Milwaukee Artist and Educator Opens Creative Reuse Shop on the East Side
After 18 months of pop-ups, donations, and community events, Magic Hands Creative Reuse finds a home inside Studio B & Co.
MILWAUKEE, WI — August 2026 — Instead of letting usable art materials end up forgotten, discarded, or tucked away, Magic Hands Creative Reuse is giving them a second life. Local artist and educator Emily Downes is bringing her creative reuse project to Milwaukee’s East Side, creating a place where art materials can be redistributed and put back into creative hands – keeping supplies in circulation and making art more accessible along the way.
On Tuesday, August 25 from 2–7 p.m., Magic Hands will open its community-driven, secondhand art supply shop inside Studio B & Co., 2478 N. Murray Ave. in Milwaukee. The shop will offer affordable, gently used and new art and craft materials alongside the workshops, classes, and creative experiences offered through Studio B.
“As an educator and workshop leader, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when art materials become more accessible,” says Emily, founder of Magic Hands Creative Reuse. “People surprise themselves with what they can create when cost and access aren’t barriers. Taking something someone else might consider ‘trash’ and turning it into a treasure — that’s the magic I’ve always wanted Magic Hands to bring to the community.”
Making art accessible through creative reuse
The shop will offer painting and drawing supplies, fabric and sewing materials, paper, craft supplies, and other unique and unexpected finds. Located on Milwaukee’s East Side near schools and universities, Magic Hands aims to be a resource for students, educators, artists, and crafters looking for quality materials at a fraction of the cost of buying new.
The idea grew naturally from Emily’s 12+ years of leading hands-on art workshops through nonprofits, schools, after-school programs, local art studios, and community events. As a full-time educator at UW–Milwaukee, she has noticed how workshops and classrooms often have usable supplies left over and how costly it can be to purchase an entire package when a project only requires a small amount.
Her approach embraces a DIY mindset: using what is available, experimenting with everyday materials, and finding creative possibilities in things others might overlook. Emily’s commitment to sustainability began long before Magic Hands. She founded her high school’s first recycling club and has been thrifting, repurposing and upcycling materials for her own art practice since she was 16.
A creative partnership takes shape
The name Magic Hands originally grew out of Emily’s community art workshops around Milwaukee. She first met Amanda, owner of Studio B & Co., when she led a puppetry workshop for youth at the studio in summer 2025. A few months later, Amanda reached out with the idea for a partnership.
“It felt like such a natural fit,” says Emily. “Studio B is a community art space, and Magic Hands is a creative reuse art supply shop. Together, we can offer both the materials and the space to create, all under one roof. It really feels like the perfect next chapter for Magic Hands.”
Magic Hands will begin with a small, intentional schedule while Emily balances the shop with her work as a full-time educator and shares the space with Studio B. Hours will expand as the project grows.
Opening Day
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 2–7 p.m.
Studio B & Co.
2478 N. Murray Ave., Milwaukee, WI
Community members interested in donating materials can follow @magichands_creative_reuse on Instagram, on Facebook, or on the Magic Hands website for current donation guidelines, accepted materials, shop hours, and upcoming events. A donation bin is available outside Studio B & Co., allowing community members to drop off donations outside of shop hours as well. As a thank-you for supporting the project, donors receive 15% off a future Magic Hands purchase.
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