SM
Museum Store A PUBLICATION of the museum store association
Pittsburgh Excursions: Opportunities to visit the area’s top attractions
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More than a Smile: Keen observation skills can up your customer service game
SPRING 2017
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Museum stores matter: Advocating for our profession
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$15
Spring 2017 | Volume 45 | Issue 1
Features
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Sharing Our Story
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Buyer’s Choice Awards
Advocacy is a top priority for MSA leadership, ensuring our future through education regarding the importance of museum stores to the public and to the museums’ themselves. Check out the nominees for the 2017 Buyer’s Choice Awards—and don’t miss your chance to vote at the 2017 MSA Retail Conference & Expo in April.
21 Primed for Pittsburgh
A preview of the locations we’ll visit during MSA Forward 2017–highlights of our host city, Pittsburgh. by Dana R. Butler
Articles & More 4 Letter from the Board President 5 Letter from the Executive Director 6 Industry Trends
With the advent of one-click purchasing, the magic word in retail is “now”—how can this mindset be used to your advantage in the year to come? by Andrew Andoniadis
8 Inspired Service
Memorable customer service is often a matter of paying attention and using your observations to connect with visitors and make a lasting impression.
Managing Editor
Dana R. Butler dbutler@museumstoreassociation.org ART DIRECTOR
Jeff Kimmel
Museum Store Association 100 N. 20th Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone (215) 320-4667 info@museumstoreassociation.org museumstoreassociation.org Museum Store magazine (ISSN 1040-6999) is published by the Museum Store Association. Museum Store Association and MSA are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Postmaster: Send address changes to Museum Store Association, 100 N. 20th Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19103 © 2017 Museum Store Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, no part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Museum Store Association. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Museum Store Association. Printed in the USA.
by Louis Roden
33 Member Story
The creation of the store at the Addison Gallery of American Art pushed an Administrative Assistant into a supervisory role in retail—one she’s loving.
On the Cover: The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. Photo: Andy Warhol Museum/VisitPittsburgh
35 Vendor Story
For 35 years, Museum Store Products has been recreating museum images on magnets, notecards, and more.
37 Donor Story
A note from Barbara Lenhardt, Director of Retail Operations, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
39 Community Updates 42 Ad Index
BUYER’S GUIDE 40 Buyer’s Guide: Made in America/Educational Products
We focus on two themes that are at the top of the list for any conscientious museum buyer.
M U S E U M S TO R E
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FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT
why we matter
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t’s not news to us that a museum store is an essential part of the overall museum experience. As one of the most popular and enjoyable aspects of a museum visit, the museum store offers guests the opportunity to take a piece of the museum home to inspire them and to further the educational encounter.
Why is it then that we, as museum professionals, often find ourselves having to explain and defend our very existence and worth to our own institutions? Further, why is the museum industry yet to fully realize and understand the meaning and value that a museum store can provide to extend the uniqueness of a museum visit beyond the physical and transactional experience? Many institutions, small and large, continue to have misconceptions and misunderstandings about the significance and contributions that their museum stores offer to the organizations and their patrons far in addition to the dollars earned and the “souvenirs” sold. How do we correct this misperception?
MSA Board of Directors President Stuart Hata de Young and Legion of Honor/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco San Francisco, CA first vice President Julie Steiner The Barnes Foundation Philadelphia, PA second vice president Ione Saroyan New York Historical Society Museum & Library New York, NY
The answer lies collectively within us: our singular association and our community of peers and friends. As industry experts who belong to the world’s oldest and most renowned trade organization dedicated to nonprofit retail, each and every one of us—as professionals and members of the Museum Store Association—must educate and inform our institutions about the value and importance of nonprofit retail with our curated products and offerings different from and in addition to that of experiencing the galleries, gardens, or performance spaces. We are responsible for ensuring everyone knows that we are much more than a “gift shop”—our museum stores are important educational, visitor service, and earned revenue departments for our institutions.
s e c r e ta r y Blue Anderson Columbia River Maritime Museum Astoria, OR
By taking a steadfast position of merit for our jobs and our work and engaging in active communication and open dialogue with members and allies, MSA has begun implementing the strategic goal of advocacy for our profession and positions. There are numerous projects on the drawing board that will involve everyone’s participation and input moving forward. A key component will be hearing your thoughts, listening to your voices, and seeing your presence, especially at MSA Forward 2017, the annual MSA Retail Conference & Expo, this April 21 to 24, in Pittsburgh, PA. I hope to see you there!
d i r e c t o r at l a r g e Susan Tudor Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens Jacksonville, FL
Museum stores matter, and we, as the professionals who operate and serve them, deserve the utmost respect and professional esteem as do any fellow museum industry colleagues. Spread the word about our hard work, successes, and the importance of our museum stores to your colleagues, your workplace, your customers, and to the world. Here’s to us!
treasurer Alice McAuliffe The Walters Art Museum Baltimore, MD
d i r e c t o r at l a r g e Chris Michel The National World War II Museum New Orleans, LA vendor member advisor David Graveen Popcorn Custom Products Glastonbury, CT vendor member advisor Paul Stewart-Stand Stewart/Stand
Stuart M. Hata MSA Board President
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MSA Staff E X ECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jason Harbonic A s s OCIATE D i r e c t o r , Marketing & C o m m u n i c at i o n s Allison Ebner A d m i n i s t r at i v e C o o r d i n at o r Alissa Jackson Meeting Manager Amy Valentin Director of Sales Alicia Muller
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connections
s the new Executive Director for the Museum Store Association, I knew part of the job would entail learning about not just the organization’s operations, structure, etc., but also the people. Associations ultimately rely on people for their survival. The members, volunteers, staff, and strategic partners all contribute to the success or failure of any association. Gradually, I met board members, volunteers, and members over the phone, in email communications, or during video conferences. I learned something about these people, and they started to learn about me. Although these virtual connections proved valuable, it wasn’t the complete picture of those dedicated to the success of MSA. I knew, after years of association experience, getting the full picture required in-person connections and face-to-face conversations. I had the opportunity to meet a couple of board members in person, and that proved helpful in understanding the challenges, as well as the opportunities, MSA is facing. Then, Allison Ebner, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, and I had the chance to attend the Western Chapter meeting and Las Vegas Market. We received a warm welcome at the chapter meeting and had the opportunity to participate in an in-depth discussion about membership retention and recruitment. More importantly, we got to meet members, both vendors and museum store professionals, and have oneon-one conversations in which we learned more about what they want from MSA, as well as why they think participation in MSA is as important as ever. We were encouraged by their passion and dedication to MSA. Las Vegas Market is an intimidating show to navigate for a first-timer, so we were fortunate to have MSA President Stuart Hata as a guide. Stuart provided invaluable insight into the science behind museum store retail as he took us on a tour of the show and introduced us to many MSA vendors and members. We also distributed information on MSA Forward 2017, the annual MSA Retail Conference & Expo, and membership to vendors who were unfamiliar with MSA, and we encouraged them to participate. Our last night in Las Vegas, we attended the MSA reception graciously provided by International Market Centers. It was another chance to meet more MSA members and make those crucial connections with people who, previously, we had only known through email or phone calls. My biggest takeaway from the Las Vegas trip was the importance of MSA’s role in connecting people who are eager to work collaboratively to overcome the challenges of nonprofit retailing. MSA is the only venue where museum stores and vendors can come together to address these issues and develop creative solutions. MSA also offers the only conference and expo dedicated solely to the needs of the museum store industry. MSA Forward 2017 is the perfect opportunity to make those personal connections that are so valuable. I urge you to consider attending the upcoming MSA Retail Conference & Expo in Pittsburgh. (Registration is available on-site after April 9.) I want to meet you in person so we can connect and work together to move MSA forward. Sincerely,
Jason M. Harbonic Executive Director M U S E U M S TO R E
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industry trends The merchandising and functionality of “now”
a
By Andrew Andoniadis
...museum stores may have more influence on the customer at a critical decision point than other retail venues.”
s we move further into 2017, is there a common theme among retail industry trends? Well, it isn’t part of every trend, but variations on “now” are certainly part of many. The customer, rather than the retailer, is clearly becoming more in charge by buying when they want—any day of the week and any time of day. Let’s look at some examples.
