Materials for the Arts

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MFTA, a program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, collects surplus materials and redistributes them to its members: nonprofits with arts programming, public schools, social service groups, and city agencies.

MFTA is closed on Monday, October 12 in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Italian Heritage Day. Donation drop-of...
10/12/2026

MFTA is closed on Monday, October 12 in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Italian Heritage Day. Donation drop-offs will not be accepted during this time. We will reopen for shopping during our regular hours on Tuesday, October 13.

MFTA is proud to support Indigenous and Italian cultural organizations throughout NYC, providing donated materials that inspire creativity, strengthen community connections, and bring ideas to life.

On this day, we celebrate the cultural traditions, creative contributions, and legacies of Indigenous and Italian communities. Their voices, stories, and artistic expressions help shape the vibrant and diverse cultural fabric of our city.

Learn more about our work at nyc.gov/mfta.

📷:

1. MFTA member: Spiderwoman Theater (Spiderwoman Theater), Storyweaving Workshop Performance, 2025. Courtesy of Yuri K Fujita.

2. MFTA member: Casa Belvedere: The Italian Cultural Foundation (Italian Cultural Foundation). Courtesy of Visit Staten Island.

10/08/2026

Many of us know and love Kembra Pfahler (), but do you know her like we do?

Kembra has been shopping at Materials for the Arts since the ‘80s, which means she has been with us through all the trends (we’re looking at you skinny brows), several moves (remember when we were in the basement of MoMA PS1?), and many many shows from The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black!

Earlier this summer, Kembra and her band performed alongside Jacob Madden (Jacob Madden) —with a surprise performance from (Joe)— as part of MFTA’s free Third Thursday programming. Fun fact: most of the props used during their performance were found right here at our warehouse!

Kembra calls it availabilism, we call it creative reuse, our shoppers call it free, but one thing is for certain — we may provide the materials, but our members make the magic. We’re so incredibly honored to work with artists like Kembra and Jacob who contribute to our city’s colorful arts landscape.

🎥 Video filming and production by Tanner, John.

Our New York State Fair PRIDE edition of Sketch Night was a whole vibe. 🤩✨Our quarterly sketch night series hosted by A....
10/06/2026

Our New York State Fair PRIDE edition of Sketch Night was a whole vibe. 🤩✨

Our quarterly sketch night series hosted by A.E. Kieren (A.E. Kieren) and curated by Machine Dazzle (Machine Dazzle) featured live modeling by Witch Tulips (🌷Witch TuLips🌷) and Val do Carmo (Val do Carmo). Attendees sketched these models —alongside an equestrian friend— using materials from our warehouse, free of charge!

If you missed out on the fun, don’t fret! Our next Sketch Night returns to the warehouse on Tuesday, October 27, from 6:30 — 8:30pm.

👉RSVP at the link in bio!

Join us on Thursday, October 15, 2026 from 6:30 — 8:30pm for a ballroom event with Kiki Arts Collaborative! The Kiki Art...
10/06/2026

Join us on Thursday, October 15, 2026 from 6:30 — 8:30pm for a ballroom event with Kiki Arts Collaborative!

The Kiki Arts Collaborative was established in 2025, emerging from an innovative series of events and programs initiated by co-founder and Executive Director Colby “Reign” King. The Kiki Arts Collaborative exists to leverage the transformative power of Kiki ballroom culture, arts, and knowledge to radically expand access, visibility, and opportunity for LGBTQ+ young adults and emerging artists of color.

Thursday, October 15, 2026 l 6:30 — 8:30pm
At the Materials for the Arts warehouse
33-00 Northern Blvd, 3rd fl.
Long Island City, NY 11101

📸 Photo by Sawyer Alcázar-Hagen.

👉RSVP at the link in MFTA’s bio!

NYC Teachers! It’s that time of year again. 🍎✨✏️Led by MFTA Master Teaching Artist Joy Suarez, MFTA’s P-Credit classes s...
10/05/2026

NYC Teachers! It’s that time of year again. 🍎✨✏️

Led by MFTA Master Teaching Artist Joy Suarez, MFTA’s P-Credit classes support educators across subject areas to create interactive and engaging projects for students. Learn the tools to bring art, reuse, and hands-on projects into your lesson plans.

♻️Upcycled Classroom (Fall 2026)
Dates: October 10 - November 7 (Hybrid)
Time: Saturdays, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Thursdays, 4:00 — 7:00pm

This course is designed for teachers to integrate music into the classroom through fun and simple techniques. Build instruments from upcycled materials, drawing on the abundance of the MFTA warehouse, and design projects to make your classroom more musical!

🎥Stop Motion Animation (Fall 2026)

Dates: November 14 - December 19 (Hybrid)
Time: Saturdays, 9:00am – 5:30pm
Thursday, 4:00pm – 9:00pm

Learn creative animation projects to bring back to your classroom! In this workshop, you will create characters, props, and backgrounds from upcycled materials, building your confidence with reuse practices. Participants will be introduced to a series of art lessons that they then are given time to modify and expand upon for the classroom. You will develop new lessons that use animation as a storytelling medium to support self-expression in your students.

