Materials For The Arts Unveils New Logo And Visual Identity, Launches Campaign To Raise Awareness

Materials for the Arts (MFTA) – a program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) – is unveiling a brand-new logo and visual identity, designed by renowned global design firm Pentagram. The unveiling for the new logo will take place at a ceremony in Times Square from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, where MFTA donor American Eagle Outfitters provided space on their massive screens overlooking Duffy Square for the new logo and branding's official debut.  

To coincide with the release of the new visual identity, MFTA is also launching a broader campaign to raise awareness of its wide range of programs and services. In addition to providing free material to 4,400+ member schools, nonprofits, and city agencies from its 35,000 square-foot Long Island City warehouse, MFTA's Education Center, artist and designer residencies, field trip and volunteer programs, in-school residencies, public programs, and more offer a full range of activities and services that can help everyone contribute to a cleaner, greener, more creative New York. MFTA and its nonprofit partner, Friends of Materials for the Arts, also announced $50,000 in new grants from Southwest Airlines and Sony Corporation of America today to boost this broad range of initiatives.  

“Within NYC's cultural community, MFTA is beloved beyond measure, with artists, educators, public servants, and so many more people flocking to The Warehouse for its incredible programs, exhibitions, and of course – free stuff,” said NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “The Department of Cultural Affairs is so proud of this program, and we're thrilled to join our MFTA family to launch this awareness campaign and new logo so that even more New Yorkers can understand and take advantage of its one-of-a-kind services. From diverting high quality items from the waste stream, to providing materials in support of free and low-cost programming, to providing educators with incredible training and curricula, MFTA does it all. We know it, and now everyone else will, too!!”  
 
“We're thrilled to unveil MFTA's new logo and rebranding, as we invite more New Yorkers to engage with Materials for the Arts and our work fostering a cleaner, greener, more creative NYC,” said Materials for the Arts Executive Director Tara Sansone. “Pentagram's rebrand propels MFTA into the future, and I thank them for so beautifully capturing MFTA's essence in their designs. I extend my gratitude to the Times Square Alliance and our supporters at American Eagle Outfitters for working with us to celebrate this moment at the Crossroads of the World—Times Square!”  

“New York City is fortunate to have a program that not only connects artists young and old to the materials they need for free, but also gives a second life to stuff that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Materials for the Arts is an incredible equity and sustainability initiative,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “This is an example of the circular economy that other sectors and cities should look to for impactful inspiration.” 

The awareness campaign will include displays on LinkNYC kiosks throughout the city; displays on bus shelters; programming partnerships with NYC Schools' arts office to raise awareness among educators; and a digital campaign encouraging current members to share their experiences with MFTA and why it's valuable to them. MFTA increased the amount of donated material from 465,619 pounds in 2020 to 1,742,387 pounds in 2023, and is poised to serve and engage even more New Yorkers with its wide-ranging services. 

MFTA's new logo represents a thoughtful progression from its beloved, M-shaped logo, which is being retired after 30 years in service (it was introduced in 1993, and received an update in 1999). The new iteration distills elements from its predecessor, which included illustrations of a screw, wrench, and pencil to represent tools for artists and set-builders, along with a column as a nod to the many theater groups that utilize MFTA's supplies. The new logo lockups feature an M made from modern abstractions of materials. The identity exudes vigor and creativity while remaining pragmatic and bold to help MFTA stand out in noisy environments. The vibrant yellow draws inspiration from the iconic yellow bins on MFTA's shelves, and pays homage to NYC taxi cabs, school buses, and to the city's vibrant essence. 

"Following MFTA's lead, we've recycled the old logo which, like the institution, was much loved,” said Pentagram Partner and Project Lead Luke Hayman. “The essence of the idea remains but now abstracted, broadening what each ‘leg' of the M represents. The new version now reproduces well across all applications, from small icons on phone screens all the way up to Times Square billboards and can animate too!" 

MFTA also recently created two new staff positions in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) whose roles will be to expand partnerships with the city's film, TV, and theater communities. These industries have long been important donors to MFTA (as well as members, in the case of non-profit theaters). With these two new positions, MFTA, DCLA, and MOME will work with their partners in these sectors to increase the amount of materials that are diverted from the waste stream into The Warehouse, in turn fueling NYC's cultural community. Since 2019, donations from the TV and film industry have brought in over 1 million pounds of materials to MFTA. The awareness campaign launched today and running throughout the year will further bolster work toward these goals.  

