An operation that began with a few beat up chairs has shifted into an exhibit of hand painted furniture showcased at Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center through Oct. 25.

A cluster of snakes comprised of bottle caps rests near the front desk. A blue chair with astronomical designs sits against the wall. The entire room is filled with household pieces that Cheryl Green has restored.

“I started painting (the chairs) and fixing them up and each one got a little bit better,” Green said. “It’s something I enjoy.”

Part of the recycling process is not going out and purchasing materials from the store, Green said, but instead asking for them through word-of-mouth. 

She said that she collected paints through homeowners because most have half a bucket that they’re not using; she got the caps from empty beer bottles that were given to her by friends.

She’s salvaged items from three-legged chairs to tables that she finds discarded on the side of the road.

“I’ve done my best to put the chairs back together and make them not wobble,” she said. “There are some things that are not do-able, but sometimes I think (of) these almost as art objects.” 

As someone who recycles and reuses, Green said the things people choose to throw away boggle her. She said she believes old furniture can be made useful again and it is a craft she “truly believes in.”

Green makes her living by selling her work and all items are available for purchase.

“This exhibit is definitely one of a kind,” Green said. “I try to not be afraid to use color. I see it as some of these chairs and items as the one piece in a room that you’re just drawn to, so I’ve tried to use unusual colors to make them really interesting and unique. There’s no two alike.”

Contact Neville Hardman at [email protected].