We are pleased to announce that ART CLASH, presented by Lightning 100 and held on Friday, June 15th at the Texas Troubadour Theater was a roaring success! Art Clash was Nashville’s first live upcycled art making competition (think "Iron Chef" for artists). Funds raised will support SmART! Supplies, the social enterprise of Progress that sells donated arts and crafts materials and employs people with disabilities.

During the competition, five teams created one-of-a-kind artwork out of upcycled materials in two hours. Teams were required to incorporate a selection of upcycled materials provided by SmART! Supplies, including wine corks and crayons, and were also permitted to bring their own materials from an approved list.

The event featured a panel of judges consisting of some of Nashville’s most notable artists and leaders in the art community. Judges included Beth Inglish, founder of Nashville Creative Group, Éva Boros of Nashville Walls Project, Brian Sexton of Nashville Creatives’ Day, Colin Pigott of Creative Mornings, Metro Council Member Jeff Syracuse, and critically-acclaimed artists Wayne Brezinka and Randy Purcell. The event was hosted by Torri Yates-Orr, CW58 Nashville multimedia host and actress.

“Art Clash has proven that a live, upcycled art making competition has a strong place in Nashville’s art scene. The event raised important awareness for SmART! Supplies. We brought something entirely new to the community, participants and spectators had a blast, and we are thrilled with the results,” shared Kyle Graden, Marketing and Outreach Manager for SmART! Supplies.

Teams included Post Future (1st Place), Minds Unchained (2nd Place), Trash Mob (3rd Place), Team Blend and the Weary Easel. More than 50 attendees viewed the live competition, and winners received comprehensive prize packages.

Planning for Art Clash 2019 is underway, visit www.artclashnashville.com for details about this year’s event.

SmART! Supplies was honored to host the 2016 Innovo Fest! The festival brought together artists and fans of Innovo Music Management during a day-long music festival on Sunday, November 6th. The festival helped raise awareness about the mission of SmART! and needs of people with intellectual disabilties as well as creative reuse. 14 music acts as well as food trucks, vendors, sponsors, artists, puppies, and more all came together to celebrate Innovo Music Management's two year anniversary. Watch the video below for a recap of the day's events!

​SmART! Supplies, a social enterprise of Progress Inc. will launch a new series of monthly arts and crafts classes beginning in August 2016 at 4 Buchi Court, Nashville TN 37204. 

Classes will range in price from $15-$30 including materials, and will cover a wide range of upcycled arts and crafts projects. SmART! Supplies sells reclaimed arts and crafts materials at discount prices, while employing people with disabilities. Proceeds from SmART! Supplies support Progress Inc., a non-profit organization serving people with disabilities and seniors in Middle Tennessee for more than 40 years.

Kyle Graden, Marketing and Outreach Manager of Smart Supplies aimed to create a highly diverse and affordable selection of classes. “We are thrilled about the launch of our new class program, and are excited about being able to provide a platform for highly skilled artisans, crafters and businesses to share their skills with our loyal customers and fans. We wanted to offer classes that were affordable for everyone while also being unique, and our upcoming roster of classes truly reflects that. ”

Classes include Greeting Card Creation, Wire Viking Weave, Button Making, Beginners Knitting, Sip & Collage, Tapestry Weaving, Artist Tributes, and many others. Paper Source, located in Green Hills, will be leading the Greeting Card Creation class. Classes range in size, and early registration is encouraged. More information and a full class schedule can be found on the Smart Supplies website at www.SmartSupplies.org 

Since opening in 2014, SmART! Supplies has sold more than 200,000 items originally destined for landfills. The store offers an upcycled art boutique, hosts a variety of sales throughout the year and also provides volunteer opportunities for non-profit organizations, including Friends Life Community and Girl Scouts. SmART! Supplies supports people with intellectual disabilities through employment and job training; store proceeds fund the many programs of Progress, including day programs, residential support and employment training. 

Full details with class information can be found on Smart Supplies' website at www.SmartSupplies.org 

Smart Supplies was recently featured in a Pay it Forward segment on WSMV Channel 4 News in Nashville! Reporter Terry Bulger covered the story and spent time at the store interviewing staff, customers and artists. This is a great segment about Smart Supplies, and we are thrilled with the opportunity to share our mission with the community. Click below to watch the video.

Nashville, TN – SmART! Supplies, a social enterprise of Progress Inc. will open the first upcycled art boutique in Middle Tennessee during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 7th at 10:00 a.m. at their Berry Hill location (4 Buchi Court, Nashville TN 37204). The opening will feature remarks by The Tennessean’s Ms. Cheap as well as light refreshments following the ceremony. SmART! Supplies sells reclaimed art and craft materials at discount prices, while employing people with disabilities. Proceeds from the social enterprise support Progress Inc., a non-profit organization which has served people with disabilities and seniors in Middle Tennessee for more than 40 years.

The Boutique at SmART! Supplies will give local artists the chance to showcase their upcycled art five days a week in a retail setting. Artists will have an opportunity to gain recognition and further their audience through the boutique. The endeavor is lucrative for both the artists and SmART! Supplies, as artists will profit from each item that sells, and a percentage of the sale will also be donated back to SmART! Supplies.

Linda Lipe is one of several featured artists displaying works in the boutique launch. She’ll be selling 3D greeting cards made from upcycled materials using the iris folding technique. The cards are crafted by hand by the Brenthaven Church ladies group, which has gathered weekly to create the cards for over six years. The cards have evolved into a fundraising campaign for the church’s homeless outreach program, Sacred Sparks Ministry.  “We are very excited about the SmART! Boutique,” she explained, “to be able to have an outlet and larger audience to share the cards with is going to help us raise more money and spread the word about our homeless outreach program.” Linda and the ladies group also shop at SmART! for paper and scrapbooking materials for their cards. “SmART! has been such a huge help for our group by selling materials at prices we can’t find anywhere else.”

​Since opening in 2014, SmART! Supplies has sold more than 200,000 items originally destined for landfills. The store hosts a variety of workshops throughout the year and also provides volunteer opportunities for non-profit organizations, including Friends Life Community and Girl Scouts. SmART! Supplies supports people with intellectual disabilities through employment and job training; store proceeds fund the many programs of Progress, including day programs, residential support and employment training. 

For more information about SmART! Supplies please visit www.SmartSupplies.org