Kevin O’Brien Studio and The Resource Exchange have been teaming up to keep textiles out of the waste stream for over a decade! KOB is a home furnishings and textiles company, producing pillows, quilts, duvets, rugs, and a variety of other items all made from start to finish in Philadelphia. Angela Vosburgh, KOB’s Chief Operating Officer and Creative Director, found our nonprofit creative reuse center when we first started saving materials from films, theatres, and local businesses in the Navy Yard back in 2011!
We’re always trying to find new ways to repurpose the remnants left over from our pillow and scarf production. We make patched pillows, colorblocked pillows, and one-of-a-kind stuffed animals from the remnants but as our company grows, it becomes more challenging to find ways to repurpose the waste. Donating these remnants allows others to be creative and allows us to continue producing knowing the scraps are going to good homes.
-Angela Vosburgh
The most recent donation of velvet totaled 25 bags and over 335 pounds. Kevin O’Brien even dropped the donation off himself!
Over the last decade, we’ve seen our community of artists, makers, designers, and educators fall in love with the unique magical quality of Kevin O’Brien textiles. Every piece is truly one of a kind. From luxuriously plush solids, to painted metallics, and intricate burnout designs, we’re honored to keep these remnants from ever going to waste.
Pictured below are just a very small fraction of the hundreds of creative reuse projects that have incorporated KOB velvet from The Resource Exchange.
Watch Angela McQuillan, one of our previous featured gallery artists, as she shares how she incorporates elements of texture into her mixed media paintings using velvet remnants!
Shop velvet remnants in-store and bulk sold by the pound in our online shop!
Thank you Kevin O’Brien Studio for partnering with us to make these incredible textiles available to the community! This donation will enable countless creative projects to be made with high quality affordable materials.
Are you a local business or organization looking to donate reusable materials for creative reuse? We would love to hear from you! Contact us at info@theresourceexchange.org.
