‘Tis the season to shop for the art lover in your life. Not everyone can afford to buy an original piece of museum-worthy artwork, but luckily, the gift shops of these august institutions make for fertile shopping ground. With art-related items available in a range of prices, trinkets abound. Here’s a look at our picks from museum shops across the world. Happy Holidays!
Mondrian x Just Dutch: Miffy. The stuffed animals are for sale for $40 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Photo courtesy of Just Dutch.
WHAT: Mondrian x Just Dutch: Miffy
WHERE: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
WHAT IS IT: A collection of pint-sized handmade crocheted stuffed animals in tiny, adorable outfits inspired by Miffy, the cartoon bunny created by Dutch artist Dick Bruna, and the bold Neo-plasticism abstractions of his famed compatriot Piet Mondrian. You can buy Miffy, her brown bunny friend Melanie, or their pal Boris Bear. The company also does Henri Matisse, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, and several floral Vincent van Gogh versions; and Boris has his own The Night Watch look from the Rembrandt van Rijn masterpiece.
EXCLUSIVE: No
ARTNET TAKE: My friend purchased our two baby boys—born five months apart after nearly 19 years of friendship—matching Piet Mondrian-themed bunnies before I gave birth last Christmas Eve. I chose Melanie, because I worried that the white Miffy doll would get too dirty. But they are both incredibly cute, and I love giving my son a toy that will (eventually) help him learn about art history. Plus, Just Dutch supports disadvantaged communities in Vietnam, hiring workers with disabilities as well as the elderly and housewives to make their natural organic cotton toys.
COST: $40
—Sarah Cascone
An image of The Met 123: A Counting Book of Art, a children’s counting board book. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art
WHAT: The Met 123: A Counting Book of Art
WHERE: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
EXCLUSIVE: No
WHAT IS IT: A children’s board book featuring pictures of items in the museum’s collection to teach children how to count.
ARTNET TAKE: This is the only thing I’ve ever purchased, so far, from the Met’s gift shop. My toddler daughter and I went into the bookstore during a walkthrough of the museum, and she got a little fussy. So I snagged this book off the shelf to keep her entertained, and it worked. We enjoy counting our way through this book several times a week.
COST: $12.99
—Adam Schrader
WHAT: Owl Earrings
WHERE: SAM Shop, Seattle Art Museum
EXCLUSIVE?: Yes
WHAT IS IT: An alluring pair of sterling silver owl-shaped earrings.
ARTNET TAKE: Made by artist and jeweler Julia Harrison, these posts are just one of the dozens of indie creators that the Seattle Art Museum’s gift shop showcases both online and in its gift shop. The perfect understated jewelry piece (also in the shop is a pair with rabbits and another with dwarf goats), if you’re looking to support small or local makers, the Seattle Art Museum’s shop is an amazing place to start. From ceramics and glassware to jewelry and textiles, there’s something for everyone on your list.
COST: $70
—Annikka Olsen
WHAT: MoMA NY Yankees Adjustable Baseball Cap
WHERE: Museum of Modern Art, New York
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: An adjustable baseball cap made by New Era, a company that’s been in the baseball cap business since the 1930s. Available in a variety of colors, the cap features the Yankees logo stitched on the front with the MoMA logo on the side of the cap.
ARTNET TAKE: This ball cap brings together two iconic New York powerhouses, MoMA and the Yankees in a classic, clean aesthetic but with a fun pop of color if you choose. I like it in Kelley Green, though there is an all-white version with glow-in-the-dark thread for the logo. I spy the hat out at Rockaway Beach during the summer… despite being in Mets territory. (Don’t worry: the Mets have a museum cap all their own).
COST: $32 (or $28.80 for members)
—Katie White
The Frick Women Notebook Set. Photo courtesy of the Frick Collection, New York.
WHAT: Women of the Frick Notebooks
WHERE: Frick Collection, New York
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHY WE LIKE IT: Ahead of the Frick’s much anticipated return to its storied—and now completely overhauled—original Fifth Avenue home—fans can take advantage of gifts based on iconic pieces in the collection. This new set of three Women of the Frick Notebooks features captivating portraits of female subjects in the museum’s collection. They include Portrait of a Woman by Giovanni Battista Moroni, Comtesse d’Haussonville by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and Julia, Lady Peel by Thomas Lawrence. The books feature blank and ruled pages, with sewn bindings and are perfect for either writing or sketching… or both.
