TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A new shop on Fourth Avenue in Tucson is turning donated art and craft supplies into affordable creative resources for teachers, students and artists.
Tucson Creative Reuse, 419 N. 4th Ave., has been open since mid-July, and for owner Misa Gonzales, the idea started close to home—literally.
Gonzales is a Tucson native who grew up just a block away from where her shop now stands. The former art and English teacher comes from a family of artists and educators, and after years of accumulating supplies, her family faced a familiar dilemma.
"My family's been art teachers our whole lives and so, we had a shed of just art supplies over kind of 50 years of collecting them that we were like, we don't want to get rid of them," Gonzales said.
The answer to what to do with it all came quickly. Gonzales learned about an empty storefront on Fourth Avenue in July, signed a lease four days after seeing the space and opened the doors just 12 days after that.
The shop's first inventory came straight from her family's collection.
"There are things in here I can tell you a story of generations ago or my family or my parents or my kids," Gonzales said.
Those family treasures now share shelf space with donations from across Tucson. Shoppers can find everything from beads and glitter to yarn and game pieces, and rather than buying an entire package, customers can fill a small bucket with exactly what they need.
Most materials are sold at $12 a pound, with yarn priced at $6 a pound. Some donated items are available for free.
"People are donating it and people are sharing it and people are really happy that it's going to somebody who's going to love it," Gonzales said.
Beyond shopping, Tucson Creative Reuse also offers classes and open table sessions where visitors can come in, work on a project and find inspiration.
"Along with our open table, we have live music that performs throughout the day. My oldest daughter and best friend have music studio in the back and they come out and they play piano and guitar and perform live often. So, sometimes you'll be here and you'll just get an impromptu live show, and it's really lovely," Gonzales said. "This is a community space and a family space. You'll often meet my family members, friends, community members that we're all connected to. So, just come in and say hi and enjoy the space with us," Gonzales said.
Tucson Creative Reuse, 419 N. 4th Ave., is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Art and craft supply donations can also be dropped off at the shop.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
——
Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
