Sheri Gibb and
Jen Lopez understand the value of art accessibility in Utah. Oftentimes, materials, classes and workshops can be financially out of reach for beginners, creating an imbalance between creatives who are able to explore their artistic goals and creatives who are held at bay by differences in income. In 2015, Gibb and Lopez created
Clever Octopus, a “craft thrift store,” along with their
Creative Reuse Centers (
CRC) that run on donations and a waste stream-reduction system to provide affordable and accessible art supplies, classes and community for beginners and tenured artists alike.
“We hope that people will see themselves as artists and creative people who can make small changes that prevent waste from going to the landfill by changing their habits and by extending the life of existing materials,” says Gibb.