Books, fabric and water bottles all received new life during the Mattapoisett Free Public Library’s “RE-ART: Recycled Art Show ”reception on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Textile artist Julane Soares creates jackets, vests hats and more with repurposed Kantha quilts. 

Soares said that she sources the quilts from Ocean State Job Lot; she spreads the fabric out on her ping pong table at home and starts imagining what it could turn into. 

“I keep coming up with different things,” said Soares. “I get bored with one thing and decide to try something else.”

Soares sells her creations at her shop called Ruhe by Julane. According to Soares, proceeds from her shop support economic empowerment of women in Mahapura, India.

According to the library director Jennifer Jones, this was the second annual RE-ART: Recycled Art Show that challenged local artists to create an art piece using 75% recycled materials.

“We started the first show last year, we had a few entrants and it was interesting to see the variety of stuff that we got,” said Jones. “This year we have even more variety.”

The Recycled Art Show was created by the Mattapoisett Sustainability Partnership, which aims to provide resources for residents to learn about sustainability, zero waste living and climate change.

Artist Eileen Gaffey Paccia created a purse using a vintage book she got for free at a book sale.

“It just seemed like a good use for a book,” she said. “I am always looking for ways to repurpose things…we are faced with a crisis of consumerism so we have to put the brakes on, we have to use what already exists.”