Years ago, practicality forced a current Indiana artisan to scrap her textile work — that is, to turn to scraps of recycled material to make everything from wall hangings to shawls.
After finding inspiration in a quilt of recycled fabric at the World’s Fair in Spokane, Washington, in 1974, weaver Chris Gustin discovered she possessed plenty of ideas, but also a budget stretched tighter than anything she had woven.
“There was the fact that I had no money,” Gustin said, speaking from her Homestead Weaving Studio in Brown County. “So I was looking for things I could weave with. And back then, it was harder to find material to use.”
Today, the woman who turns old socks and curtains into rugs also will bring her blankets, shawls, placemats and more to the 14th Annual Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show Nov. 10 at The Commons, where she will be the featured artist. She is well known in the area, with shows or demonstrations in recent years in Columbus at Hotel Indigo and Mill Race Center.
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And this year marks 50 years of her conservation-style craft.
The free event, which attracted about 1,500 people last year and highlights America Recycles Day, features 60 artists working in glass, jewelry, sculpture, wearable art, weaving, woodworking and some creations that each year defy classification, as event founder and coordinator Marilyn Brackney puts it. The recycling and repurposing theme stands front and center.
“I think that when people come to the show and they see firsthand what people have made, that’s a pretty good message,” said Brackney, who has been spreading the repurposing message for years as an artist.
This year, besides Gustin, the gathering will feature 11 other Indiana artisans, who are specialists singled out for their excellence in their artistic field. That esteemed group includes Brackney herself.
Brown County woodworker Robb Besosa, of Hoosier Barn & Table, specializes in reclaimed wood to make everything from coffee tables to Christmas ornaments. He will make his first appearance at Deja Vu, with live demonstrations of some of the process of his work with a refurbished 1886 pedal-powered lathe.
“It draws a lot of attention, which, of course, is the reason we do it at shows,” Besosa said.
He also will have plenty of his products available, from coat racks to cutting boards.
Jewelry designer Rima Adomaviciene, based near Cleveland, Ohio, will travel the furthest of any artist to the show for her first time to participate. The Red Carpet Chicago Media recently named her The Best Accessories Designer of the year for her pieces.
“I feel inspired by nature,” she said in a portion of her promotional material, adding that most of her pieces are designs are made of natural stones, wood, leather and metal. “Sometimes I draw inspiration from unique color combinations and shapes.”
Brackney unabashedly labels Adomaviciene’s work as “elegant.”
Martinsville artist and Indiana artisan Joe Krutulis has created everything from wooden pendants and earrings to mobiles with reclaimed pieces.
“As I have become better-known, people now bring me their interesting dead wood,” he said.
Just so he can creatively resurrect it.
“I think a lot of these people start this (repurposing) initially because it’s cheaper,” Brackney said.
Chris Gustin clearly can attest to that.
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What: 14th Annual Deja Vu Art and Fine Craft Show, held in celebration of America Recycles Day. All items in the juried show must be made wholly or in part from scrap or repurposed materials.
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 10.
Where: The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus.
Artists/vendors: The range of creative work represented among 60 vendors includes assemblages, glass, jewelry, sculpture, wearable art, weaving, woodworking and some creations which each year defy classification.
Admission: Free.
Information: The Facebook page for Deja Vu Art and Fine Craft Show.
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What: Presentation of the documentary, "Landfill Harmonic." The film tells the story of some poor children who live on a garbage dump in Catuera, Paraguay, and then begin playing homemade instruments made from trash. The movie also is part of the 14th annual Deja Vu Art and Fine Craft Show, highlighting a broad range of repurposed items used in art.
When: 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: YES Cinema, Fourth and Jackson streets in downtown Columbus.
Admission Free, made possible by these sponsors: the Columbus Area Visitors Center, Energy Matters Coalition, Sierra Club, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
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