Seattle ReCreative

Seattle ReCreative keeps good stuff out of the landfill so community members can make art with it. Our mission is to promote creativity, community, and environmental stewardship through creative reuse and arts education. Jenna Boitano and Emily Korson founded Seattle ReCreative in February 2014 after connecting through the Ballard Moms listserv. Emily, who has a background in fine art and art education, had visions of creating a family-friendly, alternative art space. Jenna, a former board member of The Scrap Exchange in Durham, North Carolina, had visions of establishing a creative reuse center, not unlike The Scrap Exchange. After several months of outreach and participating in community events, Seattle ReCreative moved into the lower level of the Woodland Park United Methodist Church and began collecting and selling reused materials, teaching art and skills classes, and participating in community events, such as the Sustainable Ballard Festival and Phinney Neighborhood Association's Farmers Market. Our retail location in Greenwood has been open since January 2015.

We are collecting donated materials that will otherwise end up in a landfill from local businesses and individuals to redistribute to our community. Proceeds from the resale of these goods help us to fund our arts programming and enable us to provide free creative materials and arts education to other nonprofit organizations. We believe that art fuels innovation and collaboration, and endeavor to create a physical space and programmatic approach that reflects this belief. Our hope is that Seattle ReCreative will function as much more than a model for environmental stewardship. We see the space as a catalyst for social and intellectual enrichment. By bringing together members of our community not only to shop, but also to create, experience, and discuss art, we aim to foster cultural and personal connection amongst artists of all ages. Our classes and creative playspace  provide young children with developmentally appropriate art-making experiences, while also exposing them to adult art practices and appreciation. Workshops are conducted by artists, educators and environmental activists from both inside and outside our community. Additionally, we  have a space for rotating exhibitions of art created from salvaged materials. We believe that art has the power to change human consciousness, and that our project will challenge others to think more broadly about interpersonal and global impact.