Materials for the Arts

Materials for the Arts Materials for the Arts

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.

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.

Tomorrow marks the 25th year anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, a tragedy that led to the loss of nearly 3,...
09/10/2026

Tomorrow marks the 25th year anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, a tragedy that led to the loss of nearly 3,000 lives and remains as the deadliest terrorist attack in history. We encourage you all to honor the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and reflect on this tragedy that deeply affected our city and our nation.

Consider attending one of the following programs led by MFTA member organizations to commemorate the memory of those we lost:

Lincoln Center (Lincoln Center)
Table of Silence Project
September 11 | 8:00 — 9:00am
More than 150 dancers will emerge onto Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza and move in concentric circles. The music brings the dancers together for a moment of silence at 8:46am.

FDNY Fire Museum (New York City Fire Museum)
September 11, 2026 | 11:30 AM
Visitors are welcome to learn about the history of the FDNY and the Department’s response to September 11 through exhibits and artifacts.

Vangeline Theater (vangeline)
Unforgotten: Butoh for 9/11
September 11 | 1:00 — 2:00pm
Vangeline Theater hosts an annual Butoh (an avant-garde style of Japanese dance) performance to mark the anniversary of September 11 and allow space for collective mourning, remembrance and healing.

NY Philharmonic (New York Philharmonic) and Soldiers’ Chorus
Sounds of Remembrance
September 11 | 3:30pm
The New York Philharmonic joins the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band for this commemorative concert, featuring music by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, plus the world premiere of a work by Julia Adolphe with texts by Safiya Sinclair.

The Green-Wood Cemetery (The Green-Wood Cemetery)
Notes of Tribute
September 11 | 7:00 — 9:00pm
Sit with others at an elevated perch in Green-Wood to view the Tribute in Light while listening to music and remembrances.

📸 Photos courtesy of:

1. Terri Gold.
2. New York City Fire Museum.
3. Michael Blase.
4. LUXIGON.
5. Robert Vizzini and Municipal Art Society of New York.

#9/11

We present to you… Party in the Park: Trio Under the Triboro! ✨Attend this one-of-a-kind FREE event hosted at Socrates S...
09/10/2026

We present to you… Party in the Park: Trio Under the Triboro! ✨

Attend this one-of-a-kind FREE event hosted at Socrates Sculpture Park on Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 12:00 — 5:00pm. Co-presented in collaboration with Franklin Furnace and Materials for the Arts, we invite you to gather at the waterfront for a full-day performance art festival celebrating the decades-long partnership between three Queens-based arts organizations committed to providing artists with resources, space, opportunity, and community.

A milestone year for each organization —Socrates Sculpture Park’s 40th anniversary and Materials for the Arts’ and Franklin Furnace’s 50th anniversary— the festival brings together their shared communities for a dynamic day of live performance, music, and public engagement.

Curated by Francheska Alcántara (Francheska Alcantara) and titled Performaxxing, the program will feature bold, body-based, durational performances that embrace a more-is-more aesthetic as both symptom and material of contemporary life.

Artists:
Itala Aguilera (Itala Aguilera)
Crackhead Barney (Crackheadbarneynfriends)
Jake Brush (with Candystore and Mike Feswick) (Jake brush)
kara lynch
zavé martohardjono (Zavé Martohardjono)
Reed Rushes (reedrushes)
Sandy Williams IV (Sandy Williams IV)
Coco Villa (coco villa)

Music by Madre Guía (Madre Guía)

RSVP at the link in bio 🔗

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, MFTA is closed on Monday, September 7, 2025 and will not be accepting donations....
09/07/2026

In observance of the Labor Day holiday, MFTA is closed on Monday, September 7, 2025 and will not be accepting donations. Our regular hours of operation will resume on Tuesday, September 8, 2025.

Photo courtesy of Anna Droddy.

