The WE ART THE PEOPLE FOLK FESTIVAL 2011 was terrific!!!!! I had several people, both vendors and attendees tell me that this was the best organized year ever for the festival. Also heard some folks say this is their favorite Abq. festival!! This is a great mid September tradition for OFFCenter and hopefully will be for years to come. The kids area was hopping all day long with beautiful hats and pin wheels emerging from the art making tent, children having fun with hula hoops, and being thoroughly entertained by Pink Elephant and Clan Tynker! The group paper tube sculpture and giant coloring book/painting canvases were great.... can't wait to see the new OFFBags made from the canvas. Come shop for one in the OFFCenter retail shop in the studio! I got a fantastic henae design on my entire arm and enjoyed seeing lots of lovely painted faces walking all around the park. Thanks to all the dancers and musicians too for creating such a festive day. It's a gift to see all the art vendors and witness the enormous variety of creativity in our community. Yea for Chami and all the other folks who worked so hard to make the 2011 We Art the People Folk Festival happen so wonderfully! Better and better each year :) Hope to see lots of fun 2011 Folk Fest pictures here and on the website soon!

OFFCenter Artists Celebrate Recyled Art and the Earth!

Visit the OFFCenter booths as we celebrate this year's Co-op Earth-Fest theme: "Making Change" at:

The Co-op’s Annual
Celebrate the Earth Festival
Sunday, April 25,
10am-6pm
BEHIND THE NOB HILL CO-OP, ON SILVER STREET BETWEEN CARLISLE AND TULANE
For a schedule of events, artists, musicians and more visit www.lamontanita.coop

Then venture across Central to see OFFCenter Artists Marcia Sednek and Susan Tische at
The 4th Annual Nob Hill Recycled
ART SHOW
SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 10-5PM SPONSORED BY MASKS Y MAS FURNITURE,
OUTSIDE AT 111 CARLISLE NE, AT COPPER
more info at http://www.dukecityfix.com/events/4th-annual-nob-hill-recycle

Thanks to the Co-op, Kenny Chavez & Kiko Torres for inviting OFFCenter artists who reuse materials in innovative ways!

OFFBags at Form & Function - 516 Arts

The OFFCenter artists and designers, who created and continue to make OFFBags, are being recognized for their work for exploring sustainability, reuse, decoration and innovation in designs and production of these one-of-a-kind, unique creations at 516 Arts' Form & Function exhibit.

OFFCenter will be at 516 Arts with about a dozen other artists and designers showing work in this vein. There will be a selection of OFFBags (made from recycled materials, lovingly gathered by OFFCenter artists) available for purchase at FORM & FUNCTION. Also at the exhibit, the new satchel models will be unveiled and available for purchase. Proceeds from sales will mostly benefit OFFCenter with a small amount to benefit 516 Arts, a non-profit whose vision "is to be an active partner in developing Albuquerque's cultural landscape...and offers programs that inspire curiosity, dialogue, risk-taking and creative experimentation, showcasing a mix of established, emerging, local, national and international artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds." We're proud that 516 Arts has chosen OFFCenter as one of their many collaborative partners toward achieving these goals.

FORM & FUNCTION
Exhibit at 516 Arts, 516 Central, SW
Public Opening Reception: Saturday, February 6, 6-8pm 516 Arts Member Preview: 5-6, Music by Soul Calypso
Artists: AREAWARE, Eliana Arenas, Angelo Arnold, ART GENS, Roger Atkins, Julia Barello, Sonya Cramer, Roberto Gallegos, Welmoed Laanstra, Cal Lane, Maria Michails, OFFCenter, Beth Rekow, Joan Weissman

Take OFF! with your OFFBag (c)

Shopping ~ Travelling ~ For Work or Play~

Every OFFBag is totally unique, made with recycled materials,
lovingly gathered by OFFCenter artists.

You can get your unique OFFBag in Albuquerque and Santa Fe:

OFFCenter Shop 505-247-1172

808 Park Ave SW ~ 8th & Central SW Downtown ABQ

Mama's Minerals 505-266-8443

1100 San Mateo NE at Lomas ~ Ace Courtyard, ABQ

Earthprints

100 E. San Francisco at La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe

Visit OFFCenter for edgy, cool, handmade & affordable gifts

The OFFBag

Hello all OFFCenter folks! Yesterday I was OFF to do errands on my bike wearing my handy dandy OFFbag! It was perfect to hold whatever I was hauling OFF to the post office, etc. - and its diagonal strap keeps it from falling OFF my shoulder! Are you OFF to town with your OFFbag? I hope so! See all the new available OFFbags at OFFCenter, new sizes too!

OFFBags - the hottest thing in recycled fashion

Above, Molly models an OFFBag portfolio constructed of recycled plastic bags and packaging.

Be on the breaking edge of the OFFBag fashion movement! Stop by and see our current selection of OFFBags on display in the OFFCenter Shop.

The OFFBag Exclusively at OFFCenter

Here's a sturdy, recycled market bag developed by OFFCenter for OFFCenter -- and for you!
Drop by the studio to see what's in stock. They go too quickly to photograph each one . . .

Marcie models a medium sized OFFBag.

These market bags are so roomy and unique -- made almost exclusively ofrecycled plastic bags by a few of our studio artists. Prices range from $30 to $40 and we're selling these bags almost as quickly as we can make them.

Marcie tells me that it takes 100 years for ONE of the plastic bags in this OFFBag to break down. That's why so much of our art at OFFCenter is recycled -- we want to reduce, reuse, and raise funds for OFFCenter!