual gathering place for creative constructors and makers. Inspired by the philosophy and lifelong work of kinetic sculptor, poet and Mat Bevel Company founder Ned Schaper, participants have the opportunity to learn about kinetic junk sculptures—and how thousands of discarded items have found new life as mechanical creations for the Surrealistic Pop Science Theater. Spark your curiosity, delight and new ways of thinking about waste, resources and possibilities.

Participants can explore imagination through hands-on making, collaborative sculpture, performance and storytelling during each two-hour Club Kinetic event. An immersive experience for all ages that encourages creative risk-taking, problem-solving, and the joy of building together—unlike anything else in Tucson.

Saturdays: Mar 7, Apr 4 and May 2 from 6–8 pm
Mat Bevel Institute, Tucson south side
3113 E. Columbia Street
$5 admission

Teaching the next generation of youth how to invent and create.

Watch One Of The Opening Videos!

Lessons open with a 3-minute video filled with inspiration and instructions by an animated character of math Professor Dr. Bayly and peer demonstrations! For more information, contact Paula Schaper: 520-604-6273 or pschaper@matbevelcompany.org.