There is already some movement toward more local fulfillment, not just product selection, being a competitive point. During the year-end holidays at the Portland, Oregon, Nordstrom store, approximately 300 square feet was committed to shopping bags full of products ready for free, local, and immediate pick-up by customers who ordered online, through the catalog, or simply over the phone directly to the store. On January 18, Intel announced that it is going to invest $100M over five years in the Intel Responsive Retail Platform to provide “in-the-moment information about what customers are buying, what they want, and how to manage inventory so it arrives just in time for customers to take it home.” So what do these trends mean for museum stores? Facilitating “now” shopping is also becoming more critical because it can actually be executed, and some segments of the competition are already incorporating it. Perhaps this will lead to purchase opportunities as visitors move through the museum. For example, they may be able to instantly add items to a virtual shopping cart as they perceive the desire—not just at the end of the visit.
Image ©istock/monkeybusinessimages
In reality, a form of “now” has been a part of the museum store experience for decades. The nonprofit retail world knows that facilitating a “now” purchase is critical to building incremental sales. Incremental revenue may be diminished if more time elapses between the enjoyment and stimulation of an exhibition and when that enthusiasm is translated into a purchase. Special exhibitions and exit and pop-up shops can not only feature a compelling, focused product selection, but they can also deliver the selection at the moment the visitor’s interest may be keenest.
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For museum stores, the timing of this kind of product presentation helps to reduce comparative shopping by encouraging and then facilitating an immediate purchase. Many believe museum store book sales have been hurt less than the category in general because mission and exhibition-related books are available during or immediately after the museum experience. Still, part of the challenge of the “now” buying experience is that the store’s customers are also customers of other retail venues that may be moving toward or facilitating
“now” purchases faster and better than nonprofit retail outlets. As the digital buying experience becomes more exciting and accessible across multiple platforms, museum stores will have to keep up to be relevant. It may turn out that a brick-andmortar presence will be the least expensive to maintain (when electronic sales include incremental personnel, free shipping, packing materials, and some extra marketing) just as it becomes the least relevant to the buying public. At the same time, however, because the museum is delivering customers with a known common interest via exhibitions, special events, classes, and other means into a physical presence that has limited immediate competition, museum stores can flourish so long as they are able to execute the “now” transaction well. With luck, this may also help push integrated point-of-sale software companies to develop better retail components so that an extended relationship can be built with the customer.
• I n-store brand concessions are being expanded to help reduce inventories; however, it is a retail trend that can be difficult to execute in museum stores because of both the desire and UBIT requirement for mission-driven product selections. A bookseller could take over stocking books, but such an arrangement will be less attractive because of the focus on mission-related titles rather than hard- and soft-cover, fiction and nonfiction bestsellers. Similarly, if a greeting card concession partnered with a botanical garden, for example, it would be allowed to stock cards with botanical themes but not its usual bestselling sentiments related to holidays. Also, only a relatively small percentage of museum stores are big enough in both physical size and sales to make a partnership profitable.
So what’s the takeaway? Will museum stores disappear if they don’t keep up? Probably not, but maximizing the retail opportunity will become harder. The overriding question is how can museum stores retain their piece of the retail pie at that critical “now” point? Andrew Andoniadis is the Principal at Andoniadis Retail Services, a consulting company that has specialized in profitgenerating and function layout and design strategies for museum stores for 25 years. He can be reached at 503.629.9279, Andrew@MuseumStoreConsult.com or www.MuseumStoreConsult.com.
“Now” is also important from a functional perspective. The use of point-of-sale handheld devices and self checkout can expedite the buying process when the customer is ready. A long held retail adage is “when the customer is ready to go, the customer is ready to go!” The store must facilitate that desire. Because of the communal relationship between the museum visitor and the store at that point of “now” and as the technology of buying makes shopping easier, museum stores may have more influence on the customer at a critical decision point than other retail venues. A couple additional trend comments: • Branding looks to become a more important way to bond with the customer. In the nonprofit retail world, making sure the consumer knows the revenue generated through the store directly helps the institution further strengthens the bond. M U S E U M STO R E
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inspired service Small gestures writ large By Louis Roden
s
Fly on a plane, ride a train, purchase a book—all of these processes are executed via a transaction, one that is becoming more and more impersonal in the digital age. This impersonality is not only due to transactions occurring online, but can also be attributable to the ever-growing distracted, disassociated nature of our society—people texting each other while they are in the same room never fails to confuse me. In these digitally connected but personally disconnected times, inspired service is needed more than ever. The principal problem facing us as service providers and as consumers is not necessarily rude service although, as a frequent traveler, that alarmingly continues to be my experience. The real danger is cold, uncaring, and indifferent service. We call it the “nonexperience”—not ugly, but not pretty either—an experience that may be efficient and correct but also cold and distant, one in which the customer leaves neither sad nor happy, neither angry nor delighted, an experience that may fulfill a customer’s need but one that is also 100 percent forgettable.
image ©istock/kali9
Our goal as service providers is not only to meet our customers’ needs; it is to be considered, enjoyed, and even liked.”
ervice is an element that we are all a part of, whether as consumers or as service providers. From the grocery store to the airport, everyone is frequently part of these regular exchanges. This common experience, from newsstands to luxury boutiques, has become centered on the transaction, as the soul of service continues to subtly fade away.
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Our goal as service providers is not only to meet our customers’ needs; it is to be considered, enjoyed, and even liked. Leaving a restaurant satiated, leaving an airplane at your destination, or leaving a retail establishment with your purchase only completes a transaction; it does not create a memory.
