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2 MFTA warehouse in Long Island.

3 So many wooden beads!

4 Boxes filled with shoes

5 Oversize boxing gloves

6 I'd love to know where these pink sheep came from!

7 I love this old raffle machine.

8 Zippers (donated by Marc Jacobs!)

9 Carpet donated by Saturday Night Live.

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11 Artwork from the Recycle Education Program

12 Our donation bin in the Craft Room.

The crafts room is certainly brimming with supplies, but if some of you are ever curious about what we do with supplies we don't need, I thought I would share with you a wonderful program called Materials for the Arts. Founded in 1978, MFTA supplies literally thousands of New York public schools and community art and cultural organizations with a range of supplies. It takes unwanted or excess materials from companies (like us!) and individuals who no longer have a use for them and turns them into valuable supplies for people that do.

One of my favorite parts about MFTA is its Reuse Education Center, a program held at the company's Warehouse that focuses on the process of making art with readily available or recycled materials (something we know a thing or two about here!)

We have a big bin in the crafts room where we pile materials en route to MFTA. It seems to fill up every time it's emptied. If you have excess supplies in your crafts room at home, it's really easy to donate. Join the club!

Images courtesy of MFTA.

Posted by Laura Kaesshaefer on June 22, 2011 in Around Town, Photo Galleries