By Bob Singleton, Executive Director, Greater Astoria Historical Society
LIC’s Materials for the Arts (MFTA), located at 33-00 Northern Blvd, is very unique as it supports the Arts, that legendary beam of New York City’s creativity, through a reuse center. It is a hybrid between the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the Department of Education, and the Friends of Materials for the Arts. Free of charge materials are offered to students, teachers, artists, and sculptors.
Millions of people, from students to seniors, have been impacted on a multitude of levels, be they dancers, designers, choreographers, actors, or art therapists, who work in settings as varied as after school programs to senior citizen events. All have been positively benefited by MFTA over the years.
Additionally, not only are the artists and their audiences beneficiaries of the program, but the collected materials are kept out of landfills. Items are made available, at no charge, to public schools and agencies around the city, as well as a full range of nonprofits with arts programming within the five boroughs of NYC.
Businesses and individuals can donate to MFTA. These are the steps needed to create a sustainable future.
The success of this program comes from a wide range of sources each working with each other to ensure success. For example, New York City funds the cost of operations while Materials for the Arts hosts programs with designers and artists in residence. The gallery hosts programs such as Third Thursdays, a monthly open house with free community programming.
MFTA helps those in need and helps build a greener world via the joint efforts from businesses and individuals. Volunteering for MFTA is an excellent experience.
While helping in their 30,000 sq ft warehouse, one can visit the MFTA Gallery and see Creative Reuse in action firsthand. If you want your group to participate in an art-making activity using materials from the warehouse, you can sign up for a team-building workshop.
There are limitations on what MFTA can do. Logical issues, space or equipment limitations make them unable to take everything that is offered. Although MFTA cannot take everything on a list (as large items cannot be stored in their warehouse), there is another option.
Large items that cannot be stored in MFTA’s warehouse can be posted online via MFTA’s “Direct Donations.” MFTA will directly connect interested parties to pick up items. Donating to MFTA presents a triple win for donors:
- Helping thousands of organizations by providing them with useful materials.
- Keeping items from heading to the landfill
- A thank you letter for tax purposes.
To quote MFTA’s materials, “it’s a sustainable way to support the arts and educational communities in NYC and contribute to a greener environment.” It’s a great experience, so by all means look into it!
