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Repurposed Items Become Art for a Cause
Salvation Army's "Transformed Treasure" event encourages artistic recycling
By Heather Hintze
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ANCHORAGE - They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that’s what the Sikora sisters are counting on.
“Ooh, that would look so good in the dining room,” said middle sister Karin holding up a glass mosaic vase she found in a box.
They’re just a few of nearly 100 artists participating in the Salvation Army’s “Transformed Treasure” event.
“The process is great because it brings our family together. It helps us focus that there are needs in the community. Then to come together with all these great people and see what they do and know we're really making a difference,” said youngest sister Kirsten.
Dozens of artists riffled through boxes at the Salvation Army warehouse on Saturday. Each can choose up to three big pieces to refinish, re-purpose or recycle into something new.
For oldest sister Kim, it’s all about working with wood. “I picked out what looked like a bassinet and I'm going to re-purpose it and make a table.”
The mosaic vase gets nestled into a stack of sweaters on top of a changing table. Their horde of hand-me-downs is ready to go and each already has something in mind.
“This would be kind of cool as a koi pond,” Kim gestured to the seat of a chair. This would be pretty green with the contrast of the rattan.”
Karin piled her light green chair high with shimmering, dress-up butterfly wings, a stuffed unicorn and a bouquet of fake flowers. “I found the butterfly wings and I thought for a little girl—because I have a girl who's going to be 20—but I would have loved to have these ideas when she was little and make some type of fairy chair.”
Kirsten found pieces of embroidered fabric stitched together that was possibly meant for a quilt at one time. “I'm going to do something with this piece which someone's loved one put together but it never quite made it to something. So I don't know if I'll make it into pillows or maybe frame it.”
They’ll have three months to fix up their junk and make it treasure-worthy before it’s all auctioned off to help fund Salvation Army programs.
Artists interested in getting involved in Transformed Treasure can call the Salvation Army at 276-2515.
The auction is May 11.
