Since the get-go, Stitch Buffalo has been dedicated to the world of sustainable practices. In a day and age when fast fashion and throw away culture dominates the retail landscape, Stitch Buffalo has done the exact opposite. Instead of over-producing cheap garments and materials, Stitch has set out to establish many zero waste policies that permeate throughout all of its practices.
Zero Waste reminds us that every stitch, every fabric, and every person always has more stories to tell.
From from February 27 through April 11, Buffalo Arts Studio will present Zero Waste – an exhibition of textile work created from reclaimed materials by Stitch Buffalo refugee and immigrant artists and volunteers.
By repairing, reusing, recycling, and sharing textiles, Stitch has become a role model for all of us to follow. Now, Buffalo Arts Studio will put much of Stitch’s zero waste ideologies into perspective, as it sets out to share the artistic side of that sustainable model.
“Zero Waste explores how discarded textiles can be transformed into vibrant works of art by combining sustainable practices—repair, reuse, recycle, or share—with artistic creativity. Textile waste and clothing production continue to have a major impact on the environment. The fast fashion industry remains one of the largest consumers and polluters of water—and a major contributor to carbon emissions each year. This environmental impact is connected to the industry’s linear economy: make, use, and then discard.” – Buffalo Arts Studio
The exhibition is made up of three sections that demonstrate the intersection of sustainability and artistry through a variety of mediums and forms:
- Reverence is an installation of large, hand-dyed feltloom fabrics suspended from the ceiling. Envisioned as the central ‘island’ of the exhibition, the colors of the fabric connect to and encourage respect for the environment: blue for water, gold for sunlight, and brown for the earth. Surrounding each fabric are hand-embroidered three-dimensional earths created by refugee women from all around the world, reflecting on the collective responsibility of sustainability.
- Make Something features a diverse mix of expressive art made by Stitch Buffalo volunteers, many of whom are talented creatives with vast experience in the textile and fiber arts. Volunteers were given a bag of assorted materials (fabric, yarn, thread, sewing notions, and more) from Stitch Buffalo’s creative reuse shop, Second Stitch, to create their work.
- Crafting Clothing highlights the artistic detail, skill, and tradition of techniques that give each garment a unique character and story. In contrast to mass-produced fast fashion, these works emphasize the art of making and the value of human touch. This emphasis on the humans behind each work reflects Stitch Buffalo’s core mission: to honor the heritage, lived experiences, and history of its artists.
An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 27, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm as part of M&T Fourth Friday at Tri-Main.
On View February 27 – April 11, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, February 27, 2026, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Part of M&T Fourth Friday at Tri-Main