Today in Lansing: ‘Door Jam’ at Cedar Street Art Collective

“Door Jam”

6 to 9 p.m.

$15 online, $20 door

Cedar Street Art Collective

1701 S. Cedar St., Lansing

Click here for event page

THURSDAY, Nov. 8 — “Door Jam” sees old doors and furniture become one of a kind works of art.

Searching the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, volunteer Lansing area artists upcycled home inventory into art for silent and live auctions to benefit the Habi-Kids Build Club, a program for elementary school age children to learn about tools and skills in construction in month long workshops.

Among the completed items is a door deconstructed and reassembled into a chest, a headboard turned into a bench and a door reworked into a kaleidoscope.

“The Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals wants to garner excitement about Habitat for Humanity in the younger generation of Lansing,” said Lillian Werbin, former Habitat for Humanity president of young professionals. “For the community, this is a reminder that well-known artists still want to participate with the regular citizens of Lansing.”

Artist Tracy Wolford and her eight-year-old daughter worked on a glass door to give it a stained glass effect. It is Wolford’s second year participating.

“When I saw the first call for for artists, I thought it was something we could do together,” Wolford said. “My daughter has anxiety, autism and ADHD, but painting grounds her.”

Looking for inspiration from traditional stained glass works in museums, Wolford printed out a stencil and got to work.

“We basically used black paint in a ketchup bottle so it looked like lead and painted the door with acrylic.”

The completed stained glass door has meaning in many ways, Wolford said. “Last year I was diagnosed with stage four cancer and I wanted my art to show transitions. The colors looked different and are constantly changing in the light with subtle differences. For the last 18 months, there have been lots of transitions for me.”

The event pulls together a diverse cross section of the Lansing community, Wolford said.

“Hobby artists and professionals and the people who attend the event are philanthropic, appreciate art and it is different and more down to Earth.”

It is nice to see an event bringing together people for habitat community in divisive times, she added.

“This program, based on cooperation and collaboration, makes it even more pertinent for this day and age and more personal for me.”