By Amanda Galloway
special correspondent

Beginning on July 2, the Art6 gallery on East Broad Street will be featuring two distinct and innovative shows that prove that being green is as fashionable and creative as ever.

The first of the two shows, Worn Again, will be shown Friday from 7 to 10 pm, and will feature recycled fashion from 27 local designers.  “We have many professionals and some amateurs that want to try their hand at runway fashion, and many succeed above and beyond,” Midlothian resident Mitzi Humphrey, the founder of Art6 said.

In its seventh year, Worn Again is a juried runway show, in which designers create new, wearable projects from cast-off clothing and materials.  Although any artist can enter, only the best of the recycled masterpieces make it past the Worn Again jury, which chose the final pieces for the showcase on June 27.  Those selected will be judged in a final runway style show at Art6, in the July 2 Cast-Off Couture Showcase.

While Worn Again aims to promote sustainability and creativity, it also hopes to make a difference in the community.  The proceeds from the show benefit Books on Wheels, a Richmond based non-profit organization that brings free books and free bicycle repair to low income communities, in both the Richmond area and throughout the country.     

Books also plays a pivotal role in the second show featured at Art6, an art exhibit dubbed “Unbound”. 

The Unbound exhibit will feature creations born out of used, cast-off books.  The gallery-ready pieces will be included alongside Worn Again’s fashion, in an effort to take the combined themes of recycling, sustainability, and creativity to a new level. 

Even so, the two exhibits are not mutually exclusive.

“One woman did not pick up her old clothes [from Worn Again], so she decided to make her clothing out of old books,” Humphrey explained. 

Other pieces, already submitted, echo this wild creativity, as one artist created a hatchet out of old books.  Even the Art6 gallery is taking advantage of the theme, as the Worn Again runway was partially constructed out of books.

“The show is not just about recycling,” Humphrey said. “The creative twist is really what draws people in.”

Humphrey, who founded Art Space, the gallery that become Art6, 16 years ago, hopes the proceeds from Unbound will keep the gallery open, allowing for future exhibits that push the creative envelope.  Due to current economic conditions, Art6, like many local galleries, is struggling to remain open.

“I love this building and I want to stay here,” Humphrey said.  “The location is so versatile. We have dance groups, stand up comedy, and a capella concerts here.  The acoustics are great for musicians - the sound reverberates off of our skylights.”

Humphrey hopes that this versatility will offer a perfect creative backdrop for Worn Again and Unbound. 

“The Unbound altered book exhibit…and the Worn Again fashion extravaganza…are two examples of the artistic magic and magnificence that Art6 Gallery brings to Richmond,” Eileen Abbott, an Art6 board member and participant in Worn Again said. “Art is delight and happiness for the eyes, soul, and brain. Art6 is a gem for our area because it brings that special sparkle of joy and sunshine and inner serenity that enhances people’s lives, minds, and spirits.”

Unbound with run from July 2 – July 30.  The Worn Again fashion show will take place on July 2, beginning at 7 pm.  Tickets are $5 at the door, and donations are welcome.

Art6 is located at 6 East Broad Street in Richmond.  Regular hours include Saturday from 12 – 4 pm and every first Friday of the month, from 6 – 10 pm.