Sadie-2/25/09-Materials for the Arts
On wednesday, Sarah B. Maddie, Surayya (the leader) and I took a very confuzing train ride up to Long Island City, to have our first meeting with Materials for the Arts: volunteer coordinator: Johnese Wilson, direct donations coordinator: Ahmed Tigani, and deputy director: Chelsea Romersa. After taking a quick snack break at the “lunch area” we took an elevator to the third floor. As we passed through a couple hallways i started to see more and more pieces of artwork and signs that creativity was close.
As we stepped through the warehouse doors, I already had flung out my camera and was snapping away. When you first went in there were cases of artwork and the walls decorated with innovative ideas. As we walked down alittle farther we turned to our lefts only to discover a HUUUUGE warehouse, there were isles going down the the whole place. It resembled a regular store with odd objects, anything you could think off was there: beads, paper, cloth, backdrops, tubes, costums, fake knights, left over christmas trees, fake flowers, tiles, socks, hats, shopping carts (for taking or using to collect), furnature, TV’s, shelves, filing cabenets and more…
When we made our way down the neverending warehouse, we made a right into the Office area. Which we were then led into another confrency room. We sat there gossiping about the amazing things we saw. Then after about 5 mins the Deputy Director came in with a very strict face, and we could tell that it was time to put our sirous faces on. Her name was Chelsea and was kind of scary. She quickly told us to fill out forms and asked us a couple questions. When she left the Direct Donations Coordinator, Ahmed Tigani came in and relaxed us by saying that was just a test (official interview) and that we had passed.
Then he gave us more information about the organization: it has been around for 30 years, and the basic meaning of the organization is that they resive donations of the items i listed before from donars. They have very strict rule about the items that they collect: 1. it can be no older than 4 years, 2. it has to have immediate life, 3. has to be in great condition. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays are their shopping day which are pretty hectic, (the shoppers cannot just come in whenever they want: they must become a member online by going through a questionair and other identification information then you have to scheduel an oppointment) THERE IS NO COST, EVERYTHING IS FREE, when you are all done you check out and are given the name of the doner of each object your taking and you have to write a thank you note to all of them. (they sometimes use the leftover items to help build a class room in a public school or something alomg those lines)
Our jobs as volunteers at the Materials for the Arts would be to (on non-shoping days) help fold and put things away. And on the shoping days we would help customers and maybe make a survey for the buyers to get information about the certain things that are bought more often, or what do theater companies buy, what do people want that there isnt at the warehouse.. and more (even about the costomers moods at the warehouse). Also while we are they they saide that we are open to making art projects or taking materials and testing with them.
After the “interview/conference” we were guided around the warehouse and show the categories and items that we would be working with or that we could use to make something to inspired the cutomers to take them. We have a huge list of projects and ideas that cannot wait to try. my brain is already exploding with ideas that we could pursue. I cannot wait to get back to that warehouse and do whatever i can to participate…just being in the inspiring atmosphere made my finger tingle with excitment.
Thank you
Sadie