CHEK Upside: Upcycling art centre preparing for grand opening

CHEK

Since 2018, Supply Victoria has been upcycling craft supplies throughout Greater Victoria.

“We’ve been hosting creative reuse workshops now for quite a few years and looking for a home,” says founder Ashley Howe.

Howe brought the idea from her hometown of Portland, Oregon, where the concept is quite popular.

“They [upcycling centres] are a big thing in the U.S., there’s over 130 of them, but only a handful here in Canada,” says Howe.

“So I’m really passionate about the model and excited to bring my expertise and passion for it to Victoria, which seems prime for it since we have so many artists.”

Now after several years of hosting pop-up events around the Capital Region, Howe and Supply Victoria have found a permanent home downtown.

“It’s nice to finally find homes for everything and I’m just feeling really really grateful,” says Howe.

The non-profit Supply Victoria Creative Reuse Centre will provide artists, students, teachers and other non-profits with valuable art supplies in addition to various art programs.

“We offer material grants to community art projects,” says Howe. “We divert materials by accepting donations of used art supplies on Tuesdays, we sell used art supplies for low costs and we host creative reuse workshops showing people how to upcycle waste into art.”

The Reuse Centre will have its grand opening Saturday July 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, you can visit Supply Victoria’s website.

Cole SorensonCole Sorenson

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