Jewelry and clothing from “upcycled” materials are all the rage at this year’s What’s Blooming on Harrison event sponsored by the Oak Park Arts District.  

Arts District artist and gallery owner, Lisa Nordstrom of Art Gecko, has been using found materials in her work well before the current green revolution.  As the daughter of a very creative and resourceful mother, Ms. Nordstrom learned early to find the potential in what others might discard.  “We just didn’t have a lot of money for art supplies,” she said.  “What started as a financial constraint has grown into a passion for collecting odds and ends.  Cool stuff just seems to find me, and then it’s my job to figure out what to do with it.”

These odds and ends show up in her eclectic “Junk Drawer Jewelry” line made from discarded keys, dog tags, rulers and other interesting remains from daily life.  In the Art Gecko gallery, there are many pieces of contemporary folk, found, outsider art and fine crafts created primarily with vintage, reused, reworked, recycled and reclaimed materials.

Similarly, Pamela Penney from Pamela Penney Textile Arts transforms discarded clothing, including jeans and sweaters, into “art to wear.”  Your favorite sweater have a hole in it?  Your old jeans patched beyond repair?  Ms. Penney will felt the sweater into a fashionable and cosy new hat or create a bold flower pin, or turn the jeans into a hip skirt with a lacy crocheted hem.  Many of her pieces are also decorated with old buttons.

“Found materials have always provided inspiration for artists, mostly because they’re cheap and readily available,” said Ms. Penney.  “Now it’s also the green thing to do.  Who wants to throw their favorite sweater away because of a moth hole or an out-of-date style?”

The CarefulPeach Boutique is also home to many jewelry items that are made from recycled materials, from cuff links made from old baseballs or typewriter keys, to unique jewelry fashioned from Parisian silverware or recycled aluminum from old appliances.  Says boutique owner, Karen Morava, “I’m finding my customers more and more interested in quality over quantity.  We believe an eco-friendly lifestyle should not prevent you from indulging in life’s little luxuries.”

This year’s What’s Blooming theme, “It’s Easy being Green,” also has attracted visiting artists to the event who similarly use repurposed materials in their work.  For example, exhibitor Ana Gonzales-Cosman of Almas Gitanas uses old stamps and other found objects in her jewelry, viewing them as treasures to be restored to new life.

Another exhibitor, Oak Park silversmith and jewelry designer, Alix Mikesell, is fascinated by materials, though she often transforms the materials so significantly as to disguise their original form. Her newest line, “Longevity,” is based on small plastic tubes that are remnants of acupuncture treatments.  The tubes are enclosed with bamboo and each contains a little treasure of inconsequential material — dyed rice, mylar from a discarded balloon, origami paper, mesh from fruit bags, colorful beads, and more.  The tubes are provided by Mary Jane Neumann of Ginkgo Acupuncture, who would otherwise discard them after a treatment.  

“I love that Alix was able to take acupuncture guide tubes and repurpose them into lovely and unique pieces of art - each one infused with new life and energy,” said Ms. Neumann.  “Beautiful and healing, what more could you ask for?  Of course, I’m also happy that that the tubes are not being thrown away!”  Jewelry from Alix Mikesell Designs will be displayed at Ginkgo Acupuncture during the What’s Blooming weekend.

See the full schedule of What’s Blooming on Harrison events.