Chop Suey Art Reuse & Supplies

Chop Suey is a Chinese American dish that means “mixed odds and ends.” Chop Suey Art Reuse & Supplies is a secondhand arts and crafts supply store for New York City artists, hobbyists, students, and crafters.

I started Chop Suey Art Reuse & Supplies because I believe that creativity should be accessible to everyone—not just those who can afford expensive materials. As an artist and community member in New York City, I’ve seen firsthand how many talented people are held back by the rising cost of supplies, while at the same time, studios and individuals throw away perfectly usable materials. I wanted to bridge that gap and build a system where art resources circulate within the community instead of ending up as waste.

Chop Suey Art Reuse & Supplies addresses two problems: the high cost of art materials and the growing amount of art-related waste in New York City. Many artists, students, hobbyists, and community members are priced out of creative expression because traditional art supplies are expensive and often inaccessible. At the same time, studios, classrooms, and individual artists routinely discard usable materials that end up in the landfill.

My business creates a community-centered system for art supplies. I collect gently used, surplus, or discarded materials from individuals, art schools, and studios, and make them affordable and accessible through an online shop, local pickup options, and pop-up markets. By redistributing materials that would otherwise be wasted, Chop Suey reduces financial barriers to creativity, diverts waste from the landfill, and supports a more equitable and sustainable arts ecosystem.