MFTA is a program of @NYCulture, which collects surplus materials and redistributes them, for free, to public schools and nonprofits with arts programming.
Long Island City, NY
Joined November 2009
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Materials for the Arts retweeted
Bronx artists: the max grant just doubled, from $5,000 to $10,000! 🎨 First increase in ~20 years.
BCA’s Community Engagement Grants close Fri, Oct 30 at 11:59 PM.
📣 Final virtual info session TODAY, 4-5 PM.
Apply: bronxarts.org/cegs
Questions: [email protected]
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.
ALT Spiderwoman Theater Storyweaving performance.
ALT The exterior of Casa Belvedere.
📷:
1. MFTA member: Spiderwoman Theater, Storyweaving Workshop Performance, 2025. Courtesy of Yuri K Fujita.
2. MFTA member: @Casa_Belvedere: The Italian Cultural Foundation. Courtesy of Visit Staten Island.
MFTA is proud to participate in this initiative and open its doors once a month to grantees in an effort to keep materials in the hands of artists and out of landfill! 💛
Calling all NYC artists — painters, filmmakers, poets, musicians and more! Did you know our city provides grants to support your work every year?
And this year, for the first time in nearly two decades, we're DOUBLING the amount — from $5,000 to up to $10,000 per artist!
Deadlines are approaching fast so don't wait. Go to nyc.gov/artistgrants to apply today!
Materials for the Arts retweeted
Art supplies, costumes, and set pieces are expensive. @mftanyc has a 35,000 sq ft warehouse full of free ones, available for you, New Yorkers.
For #ClimateWeek, we join Materials for the Arts' Broc Power & Samantha Paradiso in spotlighting how MOME helps our colleagues at MFTA and @NYCulture, led by Commissioner Vij, keep millions of pounds of set pieces, costumes, and supplies from film, TV and theatre productions out of landfill, putting them in the hands of artists who need them.
Nonprofit organizations, @NYCSchools art teachers, and city agencies can apply for a membership. Check your eligibility at nyc.gov/mfta.
Step into the rich tradition of quilt making! Co-taught by Joy Suarez and our former Designer-in-Residence Daveed Baptiste, MFTA’s summer class takes a deep dive into the historical progression and cultural significance of padded fabric throughout the ages.
August 10-15 | Register: materialsforthearts.org/even…
ALT A photo of Joy Suarez and Daveed Baptiste smiling in the MFTA classroom.
Materials for the Arts retweeted
Today marks 250 years since a small group of newspaper editors, farmers, and soldiers signed a document declaring our nation’s independence — a truth that feels self-evident now but was revolutionary then.
What a privilege us Americans have, to live in a nation that every one of its inhabitants can shape. What an honor us New Yorkers have, to look out over our city’s waters from the shores where so many Americans bravely entered their country for the first time.
Today and all days, let us remember that patriotism is not pretending our nation is without flaws. Patriotism is every act of righteous dissent — because loving our country means fighting for the best version of it.
Happy Fourth of July, New York City.
New Yorkers! This heat is no joke!
To provide some relief from today’s heat wave, MFTA staff helped our members stay cool by offering popsicles and keeping our fans running.
If you’ve checked the weather forecast, you know this heat is not letting up anytime soon. High temperatures are the deadliest weather hazard we face, so it’s important to prepare now. And when temperatures hit 90°F or higher for two or more days in a row, conditions become especially dangerous for older adults and people with health conditions.
That’s why we advise you to:
✅ Stay in air conditioning.
✅ Drink plenty of water.
✅ Avoid being outside.
✅ Make sure your neighbors are okay.
✅ Know your Cool Options, which are safe, air-conditioned spaces you can go to during extreme heat:
• A friend’s or family member’s air-conditioned home
• Libraries, museums, senior centers
• Malls, theaters, coffee shops
• NYC Cooling Centers, open during heat emergencies and free to the public
Learn more at nyc.gov/BeatTheHeat and stay informed with @Notify_NYC by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692.
ALT A woman holding up two popsicles.
ALT A woman pointing to a working fan in a warehouse.
ALT A mother and son eat popsicles.
ALT A man adjusts his sunglasses as a woman holds up a popsicle.
Materials for the Arts retweeted
On June 19, 1865, African American communities in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom from slavery — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.
For 161 years, Juneteenth has been a day of remembrance for the freedom that was delayed. It is also a celebration of the joy and resilience that flourished despite that delay.
The contributions of African Americans, whose struggle for freedom shaped our nation, are immeasurable. Yet too many Black families continue to bear the brunt of an affordability crisis that has pushed them out of the neighborhoods and communities they've built.
True freedom has a tangible impact on daily life: the ability to afford housing, earn a living wage, put food on the table, support a family, and create a future for generations to come.
