Mission and Vision
Materials for the Arts (MFTA) provides NYC arts nonprofits, public schools and city agencies with access to free materials. We strive to keep valuable materials from entering the landfill and put these materials into the hands of arts professionals, educators and students across the five boroughs. We give unwanted items the opportunity to become something new through Creative Reuse, inspired education and unlimited imagination. Better than new; it’s renewed.
The City of New York funds infrastructural and operational costs for MFTA, and it falls upon Friends of Materials for the Arts (FOMA), MFTA’s nonprofit partner, to support other initiatives to reach a broader audience through our Education Center which reaches thousands of people by hosting our Artists-in-Residence program, Designer-in-Residence Program, Gallery program, Third Thursday program, Professional Development program and Field Trip/In-School Residency programs.
Shop at MFTA
Each year, MFTA provides millions of dollars of supplies and endless opportunities to New Yorkers across the five boroughs. With an MFTA membership, registered organizations can schedule appointments on specific shopping days to get supplies from our warehouse in Queens and obtain items through our online Direct Donations listing free of charge.
Press
For press or media inquiries about Materials for the Arts, warehouse shopping, our Education Center, events, MFTA Gallery, and Artist-in-Residence program, please contact publicaffairs@culture.nyc.gov.
2023
Conversation-making exhibit by Bayside artist captivates viewers at MFTA Gallery (QNS)
‘To Shed New Light’: A fantastic, immersive gallery show now on display at Materials for the Arts in Long Island City (LIC Post)
New Yorker of the Week: Maricela Reyes (NY1)
2022
11,000 Free Pairs of Shoes Will Dance Across New York (New York Times)
A Guide to Get Rid of Almost Everything (The New Yorker)
2020
Artists and Arts Organizations Help With Masks and Mourning Room at Hospital (NY1)
From Waste to Opportunity, Thanks to Creative Reuse Centers (Make Magazin DE)
14 Ways to Give Back in NYC, Based on What You’re Into (Thrillist)
Bygone Buttons Fill A Hole for New York Arts Groups (The Wall Street Journal)
Board and Staff
Friends of Materials for the Arts — Board of Directors
Andrew Seiken, Chair
Senior Wealth Strategist, BNY Mellon
Mattie Byrneheim, Vice Chair
Customer Success Manager, Media and Entertainment, Adobe
Shirley Levy, Treasurer
Anelle Miller, Secretary
Executive Director, Society of Illustrators
Bonnie Weissblatt Weill, Board Chair Emerita
Philanthropist
Marla Aaron
CEO, Marla Aaron Jewelry
Allison Arden
Founder and CEO, The Elements of Us
Bridgett Artise
Founder, Sustainable Fashion Week US / NYC
Rick Davy
Founder and Director, BK Style Foundation
Grahame Hubbard
Director, Plant Specialists
Scott A. Resnick
Vice President of Loyalty, SoulCycle
Samit Shah, Treasurer
Senior Director of Data Science, Aetna
Yolanda Shashaty
Philanthropist/Artist
Janet Wong
Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Deutsche Bank
Robert Jenkins
Director, Platform
Tara Sansone
Executive Director, Friends of Materials for the Arts
Laurie Cumbo, Ex Officio
Commissioner, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Gonzalo Casals, Honorary Board Member
Senior Research and Policy Fellow, Arts and Culture, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Harriet Taub
Founding Director, Friends of Materials for the Arts
Materials for the Arts — Staff
Office Administration
Tara Sansone, Executive Director
Meg O’Brien, Director of Development
Yolanda Rodriguez, Office Administrator
Maria Canela, Community Liaison
Samantha Paradiso, Communications and Development Associate
Bliss Green-Morehead, DCLA Digital Communications Manager
Warehouse Operations
Alexandros Barbayianis, Media & Entertainment Logistics Coordinator
Alana Nydorf, Donations Coordinator
Daniel Larkin, Direct Donations Coordinator
Denise Flynch, Volunteer Coordinator
Christopher Trainor, Warehouse Associate
Jose Rosa, Warehouse Assistant
Jonathan Valentin, Warehouse Associate
Andres Velez-Sierra, Warehouse Associate
Nick Duguid, Driver
Education Center
John Cloud Kaiser, Director of Education
Will Niedmann, Education Coordinator
Niceli Portugal, Education Coordinator
Joy Suarez, Master Teaching Artist
Teaching Artists
Pamela Isaac
David Marini
Louie Miranda
Avani Patel
Supporters
The City of New York funds infrastructural and operational costs for MFTA, and it falls upon Friends of Materials for the Arts (FOMA), MFTA’s nonprofit partner, to support other initiatives to reach a broader audience through our Education Center which reaches thousands of people by hosting our Artists in Residence program, Designer in Residence Program, Gallery program, Third Thursday program, Professional Development program and Field Trip/In School Residency programs.
We’re grateful for the continued support from foundations, corporations, and organizations who help us champion sustainability through creative reuse, providing an invaluable service to New Yorkers across the city!
Funders
Blanche T. Enders Charitable Trust
Agnes Gund
Castle Family Foundation
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
Deutsche Bank
Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation
Foundation for New York’s Strongest
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation
Keith Haring Foundation
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
LeRoy Neiman Foundation
LLL Foundation
Mathis Pfohl Foundation
NYSCA
New York Community Trust
Ruth Foundation
The Liman Foundation
The Neuwirth Foundation
Volunteering
ADM Insite and Strategy
Adobe
AEO
Bloomberg
Brookfield Properties
Episode 4
Evergreen Trading
Handel Architects
MetLife
Mizuho
Moxy Hotels
Museum of Art and Design
Paramount
Perkins & Will
Pitchbook
Primary Wave
Salesforce Impact Grant
Sotheby’s
Tapestry
Target Foundation
The Capitol Group
The Marketing Arm
WhatsApp Latinx
Corporate Support
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)
Aaronson’s
Con Edison
Estée Lauder
Hermès
Sony
Target
In-Kind Support
Coney Island USA
House of Yes
Plant Specialists
RAW
Rockaway Brewing Company
