For every guest in the store, there’s a story behind why they are here, from projects large and small to no project at all (just stopping by to see what is in or to chat with the community).

Earlier this month, we learned that ReBuilding Center regular, Jane, was stopping into our store to pick up plexiglass for a printmaking event at Atelier Meridian later that evening. About a week later, we found ourselves in the 1,200-square-foot studio, learning about the art of printmaking and how reclaimed materials, resourcefulness, and passion have helped to make Atelier Meridian possible.

Atelier Meridian is a working print studio and artist community. Jane Pagliarulo co-founded Atelier Meridian over 13 years ago. The Atelier has been located in the Boise-Eliot neighborhood since it was founded and is currently located at River Street Studios. Right on the Willamette River, you’ll find print makers working, collaborating, and mingling at any time of day.

Jane has been shopping at the ReBuilding Center for years, first wandering in after the cob structure of our community trees caught her attention. “As an environmentalist, I do what I can to have as little of a negative impact on the planet as I can,” Jane explained. “As an artist, the affordability of the reclaimed materials is always a bonus.”

Jane demonstrated the use of a rosin box for etching, which she built from salvaged materials.

From larger projects, like a rosin box and a vacuum solvent table, to smaller projects, like the shelving used for storing ink, every corner of the Atelier is inhabited by reclaimed materials. Being a self-taught builder, Jane has been able to use her skills and the resources of the community to customize a studio.

The circular life of reclaimed materials is full of meaning. A flat file cabinet may live in a school, then a home, then a community art studio like Atelier Meridian; its usefulness being appreciated instead of forgotten in a landfill. By prioritizing reuse, we’re not only keeping materials from the landfill—together, we’re also preventing the huge environmental impacts caused by the production and consumption of new materials.