Marin friends begin non -profit organization in San Rafael – Marin Independent Journal

The inhabitants of Marin, Michelle Martinez and Crystal Vargas share a long -term friendship and a love of handicrafts. Vargas, an enthusiastic thrift, has produced detailed cards and handmade objects for years, while Martinez, a former ballet dancer who studied dance at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, went into the visual arts and discovered their healing properties.

For years they discussed something meaningful together, and at the end of 2023 they decided to choose. They had their jobs in the non -profit world – Vargas in a Berkeley organization that offers services for homelessness, and Martinez as Chief Financial Officer at the Redwoods in Mill Valley – to found their own non -profit organization: a place where they promote community, promote local artists and promote the objects from the depons.

In November, they made this reality with ATT – another recovered treasure of trash from trash can – opened a shop front in San Rafael, which is part of the second commercial and part of the place of art. They offer workshops for the production of art from everyday, recovered objects and offer cost -effective donated and recovered art launches as well as other objects that are kept from landfill deponies.

The business is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays to Sundays in 1033 C St. Vargas and Martinez also have an online Bay shop. You can find more information at arttca.org.

Vargas, a inhabitant of Kentfield, and Martinez, who lives in Greenbrae, took the time to think about their new company and their passion for art and environment.

Q What did you both inspire you to make this jump and start act?

Vargas: I was burned out during my job. I worked with the homeless people in Berkeley for years. I wanted to be closer to home and I wanted to do something that really enjoyed me.

Martinez: And the same for me. I was Chief Financial Officer for some really big non -profit organizations: the Bay Area Discovery Museum, the Redwoods and Hospice by the Bay. I really wanted to make a smaller non -profit organization in which I have more control over most things and spend my time in a way that I like. And bring this opportunity to other people in our community to find out what the art of healing is. It is like all the things I did in my life, all small lessons are used here.

Vargas: It is exciting to open our door every morning and go in and how, yes, we did it. I am very proud of it.

Q How are you aware of how much goes to the landfill?

Martinez: I really started researching and went to the website of Marin Sanitary Service and started reading some annual reports. For example, in 2023, 93 tons were sent to the landfill by Marin alone. You can't escape that. When we tried to save our environment, we were supporters of the non -profit organization in San Francisco called Scrap. We continued there and another place in Berkeley to buy our art requirements. We remembered that there was nothing like that in Marin.

We curate things that can either be converted into art during the workshops or are sold in the second hand environment so that other manufacturers can receive their supplies at low costs. We work with companies such as changing places, the settlement of seniors and birch circle Movers. For our first week, changing places had a huge real estate sale and they brought us 140 boxes of artificial needs from a person who has been a teacher for 30 years.

Q What are some of your favorite donations you have received?

Vargas: One came from an artist family from Marin. We had acquired a photo book from the Korean War. The grandfather was in the war. He was a journalist and he made a newsletter there. There were pictures of Marilyn Monroe when she took her tour and pictures of him with her. We looked through this book.

The other really interesting thing that most people who come here is that we adopted a family of life -size dolls. We actually have one in front of the store. We call him Melvin. Children love to see him.

Martinez: My favorite was when he was informed about a sales sale in Novato. We arrived there and they literally thrown things into the garbage container and pulled them out of the garbage container – amazing works of art. This woman was a crochet master, master protector of tops, master switch of pullovers. We brought it all back and were able to exhibit it, resell or resell them to people who will enjoy it. And it makes me happy because I don't know this woman, but when I spent my life to make this stuff, I would much prefer to think that people used it and enjoyed it than it went into a large blue dump.

Q Do you do two things you find in the donations?

Martinez: Oh yes, we're doing things all the time. We are just two people who run a complete business from strategy to caretaker services, but we did this and got involved because we were happier in life and wanted to solve some problems for our community. We take breaks and allow ourselves to just connect and play the hot glue gun.

I know how healing art was in my life and we only wanted a small corner of luck and joy in this turbulent time when we live. If we had to summarize the mission: less landfill, more art, more joy.

Vargas: I entered the board of the Downtown San Rafael Business Improvement District. After all, I would like to achieve more to other non -profit organizations that also help people who get into the minority category. My husband is from Mexico city and I am a Puertorican. I love folk art and its bright colors and brave lines. I hope to bring some of it into the community. I want everyone to be welcome in the community.

Originally published: February 26, 2025 at 5.13 p.m. PST