Save Our Space: Arrow Needs Your Help

Hi! I’m Karlei “Re” Baker-Dietz, Founder and Director of Arrow Art Supply Inc, also known as Arrow Creative Reuse. Arrow is an art and craft supply thrift store in Springfield, Mo. Our mission as a nonprofit is to support the creative community by taking in donated materials and offering them to artists and educators at an affordable cost. We have been in operation for almost three years, diverting thousands of pounds of usable creative materials from the waste stream, providing supplies for those who may not be able to afford new materials, teaching a variety of classes, and hosting community events to enrich Springfield’s art scene. We are 90% run by local volunteers and rely on donations both monetary and material to operate.

Here’s where we need your help: The building that houses our Art Supply Thrift Store (ACR) is going up for sale in September. We have the opportunity to buy it, and we aim to do so to secure Arrow’s future as a valuable community resource. To remain in our current location we need to raise enough money to make a reasonable offer for the amenities our building provides. However, our needs may change as the endeavor gains more awareness. Our project has thankfully been successful to date and will only continue to grow with community support. This means we may need to find a larger and more accessible location to move the thrift store and event space (known as the Shoe Tree Listening Room at Arrow Art Annex) under one roof. We do not have a new location in mind at this time. So, our main building at 1506 E St. Louis street and annex building at 1342 E St Louis street are where we hope to stay. Please consider supporting this plan as it comes to fruition, whether we can remain in our current location after September, or grow into a new space. Our future depends on you and the funding we can raise. We encourage you to check out our website ArrowCreativeReuse.org and attend a class or catch a listening room show at the Shoe Tree. You can also make a contribution directly on our site under the donate tab, or simply come in to the shop and donate there. Every dime goes back into the community and keeps art and craft supplies affordable for those who need them. Thank you for your donation and desire to keep Arrow Art Supply Inc in operation through this transition. We can do this together, and it’s going to be fun every step of the way. Happy Reusing!