Art From Scrap

I think that a lot of my passion for recycled art and design came from my college years in Santa Barbara. On the search for some art supplies I happened upon Art From Scrap. To quote their own website, "Art From Scrap pfovides the community with a Green Schools environmental education program, an Arts Center, and a Reuse retail store." While I'm sure the Art Center and the Green Schools programs are great, I fell in love with the Reuse retail store.
It is a treasure trove of brown bins overflowing with all kinds of crazy things that have been donated by individuals or by local businesses, all amounting to thousands of pounds of materials that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. They have things like shavings from the construction of skateboard wheels that look exactly like jellyfish tentacles in neon green or a hundred other colors (like the doll's hair here). Or maybe a thousand film canisters or small tiles. Just all kinds of inspiring and unusual materials that otherwise would have been thrown away.

I think ever since the first time I went in that store I have had a desire to do something similar-to not only support creative artistic expression but to do it in a way that will cut down on waste and make the planet a more beautiful place to live. So if you are ever in the Santa Barbara area-go check them out!!

Art From Scrap-302 E Cota Street-Santa Barbara CA
All images from their Facebook page here
Also this is a great list of centers for creative reuse across the country! So cool!