SCRAP Sells Art Without Scraping the Budget

Sustainable shop offers Bay Area artists an outlet

Picture it as an art thrift store, where you can find pretty much anything of any kind relating to the arts for an incredible price. 

From parts of dusty, broken frames to old, beaten paint brushes, every square inch of SCRAP is covered in some kind of used material that surely could be reused.

If you are taking a trip to San Francisco and have a few hours to spare, and no money, visit SCRAP to become inspired.

The places oozes sustainability, making it perfect for the environmentally-conscious—or those who want to seem that way on Instagram. 

SCRAP is a “creative reuse depot” that accepts art donations Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open for business Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. 

It is located in the worn-in Bayview District of San Francisco in a typical diamond of the rough old, dusty World War II-era warehouse. 

This 40-year-old depot sees piles of used art every day that is donated by the people of San Francisco, SCRAP takes in these materials to provide for those who cannot afford new art supplies, such as children in need and teachers who want to liven up their students’ lives. 

Depot organizers then divide these items by materials, creating jumbled sections dedicated to notebooks, yarn, metals to even buttons, beads, old photographs and more. 

Co-founded by Anne Marie Theilien, this non-profit aims to help education, the environment, the arts and workforce development. 

By providing supplies to teachers—giving new life to what would otherwise rot in a trash heap—and creating steady jobs in one of San Francisco’s needier neighborhoods, SCRAP offers a welcome opportunity for those looking to have fun with art who happen to lack big bucks. 

The prices are so shocking that an aspiring, anatomy-obsessed artist can buy the legs of a mannequin for $25. Even on a Monday afternoon, there are great deals to be found. The prices are especially perfect for the student artist. 

On a good day, you can find two old notebooks, fake pearls, paintbrushes and a glass palette for a mere $10. Purchases that would hit the $100 mark at other art shops cost a tenth of the price at SCRAP.

All the interesting items in SCRAP beg to be used and transformed into something new. 

Just being in the store excites the mind and urges creativity. 

According to those who frequent this dusty depot, the best time to visit is first thing in the morning on a donation day in order to nab the newest drop-offs before the afternoon crowd. 

Local San Franciscan art student Sydney Vazquez did just that and ended up with a flexible palette knife.

The best part about SCRAP is that it offers free workshops to educate students in need in the arts, offering customers the opportunity to enjoy a good deal and support a good deed in the process. 

SCRAP also provides an online form that anyone can fill out if they want to teach their own art class, making the store a truly community-driven enterprise.

On a misty Monday afternoon, the shop bustled with people. An elderly woman packed her car full with boxes of old supplies,  and a mom helped her son find the perfect paintbrush. SCRAP gives artists young and old a place to convene. 

Whether you’re a struggling artist, an art teacher hoping to provide their students with a colorful in-class activity, or just someone looking to get inspired, SCRAP is an sustainable location to visit and explore. 

There is so much to offer that you will surely find something if you look hard enough. 

Be sure to bring a bag with you, though you’ll find it so hard to stop collecting cheap materials that you might want to bring a whole truck.