Creativity takes wing at Milwaukee Habitat ReStore
Stroll into any of the 928 Habitat ReStores in the U.S. and Canada, and you will find a treasure trove for the contractor, hobbyist and do-it-yourself remodeler.
Walk into Milwaukee’s, and you could find yourself face-to-face with a surfing robot.
Every spring, the Milwaukee Habitat ReStore turns part of its indoor space into an art gallery packed with triumphs of imagination and whimsy: everything from paintings and jewelry to a camera tripod transformed into a floor lamp or a chess set made of polished finials.
It’s Milwaukee’s Recycled Art Contest — and everything you see is made from Habitat ReStore materials.
Jake Brandt, Milwaukee Habitat’s marketing and communications manager, started the contest in 2010 after realizing that, in addition to contractors and remodelers, “there was another customer base reimagining these materials into something completely different and unique.”
The rules of the contest are simple: Create an original work of art using primarily Milwaukee Habitat ReStore items. Customers vote on their favorites, in store and online, and the top five vote-getters receive ReStore shopping sprees.
The first Recycled Art Contest saw around 25 entries. This year, there were nearly twice that many, with more than 900 votes cast for individual pieces. “I’m astounded by the creativity of our community members who participate,” Brandt says. “Professional artists, weekend crafters, we even have art therapy clients from the Milwaukee Center for Independence creating works. I’m happy to shine a light on these amazing artists.”
C. Kai Marquardt, who won third prize in this year’s contest, is a designer and contractor who says business first brought him to the Habitat ReStore. His sculpture “La Paloma de Paz” — or “Dove of Peace” — rises out of a hardback book with hundreds of origami “feathers” meant to represent “the fragility of peace.”
Marquardt credits the Recycled Art Contest with rekindling his interest in sculpture and art. After taking top honors in 2012, he says, “I was committed to producing artwork as a second career. The contest serves as a catalyst to continue the pursuit.”
It also serves to bring attention to Milwaukee Habitat’s two ReStores. The annual contest brings considerable media attention to Milwaukee Habitat’s two ReStores, the largest fundraisers for the affiliate.
“The proceeds from our ReStores built more than four homes last year,” Brandt says. “With the help of these artists, we’re building more than a gallery full of fantastically unique works of art. We’re building communities.”
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