The remarkable thing is that creating such memories is not the significant emotional task that many would believe or assume. When we think of inspired service, it is often in the context of a service provider doing something above and beyond the expected, often to the point of being heroic. We often hear the tales of some amazing service effort, such as saving someone with a medical emergency or navigating across town or country to return a forgotten passport. These activities are noble to be sure, yet they are also quite apparent in their evident need to be done. I am confident that even the most indifferent service professional would at least summon help for a heart attack victim or turn in a found passport to a supervisor—that is to say, we will do the right thing if opportunity screams at us, but what do we do when it only whispers? If the goal is to be memorable, we need to provide inspired service, and such service is rooted in subtlety, not the aforementioned heroics. It is not about scripting what we say or avoiding negative behaviors; it is not even about simply smiling and being pleasant—although such endeavors and the impression they leave are certainly the baseline. It is about applying one’s active power of observation. It is interesting how few people are actually effective observers. We often hear about eyewitness accounts of events, and many assume such accounts are the finest form of proof or evidence when, in reality, such accounts are not very reliable at all. Many people see the same occurrence and have a very different interpretation of what has occurred as the casual observer will
subconsciously filter in what they expect or wish to see and filter out what they do not. Conversely, trained observers are quite adept at adjusting—and even disabling—these filters in order to objectively assess an occurrence or situation. Service providers need to apply a version of trained observation in order to bring inspired service to life. Rather than simply execute the transaction, we need to look for the opportunities to interact. Noticing an interesting lapel pin, a sports team logo, a class ring, or anything over which to engage the customer is the simplest and most readily available observation to make. I always seek this level of interaction while traveling or shopping. In some cases, I find myself even overtly providing an opportunity for the service provider to interact with me in the hope of receiving the types of service that I train hotels, restaurants, and retailers around the world to do. All too often, I am disappointed. For example, I often use a credit card to pay for a service or an item. This particular credit card is emblazoned with a picture of my son when he was a baby—his big, beautiful smiling face spread across the front. I hand this card over to restaurant servers, bartenders, front desk agents, and retail associates all over the world—always curious to see if someone will comment on it. More than curious, I am hopeful that someone might simply say, “Excuse me sir, is this your baby?” or some form of acknowledgement. Unfortunately, that very rarely happens. Most all of the time, I get my card back, my document to sign, and an uninspired and insincere “have a nice day” dismissal.
These associates are not rude to me— they do not fail to provide their advertised service or product—they merely see me as a transaction. I enter, select my item, complete my purchase, and exit. Contract 100 percent completed, and transaction 100 percent forgotten. These episodes do not leave me angry; they do not send me straight to my iPhone Yelp app to decry foul service or exalt something delightful—they just leave me with nothing at all. And this “nothing” does not build loyalty. It does not whisper in my mind or in my heart to return, to frequent, to “come back soon” as the sticker on the door begs. I won’t remember their name or how they made me feel because they gave me no reason for recall and nothing at all to feel. But if they connect with me, if they notice the baby on my credit card—actually or metaphorically—then they will create a moment and a memory. This is not because they did something heroic, but because they did something that wasn’t about the transaction. So next time, I will stop by, I will remember them, and I will open my wallet again. They just need to give me a reason. They just need to notice me. Louis Roden is the Founder and Managing Partner of Inspire Consulting Group (ICG), an international consultancy dedicated to practical, reality-based leadership development programs, brand development, communication strategies, and exemplary service culture curriculums. ICG works with retailers, hospitality companies, and other service-based organizations throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
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sharing our story Advocating for your museum store Have you ever been complimented by a customer on how much he or she enjoys your museum store’s unique items or how your merchandise selection is so distinctively different from other retail stores? Or how nice it is to complete a museum visit with a store purchase that continues the learning experience? Or the pièce de résistance, someone says they enjoyed their museum store experience as much as they enjoyed their gallery experience? And you think, “If only my Executive Director or museum board could hear these visitors”—because you know these comments would favorably influence the strategic store decisions made by your museum leadership.
program to communicate to the world the value and importance of nonprofit retail with its curated products and unique experiences.” This goal is about sharing our story: the story of why museum stores matter.
A key focus area in the MSA 2016– 2019 Strategic Plan is advocacy. Goal No. 3 states, “Develop a strategic
•M useum stores connect people to our collections, building allies, and supporters.
• Museum stores are important business entities in our communities, providing mission-driven shopping and extending our museum’s educational programs. The truth is, we all experience differing levels of support from our institutions’ leadership.Yet we are united in our desire to further the awareness of the value we bring to every museum, garden, zoo, aquarium, performance space, and more. Michael Higdon of the National Building Museum (NBM) in Washington, DC, says that his situation is not exactly common among MSA members in that, with the exception of the administrative offices, the museum shop was the first department formed as a part of the NBM. “The museum shop was created to serve as an extension of the museum to educate the public on the mission of an evolving, newly created institution that had been born out of a long effort to preserve one of Washington’s most iconic buildings,” he says. “However, the mission of the museum wasn’t about the building, but what all architecture means to the world that man builds.” As such, he adds that the main tenets MSA has stated as the driving nature of the organization represent the reasons why the museum shop was created in the first place and the value that it represents to any museum. “In addition to the tangible revenues generated by the museum shop,” he says, “there is a far greater value that has been created through the intangible role it has played in bringing the mission of the museum to the visitor.”
The MSA board has made a commitment to share our story, to change minds about our museum stores, to educate about our museum stores, and to promote our museum stores. To do so, we need to establish a couple of key facts:
Kevin Allen
•M useum stores are important to our institutions in terms of earned income, marketing, and the visitor experience.
Retail operations was one of the first departments created at the National Building Museum.
Still, it can be an uphill battle to connect the retail operations with the educational mission that is the most common central ideal shared by nearly every museum. “Regardless of whether you are an art museum, historical society, or a nature center,” M U S E U M S TO R E
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Strategic Partners
Of course, we can only be successful in sharing our story if we also engage with strategic partners, such as our vendors, in our advocacy. Angelia Singleton, Director of Retail Relations for International Market Centers, the organization that runs Las Vegas Market (LVM), has long been a key supporter of MSA. In addition to valuing MSA members as a key buying audience for LVM, Singleton has a love of museums and a background in the industry, having once worked as a museum docent volunteer. “Museums were a vital part of my childhood, and the museum store offered a place to buy a memento, book, or gift item that accentuated the experience,” she says. “Museums were definitely a part of my educational landscape then, and they still are today.” She adds, “I am hopeful that institutions have a keen awareness of the dynamic between the museum and the museum store and what it means to the communities they exist within. In my opinion, the museum store is the heart of a museum, impossible to live without.” So how, then, do we combine our own passion for the work and the support of our key strategic partners and turn them into a seat at the table with our own museum leadership? To advance nonprofit retailing, we must educate the industry “on the value, best practices, and standards for museum stores,” says Higdon. “The members of the association
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must be empowered and educated to become their own advocates to end the marginalization that has been created by the lack of education on the tangible and intangible value museum stores provide to their institutions.” One more important point, says Higdon, is to address the subject early, teaching best practices and standards regarding museum stores to business students. “The association must begin to lobby the colleges and institutions to ensure course work is being offered on the tenets of nonprofit museum store retailing.” Singleton cites the value of opportunities for community building through faceto-face interactions at markets and conferences, such as LVM: “When retail members network with other retail and vendor members and other nonprofits, like zoos and hospital gift shops, the learning opportunities are unparalleled.” In addition, it’s important to ensure the development and longevity of programs, through efforts such as market scholarships (for complimentary airfare and hotel nights) for members that do
not have travel dollars to come to LVM, and markets, such as LVM, attending and sponsoring MSA programming at the national level. “We hear the challenge that retail isn’t always considered an important facet of the greater institution,” says Singleton. “It is a common critique among many types of nonprofit retail.” She understands, however, that retail is positively integral, and as such, the LVM works with MSA to empower buyers as advocates to their administrators. “Together, we provide business-building tools and educational sessions that feature thought leaders and industry influencers, who present tactics that are relevant and ready to implement.” For example, the summer trade show will feature a symposium specifically aimed at nonprofit retail. “Our trade show provides meaningful formats, from product tours highlighting the best products for museum stores around market to networking receptions [in order] to stimulate these types of interactions.”