Join us on Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 6:30 — 8:30pm for the exhibition opening of “The Accidental Archive” by MFT...
09/03/2026

Join us on Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 6:30 — 8:30pm for the exhibition opening of “The Accidental Archive” by MFTA Artist-in-Residence sTo Len. As MFTA’s resident artist, Len has had unlimited access to MFTA’s warehouse of donated supplies, where he’s collected and remixed outdated media and transformed the MFTA Gallery into a relic of times past: a space reminiscent of a video store replete with archival materials that detail both the personal and commercial marginalia of our lives.

Celebrating the stories embedded within objects, “The Accidental Archive” unlocks the ability of media to transport viewers through time, much like watching a film from childhood or the physicality of holding a landline telephone triggering a forgotten memory. This exhibition activates a variety of lost media on vinyl records, VHS tapes, LaserDiscs, and more, recontextualizing our own intertwined stories in the process. 

Thursday, September 24 | 6:30 – 8:30pm
at the Materials for the Arts Gallery
33-00 Northern Blvd., 3rd fl
Long Island City, NY 11101

👉RSVP at the link in MFTA’s bio.

08/31/2026

Experience MFTA Designer-in-Residence Scooter LaForge’s (scooterlaforge) solo exhibition “Lucky Finds: Second Chances” in the MFTA Gallery!

In his exhibition at the MFTA Gallery, LaForge utilized his signature brightly colored painting style that incorporates pop culture imagery, illustrations, and found objects to create stunning artworks. By exploring and juxtaposing the different reused materials available in the MFTA warehouse, LaForge incorporates the many imbued meanings found in everything from children’s book illustrations, to comic books, to plastic jack o’ lanterns, to old couches, to leather jackets, and much more.

Though RSVPs for LaForge’s closing reception are now full, you can still enjoy the last few weeks of this MFTA Gallery exhibition, which remains on view through September 17, 2026.

Thank you to everyone who attended our fourth annual Summer Family Night! Every Summer, MFTA opens its warehouse doors t...
08/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our fourth annual Summer Family Night!

Every Summer, MFTA opens its warehouse doors to families across the five boroughs for child-centered programming featuring art-making activities, music playing, and a breezy backdrop for family photos that make a splash.

Though Summer Family Night happens once a year, it’s a part of MFTA’s Third Thursday programming where we bring you monthly arts-focused events FREE of charge.

Visit materialsforthearts.org to check out our upcoming programming!

Check out these warehouse gems! ✨Bountiful instruments, Deadpool fan art, Southwest leather, nostalgic shoe charms, and ...
08/25/2026

Check out these warehouse gems! ✨

Bountiful instruments, Deadpool fan art, Southwest leather, nostalgic shoe charms, and more! All of these items are available to MFTA members — FREE of charge. You read that right! At Materials for the Arts, we open our doors every Tuesday and Thursday to roughly 5,000 member organizations so that they can access our 35,000-square-foot warehouse of goodies without spending a dime. It doesn’t get better than that!

If you’re not a member and are curious about eligibility requirements, visit nyc.gov/mfta. 🛒

❗️Please note: the shoppers in displayed in these photos are not up for grabs. 😋

Join us on Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 6:30 – 8:30pm for a T-shirt silkscreen workshop and closing event for “Lucky...
08/20/2026

Join us on Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 6:30 – 8:30pm for a T-shirt silkscreen workshop and closing event for “Lucky Finds: Second Chances,” an exhibition of works by MFTA Designer-in-Residence Scooter LaForge.

In his exhibition at the MFTA Gallery, “Lucky Finds: Second Chances,” LaForge uses his signature brightly colored painting style, incorporating pop culture imagery, illustrations, and found objects to create stunning artworks. By exploring and juxtaposing the different reused materials available in the MFTA warehouse, LaForge incorporates the many imbued meanings found in everything from children’s book illustrations to comic books, to plastic jack o’ lanterns, to old couches, to leather jackets, and much more.

Enjoy the last weeks of this MFTA Gallery exhibition, which remains on view through September 17, 2026.

Thursday, September 3 | 6:30 – 8:30pm
33-00 Northern Blvd, 3rd fl.
Long Island City, NY 11101

👉RSVP at the link in bio!

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New York, NY
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