Founded in 1978, Materials for the Arts, is New York City’s largest Creative Reuse center dedicated to supporting arts and cultural organizations. Since its inclusion of public schools as members in 1998, MFTA is proud to be the largest provider of free materials to the NYC Department of Education, as well. Millions of students, audience members, choreographers, dancers, actors, set designers, art therapists, after-school providers, hospital staff, social justice organizations and senior citizens have been positively impacted by the work of Materials for the Arts.

Today, MFTA’s donation cycle diverts over 1.7 million pounds of materials from landfills. These quality goods are redistributed and made available to our 7,000+ recipient organizations, such as non-profits and NYC schools, free-of-charge. The City of New York funds infrastructural and operational costs for MFTA, and it falls upon Friends of Materials for the Arts, MFTA’s nonprofit partner, to support other initiatives to reach a broader audience through our Education Center which hosts our Artists in Residence program, Designer in Residence program, Junior Designer in Residence program, Gallery program, Third Thursdays program, Outside Community programs, Professional Development program and Field Trip/In School Residency programs.

Friday Tours: Every hour, on the hour from 12-5pm, with the last tour beginning at 5pm

Looking for a place to grab a bite or a drink while you’re exploring? Check out The Infatuation’s top Long Island City picks.