Photo Courtesy of Las Vegas Market
Higdon says, “museum shops advance that educational mission beyond the confines of the institution, allowing the public to continue to engage with the subject matter. Education is an immersion of exploration; often the products sold in the museum store are extensions of the experience and provide the vehicle for continuing to engage the public beyond the boundaries of the opportunities we have with them as visitors.”
The Las Vegas Market is a haven for buyers.
Going Forward
“It isn’t about competition,” says Singleton. “Today’s museum store world is about collaboration. There is knowledge in numbers and power in a wider collective goal. Museum store buyers are unbelievably willing to share best practices, their challenges, and solutions with one another. It is a tight-knit group because they are so passionate about their industry. They proactively learn from one another and work together to address the future of our industry.” In addition, she says, “Museum store managers and buyers are among the
most creative, cultured, and innovative retailers around. They contribute not only to the bottom line, but to the improvement of our society as a whole. MSA, its buyers, and vendors could not be better advocates for their individual institutions, the association, and the mission of nonprofit retail.”
the fact that successful museum stores make successful museums. In addition, MSA will continue to develop strategic partnerships with other cultural organizations and trade associations, and when the time is right, MSA will initiate public outreach campaigns to amplify the sharing of our story.
The MSA Advocacy Committee will continue to work to ensure that our story is told correctly and that all MSA stakeholders have the tools to advocate for their businesses. They will proactively communicate with museum leadership, emphasizing
Advocacy inspires. It will move our industry from apathy to empathy, helping MSA achieve its aspiration that nonprofit retail will be universally viewed as essential to the success of cultural venues and to extending the visitor experience.
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2017 Buyer’s Choice Awards: Meet the Candidates MSA Forward 2017 attendees will cast their votes on site for the Buyer’s Choice Awards in five product categories: Books & Multimedia, Custom Design, Education & Games, Fashion, and Paper Products. Get an early look at the products on the ballot before you arrive in Pittsburgh. The candidates—along with their Expo booth numbers (so you can check out other great items from the vendors)—are on the following pages.
Books & Multimedia
Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. #222
Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World: Famous Artists and the Children Who Knew Them New to Anholt’s Artists Books for Children series: This is the story of Mariana, who is afraid to get her portrait painted, but she sees Frida as the bravest woman in the world. The book also includes reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings.
Independent Publishers Group (IPG) #632 Three-Dimensional Art Adventures: 36 Creative, Artist-Inspired Projects in Sculpture, Ceramics, Textiles, and More
Three-dimensional art is bold, tactile, and fun—in other words, perfect for children who love to get their hands dirty. ThreeDimensional Art Adventures introduces young artists, ages 6 and up, to groundbreaking masterpieces and fresh techniques, then lets them loose to create.
Gallopade International #538
American Milestones: The Underground Railroad The stories of the Underground Railroad are full of suspense, compassion, and amazing determination. Meet Harriet Tubman, the Moses of her people, and learn how this “train to freedom” changed our country forever.
Penguin Random House #257 Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing
The first picture book biography of this iconic artist weaves together Keith Haring’s life story as told by his sister with his actual art.
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. #722 The Future Architect’s Tool Kit
Children will learn how to create their own drawings, build a model, and be challenged to design homes for a group of imaginary clients.
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Custom Design
AmuseMints #212
Ciao Bella Jewelry, Inc. #229
CoolSnowGlobes #535
Digi-Bag
Americana Scenic Memories Collection
Laughing Buddha Snow Globe
Sell candy with your artwork on it by using full-color, custom, affordable bagged candy in runs of 144 units.
These charms are custom-made with logos and images. Customers can collect these charms or bangle bracelets as though they are wearable scrapbooks of memories.
Designed with immense attention to detail, this snow globe is an homage to kindness, happiness, and prosperity.
Cynthia Gale New York #424
Imperial Garland Cage Locket for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Inspired by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ outstanding Fabergé Egg collection, the Imperial Garland Cage Locket features intricate carvings in sterling silver and bronze. Inserts of mother-of-pearl and semiprecious stones combine to achieve a variety of eye-catching, collectible looks.
David Howell & Company #103 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Bookmark
Lapis Lazuli Jewelry Distributors, Inc., dba Boston Exclusives #300
Creating custom product is a dialog between the manufacturer’s skill set and the museum buyer’s knowledge. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Bookmark has captured the museum ethos and is a tour de force of manufacturing.
By wearing the 100 percent silk Climate Change Scarf, individuals can show their awareness and determination to support efforts to stop climate change.
Climate Change Scarf
Kinzoku Custom #639 Jet Engine Cufflinks
These cufflinks were designed for The Museum of Flight in Seattle to celebrate one of the greatest achievements of modern times: the jet engine.
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Custom Design
Mabel Chong #337
Maizie Clarke, LLC #827 Custom Illustration
Louis C. Tiffany Dragonfly Vases
Lush life! Eighteen strands of tiny stones are embellished by a gold-filled cable chain to create an adjustable (16– 23 in.) necklace. Features 2.5- to 3-mm pyrite roundels on oxidized silver and 14k gold–filled chains.
High-quality home decor and accessories are decorated with custom illustrations. Each custom illustration is created by Maizie Clarke to showcase your unique and custom site and collection.
With shimmering veils of leaded glass lamps and windows, Louis C. Tiffany (American, 1848–1933) and his designers created a revolutionary design aesthetic that brought the beauty of the natural world into the home. This delightful vase is inspired by a stunning blue dragonfly shade in the collection of the New York Historical Society (Tiffany Studios [1902–1932]; Dragonfly Shade, ca. 1900–1906; Gift of Dr. Egon Neustadt, N84.113). Designed by Clara Driscoll (American, 1861–1944), manager of the women who selected and cut glass at Tiffany Studios (the Tiffany Girls).
Golden Dolores
MuseumLight Company #200
Made by Talented #849
Modgy #624
Vestiges, Inc. #626
ArtLight
Sacramento Canvas Tote Bag
Appalachian Trail Region Kitchen Towel
Beautiful art prints are illuminated in a lamp individuals can create themselves in minutes. The product includes interchangeable shades, plus one for the individual’s personal artwork.
Cityscapes are customizable, sustainable, and stylish designs for a range of souvenirs that feature key landmarks and iconic buildings in the area, including the buyer’s museum.
This 21.5- by 32-in., 100 percent cotton pique kitchen towel is printed with eco-friendly, water-based inks. The artwork is created by students from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
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Education & Games
Discoveries Egyptian Imports #215
Storymatic Studios #320
These wood runners have the hieroglyphic alphabet in them. They come with a variety of differently shaped tops and can be customized with a museum’s logo. All made in Egypt.
