Our Story
What you need to know about us here in DC is that each of us had been "creative reusers" for a long, long time, and thought that having a community resource for interested artists and tinkerers was just about the greatest idea ever. SCRAP-DC formally began in August 2010 when Karen Klein signed a sponsorship agreement with SCRAP in Oregon that meant she wouldn't have to "reinvent the wheel." Heather Bouley came on board one short month later.
So there we were, two CO-directors, diverting materials headed toward landfills, providing materials for projects and educating the community through our presence at festivals and schools, and creating relationships within the local arts, reuse, and "green" communities.
In a little over 2 years we have:
- diverted nearly 5 tons of materials from local waste streams
- opened our own retail store at 52 O Street NW #L2, which runs solely on volunteer power
- attended events and provided materials to kids and adults at eco- and craft shows, community parks, and business-hosted collection drives
- led creative reuse projects for elementary and middle school students
- planned, juried and installed art shows at the Center for Green Urbanism
- added the Re:Boutique, a little shop of finished work made by local artists
We can’t wait to see what happens next as we work toward the vision of a creative reuse center for all of DC!
See info about our sponsor, their store, and all WE hope to implement!
More on Karen and Heather...
"My favorite childhood toy came from my uncle's job, where he 'did something with computers' long before everyone else did, too. He brought one stack after another of punched cards, and I thought they were the most 'high-tech' things I'd ever seen — the data was written in what wasn't there! In my hands, each colored card became a different type of document — maps, identification, and other important papers, to be put away in a matchbox file cabinet. A family of teddy bear-shaped erasers needed them while journeying from one adventure to the next in a shoebox spaceship. I don't know what universes might be revealed by the kids who visit SCRAP DC, but I so look forward to providing the materials and studio space that will spark their creations."
-- Karen
"As a DC-Area native I am thrilled to be working with SCRAP to bring a center for creative reuse to DC! I was officially introduced to creative reuse while I lived in New Orleans, although my parents did a pretty great job of introducing me to creative reuse since I was old enough to hold a crayon in my hand (one of those multi-colored ones that's made from melted down bits and pieces of crayon stubs. Awesome.). I love how salvage and re-purposing bring together artists, environmentalists, teachers, students, crafters, and people of all different walks of life. Needless, to say, I'm excited and hope you are too."
-- Heather