"We are thrilled to join DCLA in support of Materials for the Arts and their mission to reduce waste in the creative sectors," said the Commissioner for the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Pat Swinney Kaufman. "MOME is committed to working alongside local productions to make NYC's world-renowned film and TV industry more sustainable through programs such as NYC Film Green and Materials for the Arts, and hopes to help many more productions join the circular economy." 

In recent years, MFTA has strengthened its ties with the film and TV industry, connecting with production teams to host MFTA's first-ever offsite shopping events, which welcomed hundreds of member groups to shop at prop warehouses, including events to pick up props from Showtime's City on a Hill, Amazon Prime's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, HBO's Gossip Girl, and others. HBO's Succession alone donated nearly $3 million worth of wardrobe and props items to the MFTA warehouse, joining the myriad of props, sets, and other materials made available to MFTA members, free of charge. For instance, wardrobe that had been used on the set of Succession was donated via MFTA to the NYC Administration for Children's Services, where constituents were able to use the high-quality clothing for job interviews.  

Members of NYC's iconic theater community have a longstanding, dynamic relationship with MFTA, something that's being highlighted with the logo reveal in Times Square, the heart of the theater district. Theaters are both major donors and recipients to MFTA. Last year, MFTA received donations from NYC's longest-running Broadway show Phantom of the Opera, while the program also contributed supplies for Wolf Play's massive prop wall and Psychic Self Defense's stunning backdrops and costumes. 

MFTA's new branding provides a new platform to amplify its incredible work diverse programs. In addition to providing free materials for its 4,400+ member organizations, MFTA has grown its programming, with support from its nonprofit partner, Friends of Materials for the Arts, to encompass a wide range of services for educators, artists, and the city's cultural sector. These include the vast programming offered by the organization's Education Center, including professional development P-Credit courses for educators, over 200 field trips yearly (many of which are offered free of charge), in-school residencies, Artists-in-Residence and Designer-in-Residence programs, and the MFTA gallery.  

With creative reuse and arts education at the core of its mission, MFTA has a longstanding partnership with the NYC Department of Education's Arts Office, and MFTA's regular visitors include educators from over 1,800 member schools.  

The New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Arts Office reaffirms its unwavering support for Materials for the Arts, an invaluable resource enriching arts education across the city," said Paul Thompson, NYC Public Schools Arts Office Executive Director. As an essential partner in nurturing creativity and sustainability, MFTA plays a pivotal role in fostering artistic expression and environmental stewardship within our schools and communities. MFTA's commitment to providing free materials to educators, artists, and cultural organizations aligns seamlessly with the Arts Office's mission to ensure equitable access to high-quality arts education for all students.   

In recent years, Materials for the Arts has expanded its mission to encompass serving the needs of New Yorkers more broadly, from providing fabric to make masks during the pandemic and serving as a location for cultural organizations to pick up PPE, to providing clothing and supplies to the NYC Administration for Children's Services, NYC Homeless Services, and working alongside city partners and community groups to support asylum seekers. MFTA is a part of DCLA's and the city's broader commitment to supporting its cultural community and investing in affordable, accessible cultural programing while fostering a cleaner, greener, more creative NYC.   

The logo unveiling event in Times Square, in addition to featuring the new logo on American Eagle's towering screens at regular intervals, will feature performances by Frederick Douglass Academy's Harlem Samba and Tropicalfete.  

About Materials for the Arts (MFTA) 

A program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, with support from the NYC Department of Education and Friends of Materials for the Arts, MFTA is NYC's largest reuse center supporting nonprofits with arts programming, public schools and city agencies. On average MFTA collects over 1.5 million pounds of supplies each year which it provides, free of charge, to its member organizations. In addition to providing materials, MFTA offers a series of programs supported by its non-profit partner Friends of Materials for the Arts, including the MFTA Gallery, Third Thursday public programming, and the MFTA Education Center. Learn more at www.nyc.gov/mfta.  

About NYC Department of Cultural Affairs  

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is dedicated to supporting and strengthening New York City's vibrant cultural life. DCLA works to promote and advocate for quality arts programming and to articulate the contribution made by the cultural community to the City's vitality. The Department represents and serves nonprofit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary, and performing arts; public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens, and historic and preservation societies; and creative artists at all skill levels who live and work within the City's five boroughs. DCLA also provides donated materials for arts programs offered by the public schools and cultural and social service groups, and commissions permanent works of public art at City-funded construction projects throughout the five boroughs. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/culture.