MFTA Artist-in-Residence Kate Rusek’s Boundary Layer

Kate Rusek’s creative practice engages intimately with the discarded. From practical materials like hard plastics and nylon, to more unconventional arts media, such as aluminum blinds, mascara wands, and microplastic dust, Rusek’s work transmutes ‘waste’ into maximalist organic structures that interrogate assigned value, material narrative, and the binary between what’s ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural.’

Materials for the Arts is New York City’s Creative Reuse center. From our warehouse to all five boroughs, we connect and inspire local students and teachers, artists and non-profits, with free materials to imagine a more creative and sustainable future.

The City of New York funds infrastructural and operational costs for MFTA, and it falls upon Friends of Materials for the Arts (FOMA), MFTA’s nonprofit partner, to support other initiatives to reach a broader audience through our Education Center which reaches thousands of people by hosting our Artists-in-Residence program, Designer-in-Residence Program, Gallery program, Third Thursday program, Professional Development program and Field Trip/In-School Residency programs.

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What’s Happening

Third Thursday Programming
Explore all the warehouse has to offer while engaging in art-making workshops, art talks, gallery openings, and more.

P-Credit Courses and Workshops
Strengthen your teaching practice with arts integration while earning P-credits and CTLE hours.

Volunteer at Materials for the Arts

MFTA relies upon volunteers to keep our 35,000 square foot warehouse organized. Join our roster of volunteers rangingfrom corporate groups and retirees to college students and nonprofit community organizations in making a difference in our warehouse and across New York City.

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Donations

MFTA’s mission is to collect materials, keep them out of the landfill, and put them in the hands of arts nonprofits, public schools, city agencies, and social service and social justice organizations across the five boroughs. Thanks to donations from businesses and individuals — like you — MFTA is helping those in need while contributing to a cleaner, greener world.