alamodeus

What does your city do with the used street banners left over from conventions, events and city celebrations? With a city that is a major convention and tourist destination, San Antonio's creative community has found a way to upcycle the flood of used, vinyl tourism banners that grace downtown streetposts. There is a new art project that is turning tons of the vinyl advertising messages into shopper bags, aprons and other resourceful items for a good cause. What was once discarded as trash is now a valuable commodity aimed at funding the restoration of a local icon.



The Women's Pavilion at Hemisfair Park developed the 3C Project (named in honor of creativity, community and collaboration) to provide the non-profit organization with restoration funds for the deteriorating 1968 World's Fair pavilion. The building, an architecturally, historically and culturally significant public venue, was built to honor women's contributions to the world.



Each week, the group hosts an open-to-the-public 'drop-in design studio' at the Architecture Foundation San Antonio's Center for Architecture in the historic Pearl Brewery on Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. The volunteer-supported sessions give everyone an opportunity help the 3C Project by placing and cutting patterns that will be sewn into fund-raising items.



This project helps more than just the Women's Pavilion. It also provides sewing jobs to the Fuerza Unida sewing co-op, an organization formed by local women garment workers who were displaced when their jobs were outsourced to other countries. Adding to the value of the project is the environmental conservation resulting from lessening the burden on landfills.




The 3C Project is a win-win for the community, winning the 2010 Downtown Alliance Best Award for Best Art Recycling Project in San Antonio.

How can you become a part of this project to bring the Women's Pavilion back to life? Come and cut on Saturdays from 9am to 4pm through November 20, or visit the sale day at Pearl on Saturday, November 27 and purchase some of the unique goods created by Alamo City residents.