Materials for the Arts and for Melindas, Too!

What better way to kick off summer than by doing arts and crafts? (Hint:  The answer is none.  None better way.)  We visited Materials for the Arts, a wonderful organization serving non-profits all over the 5 boroughs. www.mfta.org.

The organization has been around for 35 years and it basically works like this:  Folks donate materials (hence the name Materials for the Arts) these can include paper, fabric, jewelry, old office supplies.  You name it, they got it!  They receive a lot of stuff from television and film sets when productions end, Steinway is a donor, etc.  If you are part of a non-profit you can come on down to Queens and shop there for free!  That’s right, take whatever you like.  All they ask is that you write a nice thank you note to the folks who donated the materials you’re taking.  Simple huh?  Lots of theatre groups go to there for props and fabric to make costumes and they donate everything back when their productions end.  Win-win.  Teachers can shop there, too.  They also offer courses for teachers and do professional development classes.  School groups come in for workshops and tours as well.  Neat-o!

So we made like a school group and did a little mosaic arts and crafts project.  As you can see, it rocked.

What I lack in photography skills I make up for in…something.

Main Takeaway: Schools are so underfunded, it’s awesome that there’s a place that teachers can go to, not just for physical materials but for classes and workshops as well.  Those mosaics don’t just make themselves, you know.

Personal Takeaway:  As a non-artsy and craftsy person I could’ve used more things like this when I was a kid.  Take your school group to Materials for the Arts.  You won’t regret it.

Inappropriate Takeaway:  I did have to resist the urge to fake having a non-profit so I could shop there for stuff.  You know, for me. Don’t worry, the angel on my shoulder won this round and I did no such thing.  But I thought about it.  I thought about it a lot.