News and Press Releases

For Immediate Release: October 3, 2025

Contact: publicaffairs@culture.nyc.gov - (929) 313-7624

MATERIALS FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS “MANOS QUE TEJEN LUZ,” A NEW EXHIBITION BY MFTA ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE MAGDA LOVE 

A free public opening event with the artist will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Additional photos of “Manos Que Tejen Luz” and Magda Love at MFTA are available for download here.

MFTA Artist-in-Residence Magda Love in the MFTA artist studio. Photo courtesy of MFTA.

Queens, NY — Materials for the Arts (MFTA) is pleased to present “Manos Que Tejen Luz,” a new solo exhibition by MFTA Artist-in-Residence Magda Love, which translates in English to “Hands that Weave Light.” The exhibition will be on view at the MFTA Gallery from October 16 through January 8, 2026. Known for creating the largest mural in NYC - a five-story mural painted on the exterior of City-As-School - Love strives to inspire emotional connectivity and remind viewers that art exists within and around us. Now, for her residency at MFTA, Love has chosen to spread light by creating an immersive tapestry installation of colossal proportions that consumes the entire MFTA Gallery. Draped throughout the space, from floor to ceiling, “Manos Que Tejen Luz” will take viewers on a journey through the night into dawn.

"Magda Love's work exemplifies art as community engagement. She shows us that creativity can be a thread that sews ties between people, stories, and spaces," said NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. "Through vibrant color, reclaimed materials, and collective hands, 'Manos Que Tejen Luz' is a tapestry of connection and a reflection of our shared need for communal bonds. Materials for the Arts continues to demonstrate how creative reuse can fuel the imagination and build stronger, more connected communities."

“Magda Love's murals and sculptural practice celebrate humanity and the possibilities for spiritual connectivity,” said MFTA Executive Director Tara Sansone. “Within moments of settling into her residency at MFTA, she was engaging with our volunteers, members, staff, corporate donors and stakeholders to assist in creating a tapestry that would connect us through her art.”

“One of the most enriching aspects of my residency at MFTA has been the program’s immense spirit of community and the synergy of energy created from all of the people and materials that come through those warehouse doors,” said MFTA Artist-in-Residence Magda Love. “During my time here, I’ve confronted how we as people and artists utilize our resources, how we consume and discard, and the creativity required to find new purpose in these second-hand materials. We can consume, or we can create, and at MFTA, there is an abundance of opportunities for the latter. ‘Manos Que Tejen Luz’ takes us on a journey back to paradise, walking viewers through the night and into a multicolored sunrise at the entrance of MFTA’s warehouse, which serves as a light for many artists and institutions across NYC.”  

From murals wrapped around buildings to food trucks reimagined and boats with colorful sails at Miami Art Basel: Magda Love uses the world around her as her canvas. Now, at MFTA, the artist has turned her gaze to a more sensory experience, experimenting with mixed media. Yarn, beading, fabric, and feathers are just some of the materials Love has incorporated into her work as she explored MFTA’s 35,000-square-foot warehouse, a treasure trove of free supplies. Made of multicolored panels stitched together, “Manos Que Tejen Luz” depicts an Edenic landscape replete with flora and fauna. In creating this naturalistic scenery, Love transports viewers into a playful garden paradise—a collaborative artwork that exists within an ecosystem of care, nurturing, and belonging. 

As a part of their residency, MFTA Artists-in-Residence have access to an entire studio space within the warehouse to develop their work. For her large-scale tapestry project, Magda Love has used MFTA’s newly renovated designer space as the hub for her practice. The tapestry will stretch throughout MFTA’s nearly 90-foot-long gallery space. The mural’s many hues have spilled out of Love’s studio space and spread across the 4,000-square-foot collaborative space designed by renowned architecture firm, CO Adaptive. Here, dozens of volunteers have collaborated with the Artist-in-Residence, stitching, weaving, painting each and every detail of this mosaic multisensory artwork. From corporate volunteers to former MFTA Artists-in-Residence to community organizers, these individuals’ labor of love will be formally recognized as contributors to the exhibition with each name displayed, demonstrating the immense effort exerted in creating this massive artwork.

MFTA will celebrate the opening of “Manos Que Tejen Luz” with a free public event on Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., where attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the artist as they experience her work. “Manos Que Tejen Luz” by Magda Love will be on view at Materials for the Arts Gallery through January 8, 2025, welcoming visitors Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to this exhibition is free and open to the public.

For over a decade, MFTA's Artist-in-Residence program has supported artists who incorporate reuse into their creative practice, offering them free studio space, a stipend, and access to the warehouse’s vast collection of donated materials. These resources have fueled New York City's arts community since MFTA was founded in 1978. Each MFTA artist residency culminates in a solo exhibition at the MFTA Gallery, which inspires thousands of educators, students, artists, nonprofits, and social service organizations. Visitors are encouraged to explore the creative potential of nontraditional materials and discover how these objects can transform into art.

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About Magda Love

Magda Love, also known as Maria Magdalena Marcenaro, is an Argentinean visual artist and muralist. Renowned for painting one of the largest murals in NYC, her captivating artwork celebrates the beauty of nature and the depth of the human experience. Magda Love’s notable collaborations include Google, Vitamin Water, Red Bull, W Hotels, and Johnnie Walker, leaving an indelible mark on cityscapes worldwide. Her commitment to community engagement and educational projects has earned her recognition from the United Nations, TEDx Fulton ST, MOMA PS1, the Carole Feuerman Foundation, the Broward County Cultural Division Innovation Grant, Catholic Charities, The JPB Foundation, and the Sustainable Arts Foundation. Learn more at magdaloveart.com.

About Materials for the Arts (MFTA)

A program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, with support from the 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. MFTA collects millions of pounds of supplies each year which it provides, free of charge, to its member organizations. In addition to providing materials, MFTA has the MFTA Education Center, Gallery, Artist-in-Residence and Designer-in-Residence programs, and Third Thursday public programming, which are supported by Friends of Materials for the Arts. Learn more at nyc.gov/mfta.