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Andrea Stuart says the warehouse of ArtsJunktion mb is a treasure trove for artists. (SIMON FULLER)

It’s amazing what some people can do with a load of old junk.

Whether it’s chunks of cork, rubber, plastic or quilted fabric — to name but a few — the folks at ArtsJunktion mb know how to make the best of materials that might otherwise be headed to the local landfill.

The non-profit organization redistributes recyclable materials — including paper, crafts, plastics, textiles, household and office supplies — that were donated by businesses and individuals back into the community.

The threefold mission of the organization  — which was founded by Andrea Stuart and Melanie Janzen in 2006 — is to promote sustainable development, the reduction of garbage and promotion of the arts.   

Among the main beneficiaries are schoolchildren, who use the materials for an array of projects, as well as a number of artists employed by the organization to teach classes about using recycled materials.

ArtsJunktion mb has recently updated its mandate so that all Manitobans are now welcome to take materials from its downtown depot for free. It currently has approximately 600 members.

"People don’t have to be a member to use the depot, but we’d love it if they become one, as they would have access to some wonderful art workshops," said Stuart, who lives in Riverview.          

Stuart — who retired from her teaching job at Const. Edward Finney School in The Maples in June — came up with idea for a Winnipeg version of ArtsJunktion mb after long-distance conversations with her sister in Toronto.

"I would talk to my sister who is out there, who is also a teacher, about shopping for supplies and we would compare our experiences and challenges," Stuart said.   

"She would go this ArtsJunktion-type place, while I would go to the store here. She could find some really interesting materials in one place and I would have to search around for stuff."

"Teachers only have a limited budget to spend, so, inspired by my sister’s experiences, I visited the place in Toronto and the idea grew from there. I can tell that we save some school divisions quite a bit of money," Stuart added.

In 2009, the operation moved to an art-oriented Exchange District building, which it shares with cre8ery gallery and cre8ive supplies & services.

"We knew we needed a centrally-located warehouse space," Stuart said.

One key volunteer at ArtsJunktion mb is Wolseley resident Briony Haig, who is an art teacher at Elmwood High School.

Haig said the warehouse offers a wide variety of supplies including "fur, leather, dolls heads, lace, upholstery fabric and containers."

"I’ve just done a project with my students, when I gave them pictures of classic artwork and they produced 3-D versions of them using materials from ArtsJunktion mb," said Haig, who is also president of the Manitoba Association for Art Educators.

Stuart added that environmental sustainability has always been one of her driving motivations.

"It’s heartbreaking to think that so many materials that can be reused are going into the landfills, when the community should have access to them," Stuart said.

"That’s what makes ArtsJunktion mb a win-win concept. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s really an exciting place."   

For more details, visit www.artsjunktion.mb.ca. ArtsJunktion is located at 312B William Ave.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com