Art Supplies and Community Interface at The Creative Reuse

The scrappy dolls greet you at the door. With their frizzy hair and wildly diverse outfits, these diminutive characters are representatives for The Creative Reuse, a Port Hadlock shop in a class by itself. 

The place is an organized wonderland. Stoked by people who donate all manner of materials, The Creative Reuse opened five months ago this week, with owners Aran Galligan and Stephanie Selle taking a chance on their ideas and hopes. Their mission is to reduce waste and support the creative community, according to https://thecreativereuse.com. That site provides abundant information about donating art materials and shopping at the shop, which is in the Kivley Center at 97 Oak Bay Road in Port Hadlock. 

The Creative Reuse is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and can be reached at hello@thecreativereuse.com. 

“The store has been doing better than we expected,” said Galligan, an educator and artist who moved to Jefferson County in 2024. 

Then Galligan gave a reporter the lay of the reuse land. There’s the fiber art section, which includes fabric remnants from interior design firms. Galligan goes to Seattle about once a month to glean them. These are fabrics that run $300 to $400 per yard, they said; at The Creative Reuse, remnants go for $5 to $10 per yard. 

Then there’s the section for shoppers who work in two-dimensional art forms: drawing, painting and so forth. This is also known as 2-D, so there’s a mascot, “Tudi,” holding a painter’s palette and watching over everything.

Close by is a tall file cabinet of curiosities. These are the “UFOs,” or unfinished objects. Donated by artists, they could be sources of inspiration for other makers, or simply works of art that are just fine in their incompleteness. 

Another part of the store is called the “hunt and peck” area. Beads, jewelry parts, small containers, tiles and the “bauble hunt” drawers—“name your price”—are found here. 

Circling back to the front door, one discovers the Artcade, a big, see-through box filled with tiny things Galligan has made, along with miniature comic books created by staffer Austin Hunter. 

That’s just a whirlwind overview. The Creative Reuse is a testament to Galligan and Selle’s vision—and to their ability to turn objects from people’s craft rooms, drawers, closets and art studios into an orderly emporium. Both have run their own businesses before this. Both dreamed of bringing the county’s creative community together.  

The seed was planted last Christmas. Selle and Galligan went looking for a Christmas tree. Galligan got to thinking out loud about a shop that provided second-hand art supplies, to send those materials into artists’ hands instead of into the landfill. 

“Stephanie said, ‘I would do that with you,’” Galligan recalls. 

The journey began. Galligan and Selle started planning in earnest and seeking a place for the shop. 

“I researched who owned all of the buildings [in Port Hadlock],” said Galligan. They contacted the owner of the Kivley Center and learned that Washington State University Extension would soon be vacating a space there. Galligan describes that space as “perfect.”  

Yet, as The Creative Reuse pair began spreading the word about the store’s model of gathering donated art materials and selling them at thrift-shop prices, those donations were slow to come in. 

“We wanted to open right away,” Galligan said, “because we were bootstrapping, paying out of pocket” to cover basic expenses. Their lease began April 1. They planned to open in mid-May. But two weeks before that, the stuff Galligan and Selle had gathered thus far was not saleable.

“What are we going to do?” they asked each other. 

Then Linda walked in. She was a lifelong beader, had a dazzling collection of materials, and was about to move. Linda asked if Selle and Galligan could come pick up her stuff. 

“That was a turning point,” said Galligan. Linda’s considerable donation would be the impetus for The Creative Reuse’s debut. 

“We all cried,” Galligan said. Because of Linda, she and Selle went from “Oh, s__t, what are we doing?” to “We got this.” 

Since Linda’s entrance, supplies, materials, treasures and gifts have flowed forth. Galligan and Selle arrange pickups and accept drop-offs at the store. From time to time—including now through October 20—they pause acceptance of donations. 

Categories of supplies at The Creative Reuse range from materials for paper and book arts, sewing and jewelry to toys, games, containers and classroom materials. General craft supplies, vintage collectibles and industrial materials may also be donated. 

Art and supplies, naturally, come with stories and emotions. Galligan and Selle meet artists who work in multiple media, on multiple projects large and small, and “there’s been a lot of life stuff,” Galligan said. 

This summer, Selle confronted a major life challenge. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment, including chemotherapy. 

Selle “has been told her diagnosis is very treatable and curable, though the road ahead will be tough,” according to The Creative Reuse’s website and Instagram page. Selle has continued working in the shop two days a week while undergoing chemo. 

Galligan and Selle both marvel at the response they’ve seen. Donors and shoppers have expressed their hopes for The Creative Reuse: “I just want you to do well,” said Todd, a donor from Port Ludlow. 

“People come in because they don’t know what [the shop] is. They want to get the vibe of it,” said Galligan.

They added that local artists have made significant donations. When these makers share their stories, “I’m just blown away by their lives,” Galligan said.  

Correction: An earlier version of this article had Stephanie’s last name incorrect.