As we celebrate today, we must recommit ourselves to ensuring this freedom is fully realized.
Happy Juneteenth, New York City.
Materials for the Arts is closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of #MemorialDay, and we will not be accepting donation drop-offs. We will resume our regular hours of operation on Tuesday, May 26.
Though we won't see each other in the warehouse, we hope you'll join us in honoring and remembering the individuals who gave their lives in service to our country.
ALT World War II history books in the MFTA warehouse.
We're incredibly grateful to help @NYCSanitation paint the town (or shall we say, trucks!) red along with every other color on the ROYGVIB spectrum! Trucks of Art is made possible in part with paint from MFTA. From our warehouse to the streets of NYC, we’re proud to help bring creativity to every corner of the city.
Michelangelo. Van Gogh. Kusama. And now.....Trucks.
Trucks of Art reveal is TOMORROW!
Come see the winning designs for Trucks of Art tomorrow, May 19th from 9am-5pm in Union Square North Plaza, where we and the Sanitation Foundation will be unveiling all 5 hand-painted DSNY collection trucks with the artists present and activities all day, including a Big Spring Clean. Don't miss it!
Materials for the Arts retweeted
MOME and @nycgov work to make NYC's media productions sustainable, and this includes our partnership with @NYCulture's @mftanyc to donate recycled props, furniture, and costumes from local sets to cultural nonprofits, public schools, and more.
Through our expanded partnership last year, MFTA's distributed 3.2 million pounds of free items donated by film, television, theater, and entertainment productions valued at a total $7.4 million to its members.
The program’s allowing the industry to give back to local communities, reduce unnecessary waste, and fuel creativity in classrooms and cultural organizations throughout the five boroughs.
MOME production coordinators actively encourage the productions they support to donate to MFTA, pushing for more sustainable practices across the industry.
Thanks to Tara Sansone, Executive Director of @mftanyc for inviting @NYCMOMECommish and @NYCulture commissioner Diya Vij on site and spotlighting these free items available to New Yorkers.
For more info on how to become a recipient, visit: on.nyc.gov/4wyfvCV
ALT commissioners espinal and vij at material for the arts walkthrough
ALT commissioners espinal and vij at material for the arts walkthrough
ALT commissioners espinal at material for the arts walkthrough
ALT commissioners espinal and vij at material for the arts walkthrough
MFTA is hosting a FREE screening of I LOVE BOOSTERS @MovingImageNYC! See an early preview of Boots Riley’s new visionary work and help support NYC arts and artists by bringing any gently used or new art supplies to donate. 🎨✨
Watch I LOVE BOOSTERS and let’s come together to champion the colorful world of arts and culture in one special night.
Get your tickets at bit.ly/MFTAxBOOSTERS. 💫
ALT SPECIAL EARLY SCREENING THURSDAY, MAY 14 MUSEUM OF THE MOVINg IMAGE 36-01 35TH AVE, QUEENS, NY 11106 CHECK IN 6:00PM DOORS OPEN 7:00PM ADMISSION TO THIS SCREENINg IS FREE WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU BRING YOUR GENTLY USED OR UNUSED ART SUPPLIES TO DONATE NEON
Every day, materials come and go
Passing through various hands
Forever they flow
Even travelling across lands!
Like many a good thing
Some feel an item's usefulness must come to an end
So, they give us a ring
So that we can attend
And find a creative purpose for their donation
At MFTA, it will be a sensation!
#PoemInYourPocketDay #PocketPoem
ALT A photo of furniture and a globe in the MFTA warehouse.
❄️ Due to the blizzard warning, MFTA will be closed on Monday, February 23, and donation drop-offs will not be accepted.
For the latest safety alerts, stay informed with @NotifyNYC by texting NotifyNYC to 692-692 for real-time updates across the city. 📱
📷: Courtesy of Anthony Sertel Dean.
ALT A pink dress and pink tree in the MFTA warehouse.
In observance of Presidents' Day, our warehouse is closed on Monday, February 16 and will not be accepting donations. Our regular hours of operation will resume on Tuesday, February 17, 2025.
See you on Tuesday! 💫
ALT A copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Materials for the Arts retweeted
At @fountainhouse, a new exhibition created in partnership with @mftanyc features work by New York City artists living with mental illness. w42st.com/post/discarded-ite…
❄️ Due to the winter snowstorm, MFTA will be closed on Monday, January 26, and donation drop-offs will not be accepted.
For the latest safety alerts, stay informed with @NotifyNYC by texting NotifyNYC to 692-692 for real-time updates across the city. 📱
📷: Courtesy of Anna Droddy.
ALT Large frames stacked in the MFTA warehouse.