SPENCERTOWN, NY-Second Time Around: Hats and Purses from Recycled Goods will
on view at the Spencertown Academy through August 10. For this exhibit artists from the Berkshire Taconic region are creating fashions using materials from land fills, thrift shops and tag sales in inventive new ways

The work is an expression of personal style as well as an environmental response to consumerism.

Marlene Marshall transforms lampshades into a flunky yet chic hat with matching purse. Mimi Krysiak recycled her wedding gown into several different accessories. Tracy DelSimone reworked a cigar box into a usefu1 purse. Cristina French's thrift shop sweaters are felted and stitched into a backpack. Maddie Futterman's aprons from the forties found in flea markets are handsewn into purses.

Painter Ruth Kolbert paints a second hand purse into a wearable art piece. Gege Kingston turns soda cans and baling wire into hats. Risha Meledandri works straws, shells, feathers, sticks and bones into a sorcerer's bag.

Other artist-designers exhibiting are Jill Schwartz, Ron Ronan, Joan Sussman and Reggie Madison. Janet Cooper is the guest curator.