The closing reception is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today at the Brimstone Museum and Henning Cultural Center, 923 S. Ruth St. in Sulphur. The 22 pieces of art on display at the Brimstone will be auctioned off to benefit Care Help of Sulphur.

Brimstone Assistant Director Kat Godsey said the museum and Care Help often collaborate, especially around the holidays, for the annual Christmas Under the Oaks festival and Holiday House shopping event. Care Help creates its Christmas shop in the museum’s annex building, and the Brimstone gets to “nab all the coolest decorations and goodies.” But the expansive outreach programs of Care Help, such as crisis assistance, the food pantry, and Backpack Blessings, are the main reason the Brimstone loves to partner with them, Godsey said.

To bring charity to the summer months, Godsey and Executive Director Thom Trahan conceived the idea to ask local artists to repurpose donated art pieces from Care Help. In this “win-win” partnership, the museum would be able to pay the participating artists with leftover grant funding and Care Help would receive donations from the silent auction sales.

Each artist who contributed to the exhibit creatively reimagined one of the donated art pieces (old landscape paintings, mass-produced prints) into brand-new, innovative artworks.

“The concept to repurpose artwork came from seeing the trends on TikTok, etc., where folks would add cartoon characters or monsters into landscapes. We pitched the idea to a few local artists, and before we knew it, the show was a hit,” Godsey said.

“From surreal mashups to humorous reworks and moving visual statements, the show is an exciting blend of repurposed art and fresh local talent.”

The arts of repurposing and collage are acts that begin with limitation and turn into possibility, she said.

“When artists begin with something that already exists, especially something discarded or overlooked, it challenges them to see beyond what’s in front of them. It’s not just about creating something new, it’s about reimagining something old, reshaping the story it tells.”

She called the process freeing for artists, especially those who have been in a creative drought. Since the canvas is not blank, they feel comfortable enough to “play, experiment, and rediscover their voice” in conversation with the reclaimed art’s past and the artist’s present.

Not only have some of the artists reignited their artistic practice, but some who don’t consider themselves artists have been emboldened to develop their own artistic identity, she noted.

“Nuts & Bolts: Thrifted Art Remade by Local Artists” created an accessible art experience for these local artists. In addition to being paid for their work, the art itself was created at little expense. The beauty of these reclaimed pieces shows that creativity does not have to come at a cost.

“The materials came from a local resale store, things anyone could find for just a few dollars or even less. That’s part of the beauty of this show: it proves you don’t need expensive supplies or formal training to make something meaningful. All you need is the willingness to look at something differently and take the leap to create,” she explained. “It reminds people that art isn’t about perfection. It’s about expression, experimentation, and connection.”

The participating artists are: Selvyn Bell, Angelle Boyette, Monette Bourque, Alma Carrera Irizarry, Artist Cid, Skylar Daniel, Alexandra Spears Desormeaux, Page Gardner, Godsey, Tivona Griffith, Torrey Guidry, Alana Jennings, Amanda J., Heather Kinsel, Ella LeJeune, Lori Marinovich, Brittany Manuel, Burn Rourk, Elanor Rourk, Ashley Royer, Christine Smith and Martha Ward.

The closing reception is free and open to the public.

The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.