What: Debut of products upcycled by students from the College of Visual Arts and Design at the University of North Texas
When: 4-6 p.m.Nov. 12 (Thursday)
Where: Denton County Friends of the Family Thrift Store, 1614 W. University Drive, Denton
What else: Some items made by the students will also be auctioned at Rhapsody in the Afternoon, the organization's annual fundraising event scheduled for May 2016.
DENTON (UNT), Texas – Design students at the University of North Texas are completing a class project by upcycling products while helping out the Denton County Friends of the Family.
The students from the College of Visual Arts and Design will debut their products from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 12 (Thursday) at the Denton County Friends of the Family Thrift Store, 1614 W. University Drive. Proceeds will benefit the organization, which provides services to those impacted by rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
The Design II course students, under the direction of associate professor of studio arts James Thurman, have participated in the project for two years. The students purchase items at the thrift store, then take them apart and reimagine them into other products. The students then donate their creations back to the thrift store to sell.
Not only do students design a piece for class, Thurman said, "It gives them a sense of the impact of their work in the real world."
Some students may start with the idea of a backpack or a laptop case and hunt for items to use at the thrift store. Other participants are more intuitive and are drawn to a piece at the store that they may transform as a stuffed toy or other product.
"There's been some wonderfully crafted items," Thurman said. "Students also come up with a narrative to them."
For example, one student created a "pajama monster backpack," which was made out of pajamas and shaped as a face, for a child to use for sleepovers.
The project, part of a required foundations course in 3D design, lets the students try different type of experiments that use many materials and tools, Thurman added. Students also get a taste of what it's like to work with a client – an experience they will often face in their future careers.
"It gives them a sense of that process – who that client might be, how do you make the products well enough to be used at retail without falling apart," Thurman said.
Some items will be selected for auction items at Rhapsody in the Afternoon, the organization's annual fundraising events schedule for May 2016.
Eva Sombathy, the thrift store manager for Denton Friends of the Family, said the organization is grateful for the art students' involvement.
"It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved last year," she said. "We look forward to the student's creativity."