Materials for the Arts

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Materials for the Arts is a program of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs that provides free "new and gently used donated supplies to artists, nonprofit groups, and public schools."[1] Its current executive director is Harriet Taub.

Established in 1979 by artist Angela Fremont, it was described by The New York Times as "like a Kmart reimagined as Pee-wee's Big Adventure."[2] Located in a 25,000-square-foot warehouse in Long Island City, its shelves are "stocked with things like toaster ovens, rugs, theater curtains, yarn, paint and toothbrushes."[3] Considered to be one of the largest reuse centers in the country, the program redistributes more than $6 million in supplies a year, gathering "donations from fashion houses, television production companies and big-name corporations like Estée Lauder."[4][5] According to its website, the program also removes "hundreds of tons from the waste stream every year and [keeps it] out of landfills, which helps sustain our environment, promote reuse, and reduce waste."[6]

## External links

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* Official link on NYC.gov

## Notes

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1. ^ FERNANDA SANTOS (February 28, 2011). "For Schools, Free Art Supplies, and Much More". The New York Times.
2. ^ ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS (November 30, 2001). "Warehouse Holds Trove for Artists; Need 50,000 Buttons? They're Here, and Free". The New York Times.
3. ^ BARBARA WHITAKER (November 14, 2005). "From the Trash, a Treasure Chest for the Creative". The New York Times.
4. ^ "Cash for trash: Reuse stores make use of refuse". NBC News. March 13, 2009.
5. ^ "Materials For The Arts Distributes Free Supplies To Artists And Public Schools". NY1. July 20, 2006. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013.
6. ^ "Materials For The Arts About Us". Official Site. Retrieved November 1, 2012.

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