Creative reuse artist Nicole McGee says she feels just like the crocuses and daffodils; it's spring and she's ready to pop her head out of the ground. A project she's been working on for over a year has entered a critical stage -- the new Upcycle Parts Shop is set to open in a vacant St. Clair Superior storefront in June. The shop, which is part of the larger Upcycle St. Clair project, will offer trash-to-treasure art supplies for crafters, parents, teachers and anybody else who wants to get his or her craft on.

"We'll provide a supplement to the common arts supply store," says McGee. "You don't have to buy new to buy something that’s useful. Economically, it's a good idea because our prices are affordable. But we also want to inspire people."

McGee has become well known over the years for her upcycling pop-up shops, but this one is different, because it offers supplies and is intended to be permanent.

The 900-square-foot storefront at 6419 St. Clair Avenue is owned by the Slovenian National Home, a neighborhood anchor for the past century. The current plan is to offer art supplies for sale at the front of the store, build a "craft bar" where adults and kids can make stuff in the rear, and use the basement to sort materials.

Items such as wallpaper castoffs and beautiful pieces of knotted wood from A Piece of Cleveland will be available for purchase. "You can pick up materials that are sort of unique and purposefully chosen," says McGee. "It will be a curated, interesting experience that will inspire people to work with new materials."

McGee and her team plan to offer at least two workshops per month for adults, plus regular classes for families and kids. One example might be a workshop that teaches people how to transform plastic bottles into artistic flowers. The group is also reaching out to local residents and youth to involve them in the storefront.

"The benefit to companies that have a waste stream is that they can donate stuff to us and have a feel-good alternative to throwing it away," says McGee. "We want to make it easy for them. They also can get a tax-exempt donation letter from us."

McGee is beyond excited about the signage, which was donated by Johnsonite Flooring and created using a laser cutter by an avid supporter. The neon art installation by Dana Depew, which spells out "Thrive" in the window, will remain after the shop opens. McGee expects the Upcyle Parts Shop to open in June.

Upcycle St. Clair also is ready to announce an Upcycle Fellows program. Leaders of the initiative will accept applications from interested individuals who want to be a part of the project's community engagement strategy in the coming months.

Other members of the Upcycle St. Clair team include Devon Fegen-Herdman and Peter Meehan. The group received a $375,000 grant from ArtPlace America, and St. Clair Superior Development Corporation is the coordinating agency.

Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote