CARA REYNOLDS & MARIA EMILIA BORJA
Co-Owners, Mushpa Y Mensa
Partners in crime Cara Reynolds and Maria-Emilia Borja are the proud owners of an 11-foot multicolored step-van, the nerve center of their mobile eco-crafts boutique, Mushpa y Mensa. Dubbed ″the Magical Mobile Art Machine,″ the traveling arts and crafts truck sets up at New York City outdoor flea markets and art fairs, displaying the couple´s line of 100 percent organic cotton shirts silkscreened with original Mushpa y Mensa graphics. The collection also includes jewelry designed with sustainable materials and eco-felt Plush Pets made from recycled plastic bottles. A successfully funded Kickstarter campaign last May remodeled the van with refurbished and eco-conscious materials, such as solar panels to reduce its carbon footprint. Reynolds, a design fanatic and IT director, and Borja, an artist and community/labor organizer, say taking a chance with a creative endeavor can be scary, but not taking that chance is even scarier. ″A mobile shop allows us to travel anywhere we like, without having to compromise what we love doing—our art. Also, the ability to create something that will change someone´s life, even in the smallest way, is a very rewarding experience. We speak through our art, and we have lots to say!″
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