Available Items gallery presents the second edition of NUTS + BOLTS, a group exhibition celebrating the ingenuity of DIY design. Running until October 5, the show challenges over 24 designers to transform everyday materials into functional and imaginative objects, all using parts sourced from local hardware stores.
The exhibition embraces the democratic spirit of DIY culture, asking artists to reinterpret familiar items with minimal resources. No 3D printing or online sourcing is allowed; participants rely solely on off-the-shelf components and a restricted amount of dimensional lumber. Chad Phillips, co-founder of Available Items, emphasises that the show is “about design thinking and an approach to making through the vernacular of hardware,” noting it mirrors the creative briefs students encounter in design school.
Highlighting Creative Vision
Participants range from emerging talents to established studios, including Fort Standard, Christian Borger, Office of Tangible Space, and outgoing. Works span functional furniture, lighting, and textiles. Fort Standard’s “Catch & Release” floor lamp combines a soil tamper, tube clamps, and a fishing net with a bulb, while Office of Tangible Space’s “rigid stool/side table” repurposes deconstructed street brooms.
Other standout pieces include Christian Borger’s modular “Louver Lamp,” vertically assembling standard ceiling panels, and Lauren Hirsch’s textile creation “White Work (Painter’s Pants),” a pillow cover patchworked from Dickies painter’s pants. Each piece balances utility with unexpected artistry, demonstrating the potential of accessible materials to yield high-concept design.
Public Viewing
NUTS + BOLTS runs through October 5 at Available Items, 64 Broadway, Tivoli, NY, open Friday through Sunday, 12–5 pm. The exhibition underscores the growing appeal of hands-on design, where playful experimentation meets disciplined craft.