Reduce waste and make art at the new Broome Creative ReUse storefront
Broome Creative ReUse is expanding its operation into a new storefront in Endicott, hoping to connect local artists and creatives with low-cost supplies while reducing waste in the process.
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With costs rising and Joann permanently closing, many artists and creatives in the region are seeing their supply options become increasingly limited.
That’s where Broome Creative ReUse has stepped in.
The eco-spiritual group Church in the Wild started the art supply exchange in late 2024, and it is now expanding into its own storefront in a former theatre space in what used to be the Cinema Saver at 21 Madison Ave., Endicott.
A soft launch is taking place from 9 am to 12 pm on Saturday, July 18 alongside the Village of Endicott’s America 250 Scavenger Hunt.
Rev. Corey Turnpenny, pastor of Church in the Wild and overseer of the Broome Creative ReUse program, said the organization has mostly been taking supplies on the road to farmers markets and craft fairs.
While growing, she said they were frequently dreaming up a storefront and creative space they could build into a hub for creativity, environmentalism and community.
“Everybody needs low-cost supplies right now,” Turnpenny said.
“Already we have seen so many artists who are super excited about upcycling their art supplies, using previously used materials and turning something old or broken into something new.”
Turnpenny said she was excited by and wants the organization to contribute to recent arts-focused changes in Downtown Endicott, such as the updated streetscape of Washington Ave. and the Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier's transformation of the former First United Methodist Church on McKinley Ave. into art studios and creative spaces for local artists.
Taking inspiration from similar operations in cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, organizers want this to be a place people can hang out, make art, and not have to spend a lot of money.
The program in its early phase operated out of a storage unit provided by the Broome County Council of Churches before acquiring a small office space at the United Presbyterian Church in Binghamton.
The program has so far collected about 5,000 pounds of all kinds of art and craft supplies that otherwise would have headed to the landfill, Turnpenny said.
“And that's just functioning out of a tiny 200 square foot office space with some extra storage,” Turnpenny said.
Their first donation day at the new space yielded nearly 1,300 pounds of supplies as the volunteers finished sorting supplies and finalized shelving ahead of their first soft opening day.
The supplies will be sold at a pay-what-you-can model. As things get moving, Turnpenny said they plan to hold regular art classes, helping guide people on how to get started or create certain projects they can take home.
“We have everything from yarn, thread, fabric scraps, scrapbooking stuff, a lot of paper, paint, glitter, a lot of beads and jewelry-making items. We also have glass mosaic stuff that people can use, paintbrushes, a lot of crocheting and knitting materials, and a lot of instruction books that people donated to us,” said Emilie Lin, BU summer intern for Church in the Wild and the Broome Creative Reuse Program.
At the center of the store will be tables for people to sit and work on projects, and there are also plans for a sewing machine and table open to anyone.
Turnpenny said she hopes to keep the shop open Wednesdays through Saturdays, and that it will be completely volunteer-run, similar to Riot Act Books in Binghamton.
The organization is currently looking for volunteer clerks to open the doors, sell the supplies, and help people find what they’re looking for, even if it is just for once or twice a month.
“We would love to welcome anybody open to teaching a class, who knows how to do something,” Turnpenny said.
“We're hoping to host some repair cafes where you can bring something broken and get it fixed. And so we need some experts, like somebody who knows how to fix a lamp, or a CD player, or mend a sweater.”
The former theatre space hosting the organization also shares the space with Mind Makers New York, a program that provides kids and adults with a sensory-friendly art space and produces all parts of a creative theatre experience from writing to costumes and props, and will also host another artist studio.
Turnpenny said the organization also plans to help nonprofits working with children, like local community centers, get supplies at low cost.
“We know all the art supplies you need exist out there in the world,” Turnpenny said.
“All we have to do is collect it in one spot to get it to the people who need it.”
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