Who are we?
Austin Creative Reuse is a nonprofit organization with a mission to foster conservation and reuse through creativity, education and community building.
We plan to collect materials from individuals, businesses, industries and municipal sources and distribute those materials through workshops, parties, and outreach events across Austin.
Our goal is to open a retail store in Austin, TX as well as conduct on site workshops, parties and outreach events throughout Central Texas.
Where will we get our materials?
We will collect materials from all over Central Texas. Materials include foam, paper, fabric, zippers, buttons, test tubes, and much more. We take in contributions from individuals and industry. We welcome craft materials, art supplies, vintage goodies, and other unique items.
What do we do with the materials we collect?
Materials will be sold in our retail store and also featured in a variety of creative arts programs and workshops. We plan to transport our materials to large-scale community festivals and events where we will provide hands-on, creative arts activities. We will also travel to schools for classroom workshops and after-school activities and well as host workshops and parties at our Creative Reuse Center. We will teach professional development workshops for educators and childcare providers that will explain how to incorporate reclaimed materials into their curriculum and share information on where they can find "materials in their neighborhood."
Where does Austin Creative Reuse get its funding?
As an organization, Austin Creative Reuse will be largely self-sustaining with most of our budget coming from income generated through store sales and fee-for-service programming. The money we make through retail sales and outreach programs will pay for day-to-day operations (salaries, rent, utilities, vehicles, etc.) and allow us to work toward fulfilling our mission.
The remaining portion of our budget will come from grants and individual donations.
Funding from grants and donations will allow us to expand our program offerings and to provide services we would otherwise be unable to offer due to lack of resources.
How did Austin Creative Reuse get started?
Over the past few years a group of like minded individuals have begun to work together to establish an organization to create a source for low cost art materials while also reducing our community's waste stream. Some founders had previously worked with an organization in Raleigh/Durham, SC called "The Scrap Exchange" and are modelling Austin Creative Reuse on that nonprofit.