Rememory’s unique prompts help individuals share memories, experience personal discovery, enhance writing and art skills, foster teaching, and more. The game is American made.
Wooden Stencil Rulers
Teknikio #126
Rememory
Wuhao New York, Inc. #533
Activating Origami Set
Tenu-Wrap (Japanese Tea Towel)
Add more to the traditional art of paper folding. By adding simple circuits to paper sculptures, individuals can instantly animate them and create unique sculptures. Start simple and add a light or two, and then make more complex modular systems with origami robot sculptures. Or, add a small motor and see how it affects the movement of the sculpture based on where it is attached.
No sew, no cut, just fold—these tea towels are versatile, 100 percent cotton cloth and individually hand-dyed in Japan. It’s like origami, but it’s a tea towel.
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Fashion
Foxgloves, Inc. #847 eGloves
Banaris Scarves #629
Fine Woven and Printed Scarves and Shawls
Designed by a professional gardener and landscape architect, these gloves are of superior quality and provide a form fit for comfort, performance, and versatility. The extra traction from the raised, black diamond grip pattern on the palm and fingers gives the glove full conductivity on any touchscreen. The eGlove comes in four colors (black, red, tan, and moss green).
These woven, natural-fiber scarves are focused on premium construction and originality of design with special emphasis on fine art aesthetics. They are affordably priced art to wear.
Doodle Pants #525 Dino Hoodie
Perfect for those little ones who love to dress up and be fashionable, this hoodie is comfortable and easy to pull over.
Spitzenstücke #130 Ball Earrings
Handmade using a bobbin lace technique, stainless steel wire and antique glass beads in 60 colors, these earrings have a structured, light, voluminous shape and transparency. Some include freshwater pearls or semiprecious stones. They are a modern bestseller with a connection to tradition.
KJK Jewelry, Inc. #201
WorldFinds #438
Vibrant Chakra Glass Choker
Intertwined Kantha Necklace
This high-quality choker is handcrafted in the United States and one eye-catching piece of a lively collection. Its visual excitement is created from matte recycled glass.
This vibrant, intertwining necklace is handmade from recycled Kantha fabrics by women in India who are investing in communities through fair trade.
Vielä Jewelry #346 Posy Necklace
Kindle connections between institutions and patrons by artfully showcasing impressions of botanicals, florals, and sea life. The posy necklace is sampled from wild thyme and highlights Vielä’s elegant and timeless sterling jewelry. M U S E U M S TO R E
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Paper Products
Wizhead, Inc. #529
L. M. Kartenvertrieb & Verlags GMBH Germany #314 3-D Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Postcard
Nefertiti Paper Model Kits
This homage to the most important artists in Mexico, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is the perfect 3-D image showing plenty of details.
Assemble a paper model of Nerfertiti to get inspired by the art of ancient Egypt. The head is a puzzle.
Imagine Cards #835
Museum Store Products, Inc. #423
Imagine Pop-Up Cards are unique. Customize the card by adding elements that showcase each individual museum, state, attraction, etc. Popup cards come with a blank card as well as an envelope, which allows the card to be mailed. Each is made of sturdy card stock and assembled by hand. One of the most affordable souvenirs.
These beautiful, new hard-cover journals feature a soft-touch laminate that gives the cover a high-quality suede-like feel. Custom designs and two sizes are available.
Pop-Up Cards
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Hard-Cover Journal
Pomegranate Communications #615 Museum Visit: A Color, Punch Out, and Play Set
With Museum Visit: A Color, Punch Out, and Play Set, kids can create their own museum experience. The set includes a folding stage to color and eight punch-out pages of paintings, statues, jewels, armor, and other art objects to design their own tour. Booklet includes a history of museums.
primed for pittsburgh MSA Forward 2017 heads to the Steel City this spring, and there is a lot to see and do. By Dana R. Butler The city of Pittsburgh is located in western Pennsylvania at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. Its history of coal mining and steel production has resulted in a city blessed with sights that span the Gilded Age of Carnegie to the mid-century wonders of Frank Lloyd Wright. So we hope you find the time to join us on one (or more) or our planned learning excursions and get to know this vibrant city. A full-day excursion is planned for Thursday, April 20, to visit two of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces.
Fallingwater (at right), arguably the most famous home designed by Wright, was built in the mid to late 1930s at the request of the Kaufmann family, who owned Pittsburgh’s famed Kaufmann’s Department Store. They had hoped the master of modern architecture could create for them a country home with a view of the property’s running stream. However, even they were surprised when Wright proposed building the house over the falls instead, creating a home that appears to float unanchored above a 30-foot waterfall and is now a National Historic Landmark. What makes this visit even more special is that, in preserving this abode as a museum, the Kaufmann family wished to ensure that visitors experienced the unique spaces as guests of the family might have, free to enter the rooms on the tour rather than peeking past roped-off doorways. To learn more, visit fallingwater.org.
Photo Courtesy of VisitPittsburgh
Fallingwater
Duncan House
The day-long trip also includes a visit to Acme, PA, and Duncan House, one of only a handful of Wright-designed homes at which you can book an overnight stay. The home was built in Illinois in 1957 and—through an impressive feat of conservancy— later moved to its current location at the Polymath Park Resort. The Wright home complements the other nearby structures—homes built by Wright’s apprentice Peter Berndtson specifically to maximize visitors’ enjoyment of the natural setting. Any aficionado of the Usonian style will be fascinated by the influences of the master on his student. To learn more, visit polymathpark.com. M U S E U M S TO R E
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Photo courtesy of Duncan House
Duncan House at the Polymath Park Resort is one of only a few Frank Lloyd Wright– designed homes where guests can stay overnight and experience Usonian-style architecture firsthand.
On Friday, April 21, MSA offers two halfday tours to iconic Pittsburgh locations. One tour will visit two of the four prestigious Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh: the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Carnegie Museums
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is home to millions of objects and scientific specimens from dinosaurs to pollen spores, all in service to the mission of exploring the connection between humanity and nature and advocating for the preservation of the Earth and those of us, fauna and flora, that live on it.
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Carnegie Museum photos by Tom Little
The Carnegie Museum of Art has its roots in industrialist Andrew Carnegie’s desire to build and exhibit a collection of modern and contemporary art—the “Old Masters of the Future”—which began with the Carnegie International show in 1896. To date, more than 300 works have joined the museum’s permanent collection (consisting of nearly 30,000 paintings, sculptures, and more) via this recurring exhibition, including important pieces by artists from Winslow Homer to Andy Warhol. On display during our planned visit are Hot Metal Modern, a collection of objects that reflect the history of the city as a center of design and innovation, and an exhibition of ethereal designer Iris van Herpen’s fashions, along with the museum’s permanent collections of contemporary glass, Japanese prints, and the not-to-be-missed “The Art of the Chair.” To learn more, visit cmoa.org.
The Carnegie Museum of Art showcases contemporary and modern works.
Don’t miss “Dinosaurs in Their Time,” which features the always-popular prehistoric species in immersive and scientifically accurate environs. The Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems is another highlight, featuring more than 1,300 specimens, and the Wertz Gallery of gems and jewelry, where you can compare precious minerals in their natural forms to those same stones cut, faceted, and worn in jawdropping settings. To learn more, visit carnegiemnh.org.
