Special Gifts and Home Décor Section

Handcrafted Items

Handcrafted items are a strong category at art museum shops. The 7,000-square-foot shop at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Ariz., promotes Native culture and art by providing American Indian artists a venue in which to sell their art and enhance their careers,” said Bruce McGee , director of retail sales. “Because

The museum also collaborated with St. Nicolas to make a number of ornaments featuring Isabella Stewart Gardner and others inspired by the collection and figures in her circle.

Barnella said the 2,200-square-foot museum shop features a variety of handcrafted items from jewelry to ceramic dinnerware to plush for kids. Most items are from countries represented in its collection, but there is an emphasis on Arizona artisans. “Part of the museum’s mission is to be a community partner and representative,” she said. “This initiative helps to reinforce that goal and supports the local arts community.” these artists can continue working in their genre, they’re better able to carry on cultural traditions and pass on their art forms to future generations, building a rich continuum of tradition and culture.” A sampling of items includes authentic jewelry, textiles, rugs, fetishes, katsinas, and baskets.

In order to keep its selection fresh, the shop tries to add a least a few new local artisans every year and plans to continue with that goal, Barnella said. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shop sold just under $1 million in gross sales annually.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum carries handmade ornaments from India featuring traditional zardozi embroidery. The ornaments, sold by Londonbased St. Nicolas, are among its best-sellers. They feature gold thread details, which is the zardozi technique. The store recently ran a promotion on them and sold more than 600 in one day.

The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Md., is the national museum for visionary or untrained artists. For that reason, it strives to include original handcrafted items that are visually exciting and made by local and international artists, said Ted Frankel , owner. The shop carries original paintings, drawings, toys, and crafts.

Frankel said the shop constantly looks for new artists to include in the store’s inventory from across the globe. “As a small shop, it’s important to be unique. We never forget to pass on the story of each item,” he said.

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Crafts From Around the World

When choosing which handcrafted items to sell at an art museum’s shop, they need to either relate to an exhibit or be made locally.

For example, the Heard Museum Shop in Phoenix, Ariz., specifically concentrates on merchandise made in North America. The museum promotes Native American Indian culture and art.

Sherry Haber, museum store general manager at The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Mass., works with local artisans to support small businesses, with an emphasis on those owned and operated by underprivileged groups. Many custom museum products are the result of a collaboration with local vendors, including high-end leather goods, fine jewelry, and handmade small batch chocolates.

Any country represented in the museum’s collection or exhibitions is fair game, said Jennifer Barnella, retail sales manager at the Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona. As long as it’s of the quality that customers have come to expect, the shop will consider it.

Latin American countries are sourced most often, Barnella said, due to the museum’s strong Latin American holdings and its proximity to the Mexican border.

Among Barnella’s favorites are Twoolies wool animals from Mexico and Muichic jewelry from Colombia. The shop also carries many items that reflect its European holdings, including Alexandra Tsoukala jewelry from Greece and an Ooh La La fruit bowl from Germany. ❖