Planting the seed: Fundraiser set for Echo-Lit's new art-focused nonprofit Marigold

The event will feature six local artists — Wes Eary, Janet Chambers, Matthew Smith, Cali Wesson, Daniel Means and Megan Dailey — each creating original work on-site. The finished pieces will be auctioned to support Marigold’s mission of turning discarded materials into fresh artistic possibilities.

About the nonprofit

Dailey, a Charleston-based mixed media artist whose work focuses on West Virginia themes, co-founded Marigold with Echo-Lit owner Jeanne Stevenson. The idea grew from conversations between the two about the creative reuse movement.

The creative reuse movement advocates for the repurposing of items in new and creative ways, often outside of the original intended usage. 

A few years ago, Dailey and Stevenson traveled to many nearby creative reuse facilities which inspired them. One in particular was Creative Reuse Fest in Huntington, an annual event hosted by Coalfield Development.

In 2024, Stevenson and her husband Chris Rice bought the empty lot east of their storefront to pursue their nonprofit dream.

The couple plan to transform the basement of their shop into an Americans with Disabilities Act-approved space for the Marigold nonprofit. Proceeds from Saturday's fundraiser and auction will go toward that project. Additionally, the empty lot they bought will be used to create a garden area to echo Marigold's creative reuse concept.

The Marigold effect

Creative reuse — also known as upcycling — is the process of taking used, discarded or surplus materials and transforming them into new products, art or functional items rather than throwing them away. It combines sustainability, creativity and community engagement, often emphasizing environmental awareness and local impact. 

Dailey attributes the organizations name to the "marigold effect."

"When you plant a garden, especially like a vegetable garden, it's very common to put a row of marigolds around your garden because it kind of enhances the soil, it enriches the soil and it of makes the pests stay away from your garden," Dailey said. "So the marigold effect is: when you plant marigolds, it strengthens the growth happening in your garden."

The organization is "planting a seed" in the community for growth. The focus on reuse and accessibility is a main goal of the organization. Stevenson, who is also on the board of the West Side Neighborhood Association, hopes that repurposing items will encourage neighborhood beautification efforts.

"Jeanne and Chris are very community-minded," Dailey said about her nonprofit partners. "They ... really want to make sure the neighborhood they live in is thriving and beautiful. Marigold is just another part of that ethos they have — of being good stewards for their neighbors and good neighbors to the people around them."

The nonprofit will collect lightly used or unused art supplies and gardening supplies, which will be sold at a discount, similar to a thrift store.

Artists

Daniel Means, a Charleston artist who will be featured at the auction, uses cardboard boxes to create a paper pulp that he shapes into intricate masks. Means views this nonprofit as a way to make art accessible for everyone.

"I didn't grow up with money and there were times when I would have loved to have had something like this to be able to get either discounted or free art supplies to be able to create," Means said. "I think it'll be great for the community because I know there's ... people who want to create, but they don't have the funds."

Quality art materials can be expensive. For example, according to The Artful Painter, a liter of oil paint can cost between $285 and $1,000. 

"Creativity requires experimentation. Experimentation requires materials — often expensive materials,"Matthew Smith said in a Marigold Instagram post. Smith's art will be featured in the auction. "You don't know you like a certain material until you go try it in person and you might not like it. Now I can donate gently used materials to someone intending to make art, and that's really special."

Marigold's mission might open up art to more people.

"Creative reuse offers artists of all financial backgrounds the opportunity to create, connect and be inspired, transforming existing materials into meaningful art and vibrant community," featured artist Cali Wesson said in an Instagram post for Marigold.