COST: $20 for the set of three, individually $8 (member price: $16 for the set of three, individually $6.40)
—Eileen Kinsella
Courtesy the Fondation Beyeler
WHAT: Chocolate: Alberto Giacometti
WHERE: Fondation Beyeler, Riehen, Switzerland
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT? A chocolate bar from the esteemed Confiserie und Chocolatier Beschle aus Basel in a package sporting Alberto Giacometti’s L’Homme qui Marche II (1960), which resides in the collection of the Fondation Beyeler.
ARTNET TAKE: Alberto Giacometti’s good friend, Jean-Paul Sartre, famously wrote that the sculptor’s figures are “always mediating between nothingness and being”—a fine thought to mull as you enjoy world-class chocolate at an attractive price.
COST: CHF 4.90 (about $5.60)
—Andrew Russeth
Shaker oval boxes by Brent Rourke Designs at the American Folk Art Museum. Image courtesy American Folk Art Museum.
WHAT: Shaker Oval Boxes
WHERE: American Folk Art Museum, New York
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
COST: $150
WHY WE LIKE IT: Interest in Shaker culture is widespread at a time when the population has unfortunately dwindled to near-zero living members of the community. Design aficionados and others have long admired and sought their famously minimalistic and well-crafted furniture, remarkable for its clean lines.
The American Folk Art Museum gift shop is offering these classic boxes from Brent Rourke Designs. They’re crafted with traditional techniques and materials such as copper tacks and cherry wood. And if you haven’t yet had a chance to check it out, the museum’s “Anything But Simple,” show, featuring lesser-known and elaborate “gift” drawings, is on view through January 26, 2025, at the museum. An added bonus? Admission to the museum is always free.
—Eileen Kinsella
The National Gallery of Art, Davidsz de Heem: Vase of Flowers, Pajama Pants. Image courtesy National Gallery of Art.
WHAT: ‘Vase of Flowers’ Pajama Pants
WHERE: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: Still life is still no longer! A pair of sweatpants festooned with a great big image of Jan Davidsz de Heem’s Vase of Flowers (ca. 1660), from the museum’s collection, so that your legs appear to swarm with some of art history’s most beautiful flowers, butterflies, and snails. (It’s from a line of NGA sweatpants, which also include the Vincent Van Gogh and the Alma Thomas pant, if those are more your speed).
ARTNET TAKE: A bedtime look that proudly declares “Ars longa, vita brevis.”
COST: $40
—Ben Davis
Olafur Eliasson: OPEN Tote. Photo courtesy of MOCA Store.
WHAT: Olafur Eliasson: OPEN Tote
WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: A black tote bag featuring a handwritten artwork by Eliasson
ARTNET TAKE: Released to coincide with “OPEN,”Eliasson’s new show at MOCA, this tote is printed with Eliasson’s artistic approach to his kaleidoscopic practice. In it, he urges openness to things like “vulnerability,” “wonder,” and “fierce tenderness”—valuable creative prompts for fellow artists or perhaps anyone that happens to, um, open this bag.
COST: $32
—Min Chen
Prospect NY x Judy Chicago “Bigamy” Towel. Photo courtesy of the artist, ICA Miami and Prospect New York.
WHAT: Judy Chicago “Bigamy” Towel
WHERE: Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: A large, absorbent beach towel featuring Judy Chicago’s 1965 painting Bigamy Hood. Part of the artist’s impressive merchandise line, the towel was originally created with Prospect New York on the occasion of her 2018–19 survey at the ICA Miami.
ARTNET TAKE: As the only woman training in auto-body school, Chicago painted car hoods using a rainbow of bright colors and curvaceous, sometimes sexual forms. Bigamy Hood contains both a phallus and a broken heart, inspired by the deaths of the artist’s father, when she was 13, and first husband, when she was 23. I love that Chicago mastered the male-dominated art of auto body painting with her own feminist sensibilities, and I also love translating that imagery back to a soft, fluffy beach towel. Bonus points if you actually have somewhere warm to take it this winter.
