FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 15, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 33
Long Island City’s Materials for
the Arts launches citywide tour
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Legendary singer and songwriter
Paul Simon became so enamored with
Materials for the Arts (MFTA) during a
tour of its Long Island City facility that
the Kew Gardens native played a benefi
t concert in the warehouse on Northern
Boulevard in 2017. Following a New
York Rangers victory in the Winter
Classic at Citi Field in 2018, the NHL
donated nearly 18,000 square feet of plywood
that was used to build the outdoor
hockey rink to MFTA, an organization
that collects unneeded items from businesses
and individuals and fi nds where
they can be useful.
Now, as part of the Summer of NYC,
the city program run by the Department
of Cultural Aff airs will launch the MFTA
Citywide Tour, distributing free supplies
throughout the fi ve boroughs during the
month of July.
While members have visited the MFTA
in person for decades, and MFTA’s
Curbside Pickup program has continued
to serve the arts community during the
pandemic, the MFTA Citywide Tour is a
new initiative to ensure that arts groups,
public schools and other cultural organizations
have the tools they need to help
New Yorkers reconnect and revive communities
across the city.
“Arts and culture contribute to healthy
communities, and they are critical pieces
of New York City’s recovery from the
pandemic,” NYC Department of Cultural
Aff airs Deputy Commissioner Sheelah
Feinberg said. “Th roughout the MFTA
Citywide Tour, we are helping ensure
that arts educators and cultural workers
have direct, local access to an amazing
Materials for the Arts in Long Island City is embarking on its fi rst-ever citywide tour to distribute supplies to public schools, art educators and cultural
organizations.
range of free supplies. MFTA gives
them the tools they need to connect New
Yorkers with cultural programs throughout
the Summer of NYC.”
Th roughout the rest of July, MFTA’s
freight truck, fi lled with markers, paper,
ribbons, fabric, furniture, offi ce supplies
and other reusable materials, will visit
neighborhoods in each borough, targeting
areas that might have a harder time
accessing transportation to MFTA’s facility
at 33-00 Northern Blvd. At designated
stops, staff will provide materials to
MFTA member arts organizations and
DOE schools and, as always, the supplies
will be provided free of charge.
“We are overjoyed to provide materials
needed to support dynamic arts programming
across the fi ve boroughs, as
our city’s art organizations and institutions
reopen, and schools begin summer
programming,” Materials for the
Arts Managing Director Tara Sansone
said. “It is necessary to support the arts
in every corner of NYC, and we are especially
proud to bring supplies to communities
across the city.”
In order to demonstrate how to use the
unique variety of materials off ered, the
MFTA Education team will off er handson
workshops teaching shoppers how to
Photos courtesy of MFTA
incorporate nontraditional art materials
into projects. NYC nonprofi ts, arts organizations,
and schools interested in receiving
supplies should visit MFTA’s website.
“It is so exciting for DOE schools
citywide to have greater access to supplies
and programming that supports
arts education, especially in this
time of reinvigoration and recovery,”
NYC DOE Director of Sustainability
Meredith McDermott said. “Th e mission
and knowledge that MFTA provides
is unique, immersive, and also creatively
supports sustainability. We are so grateful
to our partners at MFTA for providing
this Citywide Tour, as it will certainly
allow more students and educators to
reconnect through memorable, enjoyable
teaching and learning this summer
and beyond.”
buzz
“We are overjoyed to provide materials needed
to support dynamic arts programming across
the fi ve boroughs, as our city’s art organizations
and institutions reopen, and schools
begin summer programming.”
— Materials for the Arts Managing Director Tara Sansone
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