The CUCCR held an art market to keep the resource alive.
The seventh floor of the Hall building was buzzing with chatter on Nov. 19 as the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) held a market fundraiser in an attempt to save the organization from shutting down.
Dozens of stands showcased Concordia University students selling various handmade art pieces and wellness products, filling the room next to the temporary greenhouse. Most pieces on sale at the market were made from recycled materials provided by the CUCCR.
The CUCCR collects the “trash” from all departments at Concordia and makes it available for students to grab for all types of purposes.
“It might be dishes, it might be tables, costumes, decorations,” said Ryan Assakir, the Arts & Science Federation of Associations’ (ASFA) finance coordinator and member of the Students for the Centre for Creative Reuse (SFCUCCR). “It helps a lot with the university’s sustainability quota, and it is also the first university reuse centre in Canada, so it’s a lot of things that would be bad to lose.”
All proceeds from sales made at the market were donated to the organization as a way to raise funds, as Concordia has not yet decided whether to renew the contract of the CUCCR’s workers nor their designated space in a time of austerity measures.
“We want to raise funds, but also awareness about the CUCCR’s precarious situation,” explained Assakir. “We want to show the administration that students do care about this initiative.”
The market was also a way for the SFCUCCR to amass signatures for the appeal to save the CUCCR. Assakir said that they have obtained over 2000 signatures so far.
The SFCUCCR was pleased with the turnout at the market. Within the first couple of hours, they amassed over $1000. Assakir explained that one of the market’s goals was to reach the engineering students who may not know about the initiative but can strongly benefit from it, as the CUCCR donates computers, monitors, mouses, and other technological equipment.
Claire Connolly, a ceramics major, and Grace Haycock, an art education student, held a booth at the market. They sold handmade prints, ceramic necklaces, collages, recycled dreads and paints, polymer clay, and paintings. Most of their pieces were made out of recycled materials. They chose to participate in the art market to help save the CUCCR.
“It’s a really good opportunity for us to help with the cause and to market our art,” said Connolly.
Students walked from booth to booth, speaking to the artists and buying themselves little treats or doing some sustainable Christmas shopping. Zoë Heffring and Oliver Gullikson, both students at Concordia, heard about the market through their close friends who work at the CUCCR and through social media. They came to check it out and support the cause.
“I love an art market; it’s my favourite thing,” said Gullikson. “It’s really nice to see the generosity and community care coming out to support this resource that we all love and want to protect.”
Heffring and Gullikson both study scenography. They explained that they constantly use the materials provided by the CUCCR for their projects. Gullikson added that without this resource, most of their projects would not have been achievable. Plexiglass is one material they were able to get for free from the CUCCR, which would have been very expensive to buy otherwise.
“I think it goes beyond being a great resource for fine arts students,” said Heffring. “It’s also a wonderfully creative recycling initiative. I think if the school cares about sustainability at all, they should put money towards a resource like that.”
A previous version of this article stated that Concordia had decided not to renew the CUCCR’s contract. This was incorrect: the university has not yet made a decision about the contract. The Concordian apologizes for this error.