Heinz photo by Rachellynn Schoen: Natural History photo by Joshua Franzos/Carnegie Museum of Natural History
“Dinosaurs in Their Time” at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History shows how and where the giants lived.
Another excursion celebrates local art and history at the Heinz History Center and the infamous Mattress Factory.
Heinz History Center
The Heinz History Center (at left) showcases more than 250 years of western Pennsylvania history through a vast collection of photographs and historic objects. Exhibitions cover topics ranging from Pittsburgh’s place in the story of the Underground Railroad and its larger role in the antislavery movement to the French & Indian War of the mid-1700s and how it played out in the area. On the lighter side, the center houses the largest collection of items from the set of beloved children’s TV show Mister Roger’s Neighborhood and a look at 145 years of the H. J. Heinz company, featuring a retrospective of Heinz products and packaging. To learn more, visit heinzhistorycenter.org.
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Mattress Factory
Photo courtesy of Mattress Factory/VisitPittsburgh
Founded in 1977, the Mattress Factory (at left) has been supporting the work of its artists-in-residence for 40 years, spurring many of them on to national acclaim. A particular focus is alternative artworks in the form of performance art, video, and site-specific installations. Prepare for an engrossing experience as each work has been created precisely for the space in which you view it. A popular exhibition has been “A Second Home” by Dennis Maher, which fills all three stories of a Factoryowned row house. Work from other artists informs the ever-changing piece. In addition, you’ll be enchanted by the way James Turrell plays with light, how Yayoi Kusama exploits dots for his own amusement (and yours), and much more. To learn more, visit mattress.org.
Andy Warhol Museum
Photo by Philip Scalia
The Saturday night MSA networking reception is being held at the Andy Warhol Museum, a seven-story tribute to this American icon housed in the 1911 Frick & Lindsay building, which was once a warehouse for oil well, mill, and mining supplies. Opened in 1994, the museum is the keeper of Pittsburgh native and Pop Art master Andy Warhol’s legacy, along with vast numbers of his works: paintings, sculptures, works on paper, prints, and photographs. There you’ll find the the artworks Campbell’s Soup Cans and Marilyn Diptych, in addition to student work, commercial illustrations, wallpaper, collaborations with younger artists, feature films, shorter videos, and his archives: source materials, diaries, correspondence, Interview magazine, and much more. To learn more, visit warhol.org.
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MSA 2017 62nd Annual Retail Conference & Expo 62nd Annual Retail Conference & Expo
Schedule at a Glance
Thursday, April 20, 2017 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Learning Excursion: Fallingwater (sold out)
Friday, April 21, 2017 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Registration
8:00 am – 12:30 pm
n n n n n n n n Boot Camp Lite (additional fee)
9:00 am – 1:30 pm
Learning Excursion: Carnegie Museums (additional fee)
9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Learning Excursion: Mattress Factory & Heinz History Center (additional fee)
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Docent Tours of Expo Floor
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Expo Hall Open
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Silent Auction Open
2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Buyer’s Choice Award Voting Open
Saturday, April 22, 2017 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Registration
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Breakfast
8:00 am – 9:00 am
n n n Opening Keynote – Mike Tougias “The Finest Hours: Leadership & Resilience”
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Expo Hall Open
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Silent Auction Open
9:00 am – 11:30 am
Buyer’s Choice Award Voting Open
11:40 am – 12:30 pm
n n n Direct Email Marketing for Small Museum Stores Kathryn Rush
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Membership Meeting and Awards Lunch
1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
n n n n Taking it to the Cloud: Re-Platforming the Online Museum Store Bradley Platz
2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Expo Hall Open
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Networking Reception: Warhol Museum (Buses will depart at 5:30 pm)
n n n Museum Store ReDevelopment 101 Jennifer Gritt
n n n n MSA Retail Industry Report – Review and Re-Do Blue Anderson n n n Match Point: Product Development from Both Sides of the Net. The Conversation Continues… Cynthia Gale & Michael Guajardo
n n n ROI: Getting a Return on All Your Investments Andrew Andoniadis
Sunday, April 23, 2017 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
7:00 am – 8:00 am
n n n Leadership Breakfast - The Leaders Role in Extending the Experience w/ Paul Hasney (By invitation only)
7:00 am – 7:45 am
Vendor Networking Breakfast
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8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Expo Hall Open
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Silent Auction Open (all bids will close at 12:15 pm)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Networking Lunch
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Discussion Groups Slicing & Dicing (Moderated by Andrew Andoniadis)
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
n n n Is an Exit Shop n n n Re-Fit for the Perfect Fit Right for You? Paul Griffiths Greg McKay
3:30 pm
Silent Auction Item Pick-Up Begins
3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
n n Battle of the Amazon – Not the One in South America! Ari Lowenstein
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Chapter Meetings
n n n Working Well Together: A Conversation Between Vendors and Buyers Kristen Daniels & David Graveen
n n n Online Pricing & Books: Strategies for Successful Brick-and-Mortar Bookselling Andrew Uchin
n n n n ROI: Printon-Demand and the Promise of Making Sales With No Inventory G. Henley, S. Hata, J. Steiner, C. Surratt
n n n Building a Culture of Trust that Extends the Experience Paul Hasney
Monday, April 24, 2017 7:30 am – 1:00 pm
Registration
7:30 am – 1:00 pm
Silent Auction Item Pick-Up
7:30 am – 9:00 am
Breakfast
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Chapter Officers Meeting
9:15 am – 10:15 am
n n n Visitor and Customer Service Standards – Go for 100% Kate Schureman
10:15 am – 10:30 am
Break and Silent Auction Item Pick-Up
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Session Title TBD Tom Shay
11:30 am – 11:45 am
Break and Silent Auction Item Pick-Up
11:45 am – 12:45 am
Lunch and Closing Keynote Session with Louis Roden
n n Focusing on the Fundamentals to Extend the Experience Paul Hasney n n How to Make the Most of Your Chapter Meeting Speaker TBD
Knowledge Standards Key n Merchandise Planning n Customer Relations n Operations n Financial Management n Human Resources n Communications n Business Relations n Strategic Management
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2017 Sponsors
MSA gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors for their support of MSA Forward 2017, the 62nd MSA Retail Conference & Expo.
