Louise Wilde at ReMix It’s Creature Lab table
By Kathleen O. Brown
Guided by its vision of forming a community space where creativity and environmental sustainability meet, the nonprofit organization ReMix It is opening a creative reuse store in West Asheville this spring.
ReMix It founder and executive director Amanda Wilde says she’s lived in communities that had thriving creative reuse centers and saw how they strengthen access, affordability and connection for makers, teachers, families and artists. “Living in an area with such a rich history of craft reminds me how much our community will benefit from this,” she says. “From the donors to the makers and beyond, everyone gains something meaningful.”
Eric White helps create Affirmation Boxes at Diatribe Brewery
The organization’s mission centers around opening a creative reuse store that is dedicated to inspiring creativity, reducing waste and building community through access to affordable, reclaimed art and craft materials. While supporting sustainability by transforming discarded materials into creative opportunities, ReMix It’s goal is to create a welcoming, inclusive space for hands-on expression for people of all ages—where everyone feels they belong and can connect. “This isn’t just a statement for us,” Wilde says. “It is a real commitment, and we want to be a bridge for all communities in WNC by offering low-cost access to materials.”
ReMix It accepts donations of new or gently used materials that can be repurposed for art, crafting, teaching or making.
The organization also has a current fundraising goal of $50,000 and will hold its first fundraising event Saturday, January 24, from 1–4 p.m., at The River Arts District Brewing Company at 13 Mystery Street in Asheville. The event will include “an exciting and a bit of a wacky community art opportunity,” Wilde says, where attendees will make Asheville’s Largest Fabric Snake. “Each attendee will purchase a ticket and receive a fabric square to decorate,” she says. “The square will then be sewn onto the growing snake right on the spot and later hung from the rafters in our new space. We plan to keep adding to the snake each year and turn it into a fun, wacky community tradition.”
At the January fundraising event, ReMix It will begin seeking volunteers, Wilde says. Once the creative reuse store is open, volunteers will be needed to sort donations and help with other tasks. ReMix It is aiming to open its creative reuse space this spring at a soon-to-be-announced location on the Haywood Road corridor in West Asheville.
Affirmation Box art by Jillian Ohl
“In the future, I see ReMix It as being an established community partner at events, schools and maker spaces around Asheville and WNC,” Wilde says. “I would love for us to have a mobile vehicle to easily share in educating others about upcycling and reuse.”
Mountain BizWorks Craft Your Commerce program director and ReMix It advisory board member Jamie Karolich says she is excited about the programming ReMix It is planning and the opportunities it will create for artists, educators and neighbors across the region. The nonprofit will be “a meaningful addition to our creative ecosystem and a welcome resource for anyone who builds, makes or creates,” she says. “ReMix It will be a real asset for Asheville, not only for our creative community but for anyone looking to give their materials and equipment a second life. Having a place where people can upcycle, donate and access affordable supplies supports both sustainability and creativity in a practical, everyday way. Our creative community has always relied on sharing resources, helping each other out and finding inventive solutions. ReMix It feels like a natural next step in that long-standing, community-driven approach to making.”
Visit ReMix It at ReMixItAVL.org to learn more about the organization, its volunteer and donation opportunities and updates about the upcoming opening of its reuse store in West Asheville.
