Community Members Invited to Transform Textile Waste into Public Art
PETALUMA, CA – Jun. 16 – Reuse Alliance is inviting the public to make texTILES, a collaborative community art project that will transform reclaimed textiles into a large-scale installation for display at the Petaluma Arts Center this fall.
Throughout the summer, Reuse Alliance will host a series of hands-on workshops at the Reuse Hub focused on textile arts and creative reuse. Participants can learn skills such as mending, weaving, appliqué, printmaking, fabric scrap art, and textile bead-making while contributing to the community installation. No prior experience is required, and all are welcome to participate.
The completed artwork, texTILES, will be featured in It's Not Trash: Reclaiming and Transforming, an exhibition presented by the Petaluma Arts Center in partnership with Recology San Francisco and Santa Rosa. “Textile waste is one of the top items found in our landfills, but every discarded item still holds value,” says Joanne Wang, Outreach Manager of Reuse Alliance. “Through texTILES, we're inviting people to rethink what we throw away and discover the creative potential hidden in materials that already exist.”
Community members who attend a Reuse Alliance workshop or volunteer with the organization are eligible to contribute artwork to the installation. Submissions must be created using reused textiles and fit within a 12-inch by 12-inch format. Artists are welcome to submit multiple pieces, and all contributors will be credited as collaborators in the final artwork. Artwork submissions are due at the Reuse Hub by 6:00 p.m. on Aug. 28, 2026.
Following the exhibition, the completed installation will be auctioned to support Reuse Alliance's educational programs and community initiatives. For more information about workshops, volunteering opportunities, or participation guidelines, contact reusehub@reusealliance.org or visit https://www.reusealliance.org/events/textiles.
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