Turnip Green Creative Reuse in Nashville

Turnip Green Creative Reuse is a nonprofit arts organization in Nashville, registered as a 501(c)(3). It keeps usable materials out of landfills and passes them on to people who make things. Each day it takes in an average of 1,500 pounds of donated items that are hard to recycle, then sorts, organizes and redistributes them from the Creative Reuse Center at 1014 3rd Ave S, Nashville, TN 37210. You can call (615) 720-7480 or email hello@turnipgreencreativereuse.org.

The shop is the main draw. The Creative Reuse Center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 4:30pm, and it uses a pay what you can pricing model. The shelves cover a wide range: art and craft supplies like paints, brushes, canvases and clay; fabric, yarn and sewing notions; paper and office supplies; and miscellaneous items such as egg cartons, bottle caps, popsicle sticks and wine corks. There is also a media section with vinyl records, cassette tapes and cameras, and a home improvement section with scrap wood, tile and paint.

If you want to donate, drop-off hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 2:00pm, or by appointment. Items need to be clean, safe and pre-sorted in boxes or bags, and the staff can turn away anything that does not meet their guidelines. For questions about materials, email hello@turnipgreen.org. The Artist Marketplace follows the same opening hours as the shop and sells work by local and regional reuse artists. A piece must be made mostly from reused materials, and each one is individually priced. Artists keep 70% of each sale. Featured artists include Pastel Livi Creations, Valentina Harper, Just For You Candle Co. and The Patch Up. Rot Revive, a clothing business founded in 2020 after quarterly clothing swaps, sells handmade fabric bags and baseball caps at Turnip Green.

The Workshops & Studio program runs skill-based classes led by local artists, either as series or one-off sessions. Stained Glass for Beginners with Cheri Tapp and Book & Tablet Sleeves with Jill Anderson both run from November 1 to December 6. On November 7 there is Sashiko Mending with the Nashville Nature Explorers and a beginner crochet class, Vining Plants, with Sasha Smardak. The studio can also be rented for birthdays and other events, and the organization hosts free workshops for low-vision participants with the TN Disability Coalition, using high contrast glasses and touch dots. The Winter Market takes place on December 3 from 5pm to 8pm with more than 30 artist and local business vendors. A $5 donation gets you a warm drink, a sweet treat and access to the shop. Vendor applications are open until November 6. Monthly supporters can join the Sustainable Supporters Program, which starts at $5 per month.