COST: $65
—Sarah Cascone
The Wizard of Oz: Ruby Slippers prop replica. Photo courtesy of the Academy Museum.
WHAT: The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers Prop Replica
WHERE: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: A limited-edition, museum-quality replica of the ruby slippers the Judy Garland wore in the beloved 1939 film, created by Paragon FX Group in collaboration with Warner Bros.
ARTNET TAKE: Likely the most iconic footwear design in cinematic history, one of the few original ruby slippers has recently endured quite the saga, having been stolen, recovered, and auctioned off for millions. The Academy Museum houses another (more pristine) pair that was used in close-ups and is included in its current exhibition, “Color in Motion.” But now, you too can walk a mile in Dorothy’s shoes. These replicas have been recreated right down to the last red sequin and come complete with orange felt soles; they’re also only available in size 5, presumably to stay faithful to Garland’s dimensions.
COST: $349.99
—Min Chen
WHAT: LACMA Hand-Painted Sign Tote in Denim, Extra Large
WHERE: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: This denim bag “showcases the art of hand lettering and sign painting” as executed by Los Angeles artist Ben Klevay’s design company She Chimp.
ARTNET TAKE: Museum tote bags are a dime-a-dozen, but this one is unique in a few ways. First of all, it’s made from denim and not canvas, so you won’t have to worry as much about flimsy straps that easily break. Second of all, the hand-painted letter block evokes the very Los Angeles aesthetic of vintage billboard ads, which inspired some of the city’s greatest artists like Ed Ruscha and John Baldessari.
COST: $50
—Annie Armstrong
Rothko Playing Cards are available from the Tate Shop.
WHAT: Rothko Playing Cards
WHERE: Tate Modern, London, U.K.
EXCLUSIVE: No
WHAT IS IT: This deck of playing cards named after Mark Rothko features the famed post-war artist’s iconic color field paintings.
ARTNET TAKE: Rothko remains one of the most influential artists from the post-war era and his mystic color field paintings are still getting a lot of attractions both among art lovers and collectors. Besides major exhibitions on both sides of the pond, his yellow and blue painting commended $32.5 million at a Sotheby’s sale in Hong Kong. The price point of a Rothko painting is beyond most people’s reach, but gifting your art loving family and friends this beautifully designed deck of playing cards, each card features one painting (almost) without repetition, will certainly certainly make them smile. And it does not hurt your wallet.
COST: £7.5 ($9.57)
– Vivienne Chow
Guggenheim Bauhaus Mobile by Flensted. Photo courtesy of the Guggenheim Museum Store.
WHAT: Bauhaus Mobile by Flensted
WHERE: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: A large mobile created by Danish company Flented exclusively for the museum, hung with geometric fiberboard forms, in a tribute to the Bauhaus.
ARTNET TAKE: Do you like Calder’s mobiles? Do you also like the Bauhaus? If so, here’s one for your Christmas wishlist. Not just a stunner, this mobile nails the school’s principles, evoking a stark elegance, minimalism, and balance in its asymmetry. The plates also spin to reveal different hues—all of them primary colors beloved by Walter Gropius and crew.
COST: $210
—Min Chen
Nicole Eisenman tea towel by L+M. Image courtesy House of Voltaire.
WHAT: Nicole Eisenman tea towel by L+M
WHERE: House of Voltaire shop at Studio Voltaire, London, U.K.
EXCLUSIVE: Yes
WHAT IS IT: A linen tea towel featuring an original etching by Nicole Eisenman.
ARTNET TAKE: A tea towel may merely be for drying dishes and wiping spills, yet it is only the unimaginative cook who settles for a bland white or checked option. Unfortunately, most designs on the market lean a little twee… Thankfully, American artist Nicole Eisenman has rescued those who want their kitchenware to signal their status as a more worldly sophisticate with this etching of a rather surly cigar smoker. It is one of many arty accessories and limited edition prints by the most of-the-moment artists to be offered by House of Voltaire.
COST: £20 ($25)
—Jo Lawson-Tancred