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Welcome to the Materials for the Arts website!
If you are a member of one of our 3800 recipient groups you are well aware of the treasures awaiting you in our warehouse. Available items include stationery and office supplies, furniture, buttons, theater curtains, rolls of fabric, reams of paper and boxes of artificial flowers.
If you are one of the 1000 plus participants attending our education workshops you are well aware of our extremely talented teaching artists and the magic they impart. Classes include instruction in making no-sew costumes, fabric books, hats, masks, games and game boards and musical instruments.
If you are a member of one of our 1443 performing or visual arts groups you are aware we offer monthly Monday night shopping to accommodate your schedule as well as dedicated workshop series such as Theatre on the Cheap.
If you are one of our over 10,000 materials donors (since 1978) you are well aware of the wide range of materials we pick up - free of charge - which otherwise would have ended up in a landfill. You also know the satisfaction of receiving a thank you letter from a grateful recipient who transformed your cast-off item into a stage prop, costume or work of art.
You may not know that Materials for the Arts began in 1978 when the Parks Department sought a refrigerator to house animal medications. It has since become the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ premier reuse facility. Each year MFTA provides over 1 million pounds of materials valued at more than $7 million dollars to New Yorkers via arts, education, community services and government organizations.
Since 2002 Materials for the Arts has maintained a public/private partnership with Friends of Materials for the Arts (FOMA), a non-profit organization created to support this vital City program. FOMA provides funding for the education program, technology to run this website, evening shopping hours and additional trucking. For more information on FOMA’s contributions please see Intiatives. We welcome support at all levels. If you are interested in becoming involved with FOMA please call 718-729-3001 ext. 218.
On behalf of the staff of Materials for the Arts and the Board of Directors of Friends of Materials for the Arts, thank you for visiting this site. We hope it easily provides you with the information you need to participate in our programs. We look forward to seeing you at the warehouse!
Sincerely,
Bonnie Weissblatt Weill
Chairman of the Board |
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