Harriet Taub

Harriet Taub recently retired from her role as Executive Director at Materials for the Arts (MFTA), NYC’s premier creative reuse center. MFTA’s mission is to collect a wide variety of materials from businesses and individuals and make them available for free to members of nonprofit arts and cultural groups in NYC. She was originally hired to lead MFTA’s efforts to add NYC’s public school teachers to the roster of eligible members.

In 1998, when she began working at MFTA, she soon realized that many of the newest members were unsure how to repurpose the materials found at the MFTA warehouse and the idea for creating an Education Center was hatched. Now, not only are educators able to explore and learn ways to introduce creative reuse projects into their classrooms, but students are welcome for free field trips, online lessons, and public workshops. For her efforts to advance sustainability and creativity across NYC, in 2017, Harriet was the recipient of a Sloan Award for public service given to a select number of NYC employees every year. While at MFTA, Harriet founded Friends of Materials for the Arts, a non-profit organization that funds initiatives and programs to expand MFTA’s services such as the Art Gallery, Artist in Residence Program, and citywide community events. Before her work in City government, Harriet ran her own children’s clothing company, Bumblewear.

After graduating from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in arts education, she worked in film and television in NYC and London. She produced a documentary in the Dominican Republic, Sosua, Haven in the Caribbean, about a community founded during WWII to save Jews fleeing the Holocaust.

Locally, Harriet is involved with The Lighthouse, a nonprofit organization that offers a safe haven for recent asylum seekers and refugees released from ICE detention. She also volunteers with her synagogue and serves on the Refugee Committee. Additionally, she has returned to her roots and is making children’s clothing for sale at local specialty shops. She exercises regularly, cooks and bakes for her family, and has given up red meat to stay healthy.

Harriet lives in Jersey City with her husband and travels often to Toronto to be with her grandchildren.