A downtown Las Vegas gallery is turning donation bins into gallery walls next Saturday, when dozens of local artists unveil work built entirely from thrifted, secondhand, and reclaimed materials. The UPcycle 2026 opening reception runs from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, and admission is free and open to all ages.
The reception takes place at Slonina ARTSpace, located at 901 E. Fremont St., Unit 174, according to a listing from Las Vegas Weekly. The show is presented in partnership with Goodwill of Southern Nevada, and the publication reports that Goodwill is sponsoring food and beverages for the opening event. Per the listing, UPcycle 2026 marks the third year Slonina ARTSpace has hosted the exhibition.
Thrift Finds Reimagined as Fine Art
The premise is straightforward but ambitious: Las Vegas artists take thrifted, secondhand, and reclaimed materials and transform them into original works of art, the Las Vegas Weekly listing notes. The resulting exhibition spans painting, sculpture, assemblage, mixed media, and fiber art, giving visitors a wide range of styles built from the same starting point of castoff goods. The opening reception itself doubles as a chance to see the finished show and meet the artists behind it, according to the same listing.
Exactly how many artists are participating depends on which source you check. The Las Vegas Weekly listing puts the number at more than 40 Las Vegas artists, while organizer Robin Slonina’s website describes the show as bringing together 50 local artists to reimagine donated, thrifted, and found materials. Awards will recognize selected works from among the pieces on display, per the event listing.
A Tradition Rooted in Second Saturday
UPcycle has become an annual fixture for Slonina ARTSpace, presented each year in partnership with Goodwill of Southern Nevada, according to Robin Slonina’s site. The organizer’s page notes that the exhibition traditionally opens during the monthly Second Saturday Art Party and remains on view throughout November, continuing a format that has repeated since the show’s earlier editions…