I am the founder and former Board President of Austin Creative Reuse. With the help of many amazing people, the organization grew and in 2017, the first executive director was hired. This allowed me to fulfill one of my dreams and join the Peace Corps. I served in the Republic of Moldova from 2017 to 2019 as an NGO Advising Volunteer.  When I returned to Austin, ACR was going through several big transitions: moving to a new space, adding more staff and starting to plan for the search of a new executive director. I have joined the staff to help with these transitions and plan for the future.   When I am not at ACR, you can find me hiking anywhere I can find a trail, strolling around town looking for art or talking to others about how to inspire more people to be creative and reuse. 

I’m a mother, a gardener and a Texas transplant originally from the northeast.  I love helping my kids learn about the environment and spending time outside. I am an amateur crafter and enjoy knitting, repurposing, cooking and sewing. Jen works with the Shift Leads to oversee center operations, as well as managing volunteer and events coordination. 

Kat’s love for art and conservation began at an early age when she spent summers crafting, exploring, and gardening at her grandma’s house – a log cabin in the woods! A former disaster relief professional, Kat left her career behind in order to have more time for creative endeavors. She enjoys experimenting with mediums she has never tried before, either on her own or by taking classes and workshops. Kat spends her free time dancing, caring for her many plants, snuggling with her two pups, and going on adventures with her partner of 6 years.

Hi ! I am a mother, a teacher and an artist. I taught art k-12 in public schools for 10 years and currently have my own after school program in Round Rock. I am the co-founder of Marmalade skies, an art studio in Austin TX, and helped to start the children’s museums in New Braunfels and San Antonio. I was born in NYC raised in New Jersey and moved to Austin  20 years ago. My artwork is eclectic and is mostly large scale multi media; paintings. Many of my large paintings are done on old used doors.”

I’m a west Texas native and lived in Austin for over ten years. When I was young, I drew and painted on almost anything I could get my hands on and then it evolved into a variety of all creative things such as woodworking, photography, and sewing. Growing up with my family and a small lot of farm animals lead me to a love for nature and all things living. With that, it gave me passion to want to live a sustainable life and be a part of any action that can reduce negative environmental impact.

I moved to the Austin area from Sweden when I was 4. I’ve long had a passion for various types of art, craft, and music, and Austin was a fantastic city to grow up around. Environmental science, the outdoors, and conservation have been a big part of my life for a long time. I’m an amateur crafter, and I’m trying to learn and improve various skills, like leather working and sewing, which I often use to make post-apocalyptic costumes and props.

After moving to Austin from Brownsville, TX in 2012, Blessing found this city an ideal space to grow their creative skills and meet fantastic people along the way. Outside of ACR, they can be found making jewelry, modifying clothes, thrifting, hunting for fossils, and standing RIGHT BEHIND YOU.

James Talon thinks it’s fun to make art by finding the most beaten up vinyls and painting on them, and that’s how he discovered the coolest non-profit ever: ACR! In the past he was Art Director / Producer for Furcadia, lived abroad in Poland, and has a Linguistics degree. He’s all about animals, meditation, puns, imaginary friends named Paul*, silly profile pictures, and not including any puns in his bio. His handle on instagram is james.talon.art if you want to see his work! *Note: He doesn’t actually have imaginary friends…just don’t tell Paul that.

Lori (crafting alias: Haunted Farmgirl) greatly enjoys the art of making, cats, books, and baked goods. Some of her functional frivolities include catnip toys made of felt, decorated lighters, matchbox sewing kits, collaged note cards, and fanciful terrariums. It was through resourcing more affordable and unique materials for her crafts that she came to know and love ACR. There’s not a day that goes by that she doesn’t swoon over some wonderful little ribbon or paper scrap that catches her eye. For many years she has also worked in vintage sales, local bakeries, and as a craft fair organizer. She lives in Austin with her artist husband, and 3 cool cats.

Throughout my childhood growing up near citrus fields in the Rio Grande Valley, I learned to appreciate the transborder landscape, food, and botany of South Texas. My Grandma taught me how to be crafty, sew, and cultivate a sustainable garden while also embarking on spontaneous cooking adventures in her kitchen – one of my favorite quotes she references states how “necessity is the mother of invention” and I still apply that sentiment to my daily life. A few years ago I uprooted from South Texas and set up camp in Austin to pursue an International Nutrition degree at UT, which led me on a journey eventually joining the ACR team!

Kaysie, a recent UT graduate, is beginning her career in the nonprofit sector with a BA in Art History, a minor in Arts Management and Administration, and a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofits. A colorful tree-hugger from a young age, Kaysie focuses her life around art and conservation, and works to inspire those around her to live a creative and sustainable lifestyle. In her free time, Kaysie enjoys trail running in the greenbelt, making art and supporting local artists of Austin, and dancing the night away in the live music capital of the world.