❗️Please note: if you are taking this course for P-Credits/+30 Credits, you will need to register on both the MFTA and the ASPDP website.

👉Register today by clicking the link in our bio!

“In the ten years of my tenure at Materials for the Arts, I have not seen an artist activate the audio and video section...
09/24/2026

“In the ten years of my tenure at Materials for the Arts, I have not seen an artist activate the audio and video section of our warehouse in the way that sTo Len has,” shared MFTA Executive Director Tara Sansone about resident artist sTo Len’s upcoming solo exhibition, “The Accidental Archive.”

Curating a treasure trove of materials (vinyl records, VHS tapes, LaserDiscs, and more) and their respective players, Len has amassed an accidental archive of our commercial culture that speaks not just to nostalgia but to the activation of lost media and the remixing of our own intertwined stories in the process. Projectors cast images on MFTA’s gallery walls that mix the historical with the personal while collections of books and marginalia offer a peek into the interests of the donors themselves. In “The Accidental Archive,” Len activates lost media, recontextualizing our own intertwined stories in the process.

MFTA will celebrate the opening of “The Accidental Archive” with a free public event TONIGHT from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

👉RSVP at the link in MFTA’s bio.

Yom Kippur is a sacred time for atonement, reflection, and repentance. Observed with prayer and fasting, it offers a mom...
09/20/2026

Yom Kippur is a sacred time for atonement, reflection, and repentance. Observed with prayer and fasting, it offers a moment to turn inward, reflect on the past year, and consider the year ahead. We wish all members of the Jewish community an easy and meaningful fast.

When Yom Kippur comes to a close, the sound of the shofar, a traditional instrument made from a ram’s horn, marks the end of the holiday.

📷: Jewish. Shofar or Horn, 18th century with 20th century inscription. Ram’s horn, 14 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (36.8 x 16.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai Brith, 50.117.2. Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn Museum).

Hey teachers, are you interested in FREE supplies?! 🍎✏️📚 Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a program of and NYC’s premiere...
09/16/2026

Hey teachers, are you interested in FREE supplies?! 🍎✏️📚

Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a program of and NYC’s premiere creative reuse center, is excited to welcome NYC Public Schools teachers across the five boroughs for MFTA’s annual Back to School Shopping Spree! Throughout September, MFTA encourages teachers to stock up with supplies —all at no cost— as students return to the classroom.

At MFTA, teachers can explore and select from a wide array of donated materials —ranging from paper, office supplies, and craft items to unique MFTA staples like fabric, post cards, buttons, beads, mannequins, and movie props—entirely free of charge! 😱✨ The materials we distribute to educators help ensure that EVERY student has access to affordable, high-quality arts education in the classroom.

This school year also marks the return of the monthly MFTA After Hours: Late Night Teacher Shopping program. The late night shopping program extends MFTA’s hours until 7:00 PM once a month to accommodate the schedules of educators who might not be able to visit the warehouse during regular hours. On Thursday, October 1, MFTA will host its first MFTA After Hours: Late Night Teacher Shopping of the school year from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. MFTA After Hours will continue on the first Thursday of every month through June 2027.

MFTA shopping is by appointment only! 🛒 Teachers interested in shopping at Materials for the Arts must schedule their appointment online at nyc.gov/mfta. Educators can contact their principal to be added to their school’s account.

09/15/2026

“A lot of it is about our memory and how do we record our lives? How do we see ourselves in media and mass culture? And that has changed so much in the last fifty years.”

MFTA Artist-in-Residence sTo Len (sTo Len) gave NY1’s (Spectrum News NY1) Roger Clark (Roger Clark) a tour of his massive media library and studio space and talked about his upcoming exhibition, “The Accidental Archive.” As MFTA’s Artist-in-Residence, Len has had access to our 35,000-square-foot warehouse of materials where he’s narrowed his focus on one section: the audio-video aisle. Curating a treasure trove of materials, Len has amassed an accidental that speaks not just to nostalgia but to the activation of lost media and the remixing of our own intertwined stories in the process. 

MFTA will celebrate the opening of “The Accidental Archive” with a free public event on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

👉RSVP at the link in MFTA’s bio.

L’Shanah Tovah, NYC! Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the first of the High Holidays, is a time to gather, reflect...
09/11/2026

L’Shanah Tovah, NYC!

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the first of the High Holidays, is a time to gather, reflect on the year that has passed year, and welcome the year ahead with hope and renewal.

We’re wishing all those who celebrate a healthy, peaceful, and sweet new year! 🍎

Check out these beautiful Rosh Hashanah greeting cards from our warehouse. Explore MFTA’s section of postcards and greeting cards on your next visit.

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33-00 Northern Boulevard
New York, NY
11101

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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