(PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ) -- Love to thrift? West Windsor Arts is hosting a unique thrift-style art supply sale on Saturday, August 16, 2025 featuring new and gently used art materials. The sale, called Eco-Art Exchange: Thrift, Create, Repeat!, encourages sustainability, nurtures creativity and boosts community. It's also just a lot of fun to see what you might find.
“This sale really aligns with the mission of West Windsor Arts—that art is for everyone,” says Raina Pahade, who is organizing the event for the arts center. “Art supplies can be very expensive, especially high-quality, durable ones. This makes it hard for many people to pursue their artistic interests. Cost can be a big barrier to making art.”
West Windsor Arts is inviting artists, students, educators and anyone interested in creating art to stop by the arts center and browse an array of materials—from paints and brushes to paper, fabric, tools and more. Items are not priced. “You pay what you wish,” adds Raina.
The arts center is seeking donations of new or gently used items for the sale. Donations will be accepted on Saturday, August 9th from 10:00am to 3:00pm, at West Windsor Arts (952 Alexander Road) in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. Donors are asked to bring clean, usable supplies in categories including paints (oil, acrylic, gouache, watercolor), drawing tools, calligraphy inks, brushes, sketchbooks, easels and craft materials—while excluding broken, heavily used, toxic or damaged items.
“This is an opportunity to keep art materials out of the landfill and in the studios of local artists while also supporting the arts and education programs at West Windsor Arts,” adds Aylin Green, Executive Director of West Windsor Arts.
For more information, or to view a list of suggested items to donate, visit this page.
“What I love most about this event is that it encourages sustainability as well as inclusivity. We’ll have a scale there, so people can see not only how much money they’re saving, but also how many pounds of materials they’ve diverted from the landfill. That was something we did last year, when we hosted the event with a partner organization, Propagate Studio in Stewartsville, NJ. It was such a hit last year, as well as the ‘pay-as-you-wish’ option, that we brought them back.”
“You may come across a new product or material you hadn’t thought of using, and it sparks something within you. Most importantly, it makes otherwise expensive materials affordable to all. Everyone deserves the ability to create,” Raina says.
Eco-Art Exchange: Thrift, Create, Repeat takes place on Saturday, August 16 from 10:00am to 3:00pm.
West Windsor Arts offers art and cultural events, workshops and classes for all ages and in all disciplines at its art center and in the community. For more information, call 609.716.1931 or visit westwindsorarts.org.