Diamond Level
Emerald Level
Opening Keynote Speaker and Breakfast
Networking Luncheon
Ruby Level Closing Luncheon
Conference Pens
Session Sponsor
Session Sponsor
In-Kind Donations Conference Pins
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Thank You for Your Donation! The Museum Store Association provides a community of continued support for its members. And throughout MSA’s history, those same members—vendors, museum store professionals and institutions alike—have supported MSA. While member involvement is essential to the association’s growth, community and vitality, financial donations from members help to make MSA’s programs and services possible. Since MSA transitioned to its new management company in October, a number of members have made such donations. We’d like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all of the donors below who recognize the value of MSA and help us work toward educating industry professionals and advocating for our professions. You are crucial to the success of the Museum Store Association and the nonprofit retail industry. Barbara Lenhardt Chris Michel Betsy Poole Josh Pratt Tina Rohatsch Carrie Santell Ione Saroyan Lauren Simons John Stafford Tim Stancell-Condron Julie Steiner Terry Tarnow Carroll Tiernan
Patricia Toth Susan Tudor Joy Wallace Becky Wildman Kim Zorn
Photo © Thinkstock | iStock
Blue Anderson Daniel Ayers-Price Karryn Baudet Diane Bilodeau Lori Braszo Donald Burns Greg Cain Judith Clark Susan DeLand Amanda Ginter Stuart Hata Jaime Kanarek-Kornfeld Laura L. Martin
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member story: anna gesing When the Addison Gallery of American Art included the creation of a museum shop in its 2008 renovation plans, Anna Gesing was catapulted from administration into the world of nonprofit retail. Creating and ‘curating’ the Addison Gallery’s museum shop is the most unique experience I have had. It has been hard, exasperating, fun, and amazing.”
t
he Addison Gallery of American Art is located on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. The museum was opened in 1931, and its first works of art were donated by philanthropist Thomas Cochran, who also funded the building of the museum. The Addison Gallery’s collection of American art is one of the most comprehensive in the world, including more than 17,000 objects spanning the 18th century to the present. In a typical year, the Addison presents approximately 12 shows, including both permanent collection installations and major traveling exhibitions, carefully balanced to represent a wide range of art across time and media. The Addison has also organized numerous nationally touring exhibitions. Some of the artists in the Addison Gallery’s extensive collection include Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Albert Bierstadt, Frank Stella, Cindy Sherman, Jackson Pollock, and Aaron Siskind.
Images courtesy of Addison Gallery of American Art
For the majority of its existence, the Addison Gallery did not have a museum shop. On occasion, copies of exhibition catalogues, as well as some postcards and note cards featuring images from the collection, were sold at the front desk. But that all changed in 2008 when the museum closed for a major renovation and expansion project, which included its first shop tucked away in the former office of the director.
The store at the Addison Gallery of American Art is a relatively new addition— part of a 2008 museum renovation.
“As the Administrative Assistant,” says Gesing, “my role had been to occasionally sell our catalogues to bookstores or the odd person who wanted a specific exhibition catalogue mailed to them. So, purely by default, I got tagged to be the new Shop Manager. Did I mention I have no retail experience?” Gesing says she did work in a bookstore in college, but that still left her with two years—the duration of the major construction project—to figure out how to run a retail operation, develop merchandise, buy supplies, and everything else that goes into running a retail store. “I met with many other museum shop professionals whose M U S E U M S TO R E
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The Addison Gallery of American Art is located on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.
insight and advice were invaluable in my learning process,” she says. “The best advice I ever got was from David Duddy at the deCordova, whose first words to me when I met with him were, ‘you need to join MSA.’” So she did. “MSA offered me innumerable tools, as well as the ability to attend the conferences and learn from professionals.”
The occasional challenge does little to dampen Gesing’s passion for what she does. “Creating and ‘curating’ the Addison Gallery’s museum shop is the most unique experience I have had,” she says. “It has been hard, exasperating, fun, and amazing. It has given me the opportunity to meet some amazing people—artists, vendors, and colleagues—people who have been so generous with their time and expertise and so willing to share.” An added bonus: “Where else would I be able to ‘shop ’til I drop’ with someone else’s money!”
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Images courtesy of Addison Gallery of American Art
Gesing says her lack of a business or retail background continues to be difficult at times. “I feel there is so much I don’t know or understand,” she says. “It has gotten easier, but I still struggle with the business end of things.” Yet she cites the friendships and connections she’s made through MSA as one of the very best parts of her job. “I also have loved working on custom products, seeing them come to fruition, and then have our visitors love them too,” she says. “And shopping, I love to shop for the shop!”
Vendor story
vendor story: museum store products, inc. Wood Huntley, a Philadelphia lawyer with a penchant for entrepreneurial endeavors, found a niche in the world of museum stores.
We have seen museums increase their business greatly when they have concentrated on reproducing their images.”
i
t was the 1970s, and Wood Huntley was practicing law in Philadelphia. At the same time, he was what you would call an “idea man”—he produced a set of waterproof lyric cards for singing in the shower and a new board game (just as electronic games made their debut). “Timing is everything,” Huntley says. “Although these projects got me bookings on TV talk shows around the country and personal appearances in Neiman Marcus, etc., they were not very lucrative to say the least.”
Around that time, a friend of Huntley’s, the Director of Retail Operations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, asked if he could make her a magnet. He responded with an enthusiastic, “Sure,” followed closely by, “what are you talking about?” After a little clarification, Huntley located a photo lab in Brooklyn that could take on the job, and a career in nonprofit retail was born. Custom products were quite rare at the time. Even the Chief Curator of the Philadelphia Museum of Art was against souvenirs until Huntley asked him to look deeper into the meaning of the word. “When he found the term was not necessarily a pejorative one but rather alluded to a remembrance of a place visited,” Huntley says, “he agreed to the production of the magnet.”
Right Place, Right Time
Huntley considers himself lucky to have been introduced to the world of museum stores at that time. “The desire for custom items reflecting museum collections was just blossoming,” he says. “But there was still a lot of work to do. Most of my phone calls suggesting reproducing museum images on magnets (because that was the only product I could manage) were met with ‘You want to do what?’” Huntley began to dread the rejection, but says, “I was apparently too dumb to quit.” And, slowly, the tide began to turn. That was 35 years ago. With the company’s growing success, the need for an expanded product offering became increasingly clear. Customers asked for prints and cards, the kind of thing that Huntley could not accomplish with photographic reproduction—the most promising solution was in-house digital printing. “Taking a deep breath,” he says, “we did just that—and it was scary as hell.” He adds, “I don’t think my initial digital ‘professionals’ knew much more about what they were doing than did I (who knew next to nothing). But somehow we weathered those tentative times and begin to M U S E U M S TO R E
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Vendor story expand our product line and upgrade our printing process.”
Going Strong
Museum Store Products has become known as a short-run custom product supplier—for more than just magnets— to the museum industry; today, the company manages between 25 and 30 product categories. “Our goal is to help museums tell their stories through custom products without breaking the bank,” says Huntley. “We have seen museums increase their business greatly when they have concentrated on reproducing their images. We have learned that customers will pull the trigger on purchases of images that they cannot get elsewhere.” And Huntley continues to enjoy going to work and dealing with a wide variety of projects. “It is like being paid to go to a continuing education course,” he says. “I also love the idea that we are helping museums and other cultural institutions fulfill their educational missions and that we are spreading the word through sales of our products. I
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think that museum stores are the most important marketing arms of museums because people take away branded merchandise that is used and therefore seen by others who become exposed to the wonders of that certain museum.” Although he appreciates the way all of the company’s offerings fulfill specific needs for specific types of museums, he will admit to a few pet products. He expresses an affinity for puzzles because they appeal to children, as well as adults, and says his favorite novelty item is what he calls their version of the infamous “two-buck chuck”—a paper fan on a stick for $2. “I got the idea from funeral home fans,” he says. “When I brought one back to the factory to give everyone a look, eyeballs rolled to the point that I thought I might have to supply aspirin to everyone.” Today, the product is selling nicely and to the enjoyment of many. “And I get a big kick out of it every time they are ordered.”
