Greenport arts fair: Going from trash to treasure

If you’re shopping for fish mobiles recycled from soda bottles or chairs fashioned from old wine barrels, the  Greenport Re-Creations Up-Cycled Arts Fair is the place to find them.

The one-day fair during Labor day weekend at Greenport High School on the North Fork will offer recycled and repurposed items, including handmade décor, furniture and crafts. “The artists at the fair will be using materials like wood and beach glass to make art or usable items,” says  Cathy DePasquale, 63, of Selden, whose name is on the company that coordinates the event.

DePasquale says upcycling isn’t simply transforming discarded materials into useful objects, but rather giving the items “a new lease on life.” Items for sale will range from jewelry made from wire, beach glass and stones to vintage china birdfeeders and birdhouses.

Greenport was selected as the location because it’s “the end of the Earth on Long Island” and “the name makes you think of green, which is associated with the Earth and recycling,” she says.

Artists such as Laurie Bohenek, of Port Jefferson, will be selling mobiles, which started out as her daughter’s school project and eventually turned into a family business. “The bright and colorful fish mobiles are designed with a wide variety of patterns like polka dots and stripes,” Bohenek says. “We are reusing soda bottles, which is great for the environment and every little bit helps.”

Patchogue-based artists Eva Callister and Robin Spigonardo will display antique teacups and teapots that were turned into birdhouses and birdfeeders. “We are giving these items another life. If a teacup has a chip on it, then it can turn into something wonderful for people and the environment to appreciate,” Callister says.

DePasquale says that upcycling also signifies objects turning into used, loved items that have a new story or personality. “It allows people to see how we can benefit the environment by reusing these products and to appreciate the value that they might have to offer and perhaps eliminate some of the stuff that’s filling up our landfills by giving it new life,” she says.