From Austin Creative Reuse, this month's Get Involved spotlight nonprofit:
Austin Creative Reuse (ACR) is a non-profit organization that promotes conservation and reuse through creativity, education, and community building. We save usable, creative supplies and materials from area landfills, and get them back into the hands of artists, educators, students, crafters, and other creatives. We envision a world in which everyone consciously consumes and chooses reuse first.
We operate a Creative Reuse Center in the East Austin neighborhood of Windsor Park, where we collect donated items from individuals and businesses, sort and process them to bring back their value, and make them available to the public at an affordable cost. Founded in 2009, we were 100% volunteer-run for six years. Today, volunteers continue to be vital in all aspects of our programs and operations, contributing more than 40% of our total labor hours. Together, we have kept 2.7 million pounds of materials from local landfills and counting!
Our programs include:
The Materials Mobile is the first-of-its-kind in Central Texas and the marquee program of our educator offerings. It’s a trailer jam packed with traditional classroom supplies and creative materials that ACR takes out to local schools so educators can ‘shop’ for what they need from where they are at no cost to them. Our dream of bringing reuse into the classroom was made possible in part by a grant from Impact Austin.
Community Events are how ACR got started and continue to be vital to our mission of educating the public about the benefits of reuse. You can find ACR at festivals, neighborhood block parties, and other events throughout the city. We typically host a reuse craft to get the public thinking about viewing materials though a creative reuse lens.
Reuse Artist Markets are a program we piloted during the Covid-19 pandemic in an effort to create opportunities for working artists to gain income while the world was shut down. They have since become a core part of our artist opportunities and engagement and a beloved event for our whole community. Offered twice a year in the winter and spring, each market hosts an average of 100 local artists, who make incorporating reuse a central component of their work. It’s the best place to shop for unique, handmade gifts during the holiday season!
Workshops and Classes are offered both at our Creative Reuse Center and at locations around town. Each workshop highlights how reuse materials can be used in a creative way, such as using fabric scraps to collage, discarded plastics for mosaics, or even erasers for printmaking! Our classes and workshops are intentionally priced low, and we also offer a scholarship program for those who may need a little extra help.
Private Events and Space Rentals are available at our Creative Reuse Center. We love to host all types of events including private classes, girl scout workshops, birthday parties, field trips, and corporate team building events. Our classroom is also available for rental by the public at very affordable rates.
Reuse on the Runway is our biennial community fashion show that highlights reuse artistry in the areas of high fashion, costume, drag, and more. Our 2025 fashion show will mark the fourth installment of Reuse on the Runway, and we expect it to be our biggest one, yet!
Ways to get involved:
Volunteer! Volunteers continue to be the heart and soul of our organization and allow us to continue to drive our mission and expand our message. We offer drop-in community volunteer opportunities nearly every day of the week, group volunteering for schools, churches, businesses, and other organizations, as well as a core volunteer program for those who would like to volunteer their skills in a specialized way or particular interest area. Join our volunteer family today!
Donate! You can help sustain our work through financial contributions, or by donating your leftover creative supplies to our Creative Reuse Center. All donations are tax-deductible, to the extent allowed by law. Learn more about the different ways to give to ACR.
Shop! Our Creative Reuse Center is open to the public for shopping six days a week. Everything is organized like a traditional craft store to help you find exactly what you need for your next creative project. We also have an online store that offers some of our high end items including jewelry, vintage items, and collectibles.
Keep up to date with all our happenings!