Museum Stores Are Tops
Huntley says he has never regretted his focus on the museum industry
and building a bank of knowledge and experience that benefits everyone. He also says it is a pleasure to be able to concentrate on one thing with the intent of doing it well, “rather than writing treatments for screenplays, booking bands, acting in TV commercials (very bad ones), importing this and that—and all while practicing law. As hectic as our business is with deadline after deadline, it is so much calmer than my previous endeavors.” He also likes that museums pay their bills and are very loyal customers as customer service is a big priority on their end as well. “I tell my employees all the time,” says Huntley, “we may make things, but ultimately it is the service that counts. Most of our customers have become dear friends over the years, and it is a pleasure to be with them whenever possible.” So what’s next for Huntley? “As I have said elsewhere when asked what I will do in retirement,” he says, “Museum Store Products and working with museums is my retirement.”
Community Updates
Donor Story:
Barbara Lenhardt, Director of Retail Operations, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Past President, MSA
MSA says “Thank you” to a devoted member and past president
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arbara Lenhardt joined MSA in the beginning of 2004 when she was working at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “While I understood buying to a mission,” she says, “I really did not understand the whole nonprofit retailing world.” Her first meeting was with the Mid-Atlantic Chapter in Princeton, New Jersey. “I was befriended by an incredible group of people who were willing to share their experiences, their vendors, and their entire knowledge of this new world.” Coming from the for-profit world, she found it odd at first, that a “competing” retailer would reveal vendor information or whether a product was successful or not. “The MSA members were so open and willing to share, which goes against everything I knew to that point,” she says. “No more sneaking pics or writing down manufacturers from a cool product I found in another store that I thought would work equally as well for me. Instead, all I have to do is ask, call, email, or post on ShopTalk, and I can get any vendor information I want and more!” Of course, she soon realized that other museum stores were not really competition at all. “While we might share customers,” she says, “it is only because that customer is a visitor or member of another museum site, as well as the one I work at.” To Lenhardt, this was part of understanding the true value of MSA. “It is made up of a group of members and vendor members who care about each other and want to make sure that each one of us succeeds,” she says. “I have been mentored by so many MSA members over the years, and I, in turn, have mentored many new members as well. Without this organization, I would not have been as successful, or at least, I would have had to work harder without MSA as my resource.”
Lenhardt gives back to the organization in an extraordinary number of ways. She has served as Chapter Secretary, VP, and President, as well as National Director at Large, Second VP, First VP, and President. And further, “I feel my role now is to give back financially, if I am able, while also volunteering for other supporting roles,” she says. “Donating gives me a good feeling, knowing that somehow I am helping someone else gain the benefits of the MSA. Giving makes me feel connected to this community, and it just feels like the right thing to do.”
“I support causes I believe in … and I believe in MSA. I want this organization to be around for the next generation of museum store retailers.” —Barbara Lenhardt
Support the Museum Store Association at museumstoreassociation.org/donate M U S E U M STOR S TO R E
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Community Updates
updates from the MSA community Frequent MSA Conference & Expo presenter and regular Museum Store contributor Andrew Andoniadis recently marked 25 years of consulting with museum stores. Andrew and his Portland, Oregon–based company, Andoniadis Retail Services, has worked with more than 350 institutions on more than 450 projects.
Mary Quackenbush is back in the nonprofit retail world with her new position as Museum Store Assistant Manager at the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle, Washington. Beth Ricker recently had her position as Retail Director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation in Albuquerque eliminated. Beth has worked in museum retail for 44 years.
Photo by David Graveen of Popcorn Custom Products
After nearly 20 years with the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, Christine Rivers is leaving her position as Director of Retail & Visitor Service to move to New Orleans.
Ray McKenzie (pictured above) recently returned to MSA when he was appointed Head of Retail Operations at Filoli, a historic estate in Woodside, California. He previously worked for the Asian Art Museum and the Museum of Craft and Design, both in San Francisco. Sallie Stutz (above) has left the Brooklyn Museum in New York, where she served as the Vice Director for Merchandising. She was with the museum for 24 years.
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Buyer’s Guide
Made in America/ Educational Products
Educational Products
“...customers...want to know the history, the quality, and who and what they are supporting...”
Historical Folk Toys The Little Fish Toss toy is an Inuit-inspired ring and pin game similar to bilboquet, cup and ball, and other ring and pin games, which have been found to exist in Native American cultures. It is made in the U.S. with native wood and cotton string, just how an oldfashioned toy should be made (item #2109). Historical Folk Toys (800) 871-1984
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historicalfolktoys.com See ad on page 42
M U SE U M S TO R E
When shopping for a museum store, the mission is always at the forefront of the decision-making process. Does this support the stated purpose and goals of our institution? But beyond that criterion, there are several subsets of considerations to keep in mind. One factor concerning customers—which therefore is of importance to buyers—is the question of where something comes from. They want to know the history, the quality, and who and what they are supporting, in addition to the museum itself. Susan Mathews of Timber Green Woods says, “Buying local or ‘made in the U.S.’ isn’t a new trend; it is fully integrated into our society and expected by consumers. They want to support their community and their economy and preserve their American story.” Another factor is the educational nature of the item. Just as museums can be educational while still being fun and/or beautiful, so too can goods on offer in the museum store.
EcoSmart Designs One should never stop learning, and EcoSmart Designs truly believes that. Learn about your favorite animal, dinosaur, or fish in a variety of Animal Kingdom lines. Each pendant representing an animal likeness or track is mounted on an attractive and informative story card telling you about them. Display packages and thousands of items, which are handcrafted in the U.S., are available. EcoSmart Designs (888) 884-7090
ecosmartdesigns.com See ad on page 39
MADE IN AMERICA
American Heritage® Chocolate This authentic, historic line celebrates chocolate’s role in the lives of Americans in the 1700s. All natural, with no preservatives, American Heritage® Chocolate is mildly spicy and slightly sweet, containing 63 percent cacao. American Heritage® Chocolate is made by Mars Chocolate North America. American Heritage® Chocolate (800) 800-7046
americanheritagechocolate.com See ad on page 2
Solmate Socks Bluebell socks are a perfect addition to your feet while reading a book among the little blue flowers that dot the lawns of quaint villages in the spring.
Timber Green Woods Timber Green Woods creates beautiful, handcrafted products out of carefully salvaged dead and dying trees from its family forest in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The wood is milled on-site, dried in solar kilns, and ultimately transformed into custom products. Let us create your special item. From their forest to yours, their items are all proudly made in the U.S. Timber Green Woods (608) 574-3343
Solmate Socks (802) 765-4177
socklady.com See ad on page 38
timbergreenwoods.com See ad on page 7 M U SE S E U M STO S TO R E
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ad index American Heritage Chocolate..................2 AmericasMart........................................44 Boeing Store.......................................... 14 Design Masters Associates................... 13 EcoSmart Designs.................................39 EDC Publishing......................................38 The Grommet Wholesale................. 22–23 Historical Folk Toys.................................42 Hogeye Inc............................................43 Socksmith..............................................36 Solmate Socks.......................................38 Timber Green Woods...............................7 TAM Retail.............................................32 Thames & Hudson................................. 10 VisitPittsburgh........................................27 Wizhead.................................................42
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