X-it is an Artists' Materials Reuse Center located at the Catskill Mountains Artisans' Guild in Margaretville, NY.
Over the past few months, the Guild has been collecting and cataloguing donated items. Now the community arts space at the back of the showroom is lined with bins full of a constantly changing stock of unique arts and crafts materials. This is a valuable resource for artists and artisans in the area, who generally have to drive an hour or more to buy art supplies. X-it provides a way to source materials locally, and everything is priced at 50% of retail.
"Artists are great collectors," says Jill Cline, Director of the Guild. "They wind up with too much stuff, but many of these items are too valuable to donate to a thrift store."
The Guild splits proceeds with the artists, who earn money on valuable materials they no longer need, as well as clearing out their studios for new projects. The Guild, in turn, has found a way to support the community arts space, where it offers arts programming for the public. After the new year, there will be X-it workshops designed around the materials. For instance, an artisan might bring in sewing machines and help people create crafts with treasures found in the bins.
Yarns of all types, from acrylic to wool, have been a popular item at X-it. There are paper and stamping supplies, vintage books and magazines, jewelry findings, buttons and more. The most recent arrival is a truckload of brand new designer upholstery fabric.
The gallery at the Guild is a wonderful place to find one-of-a-kind, handmade items created by local artisans. There is always something new to behold and that's especially true now, since 10 new artists joined the gallery in the past month.
The Catskill Mountains Artisans Guild is located in the Commons Building at 785 Main Street in Margaretville. The store is open 10 am to 5 pm every day, including Sunday. Look for extended holiday hours in December.
For more information, or if you would like to donate or sell materials through X-it, call 845-586-3443.