ONE of the surprising things to come out of 2020 is the realization that the arts and cultural institutions of our cities are far more important to our health and well-being than we knew. Tuning in to museums’ and arts centers’ online lectures, concerts, interviews, teaching sessions for kids and adults helped a lot of us get through lockdown, try new things, and expand our knowledge of the world. Now it’s time to say thank you and one of the best ways to do that is by making a purchase at a museum shop or becoming a member of our favorite art or cultural institutions. We’ve made an informal list of some of NYC’s smaller arts institutions, highlighting their best items in books, clothing, kid-friendly products, and jewelry. Want to give more? We’ve also included membership links for these museums, and you can also scroll down to the end of our list to see places that don’t have online stores but still need your help. And don’t forget, membership as a gift or for yourself is partially or even fully deductible come tax time (see each museum for details).
American Museum of Folk Art (2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue and 66th Street)
THIS gem of a museum shop reflects the mission of the museum with an outstanding collection of unusual and engaging products. Many items on offer are handmade or one-of-a-kind, ensuring an exclusivity that any New Yorker will love.
Books:
Clothes and accessories:
Jewelry:
Kids:
Favorite item: Mustard Duo Sheep Pillow
To give an American Folk Art Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: UPS Ground
Asia Society (Park Avenue and 70th Street)
THE Asia Society is a multi-faceted cultural institution, using lectures, arts performances, exhibitions, and symposia to educate the public on the many countries in Asia and Southeast Asia. The museum shop is as inclusive as the institution, with a particularly strong book section as well as many handmade items from artisans of these regions.
Books:
Treasures of Asian Art: The Asia Society Museum Collection
The Spirit of Indian Painting: Close Encounters with 101 Great Works
After Darkness: Southeast Asian Art in the Wake of History
Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White
Clothes and accessories:
Face Masks in silk (various colors)
Scarf Cylinder by Harshita Lohia, various colors
Brocade Ecstasy Necktie by Satya Paul
Jewelry:
Bracelets Sari: Bright by Rosena Sami
Seven Chakra Pendant Necklace by Mousumi Shaw for Sikara
Pearl and Agate Three Color Earrings by Kai-Yin Lo
Onyx and Howlite Adjustable Ring by Mamta and Vidhi Gupta
Kids:
Language Blocks in Japanese, Persian, and Vietnamese
Terracotta Warrior Excavation Kit-Kneeling
Skateboard Deck: Samurai Sword
Favorite item: Origami Love Notes
To give an Asia Society membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: USPS Ground or USPS Next Day
Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn)
ONE of NYC’s most interesting exhibition spaces, the Brooklyn Museum also has a fine permanent collection ranging from Ancient Egypt to American modern art. The museum store has a good balance of inclusivity and unusual items, perfect for gift giving.
Books:
Brooklyn Museum Art Book Starter Bundle
Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style
Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985
Clothes and accessories:
Graphic Studio 54 Set T-Shirt in Black
Jewelry:
Kids:
Balancing Blocks White by FORT STANDARD
Favorite item: The Market at Brooklyn Museum (pop-up marketplace & website)
To give a Brooklyn Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: UPS, Priority Mail
Cooper Hewitt Design Museum (Fifth Avenue and 91st Street)
THIS branch of the Smithsonian is the only museum in the US exclusively dedicated to historical and contemporary design, featuring exhibits on a wide range of subjects. The museum store is equally comprehensive, with a smart selection of books and objects for every age group, whatever their interests.
Books:
Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design
Clothes and accessories:
The Modern, Heritage Silk Hijab
Jewelry:
Solar Eclipse Earrings Turmeric
Kids:
Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture
How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 20th Century
Reusable Paper (and these recommended markers & chalks to use on the paper)
Sacred Geometry DIY Kit: Star of David, Cube Octahedron, and Snowflakes
Favorite item: Finnish Snowball
To give a Cooper Hewitt membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: FedEx
The Frick Collection (opens early 2021 at Madison Avenue and 75th Street)
THE Frick Collection is closed right now, but the online store has a good collection of items that highlight the treasures of this elegant museum on the Upper East Side.
Books:
The Sleeve Should Be Illegal & Other Reflections on Art at the Frick (ships in January 2021)
Frick Diptych Series: Holbein’s Sir Thomas More
In A New Light: Giovanni Bellini’s St Francis in the Desert
The Frick Collection Director’s Choice
Collecting Spanish Art: Spain’s Golden Age and America’s Gilded Age
Clothes and accessories:
Favorite item(s): Child’s Pedal Car (modelled on a 1930s roadster)
To give a Frick membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: FedEx Home, FedEx 2nd Day, FedEx Priority Overnight
The Jewish Museum (Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street)
THIS museum’s focus on art and Jewish culture from ancient times to the present has been part of NYC’s arts scene since 1904, educating visitors about the complex and fascinating world of Judaism through texts and objects. Every item is selected with care, making this feel more like a boutique shop than a museum store.
Judaica:
Walnut Challah Board by Selby & Co
Electric Menorah or Hanuka 21 Menorah by EightDays Design Group: Lime
Books:
The Woman Who Fought an Empire: Sarah Aaronsohn and Her Nili Spy Ring
The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life
The Jews of Harlem: The Rise, Decline, and Revival of a Jewish Community
Kehinde Wiley The World Stage: Israel
Clothes and accessories:
A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares by Anya Marokko
Lawrence Weiner No Tree No Branch Tote
Jewelry:
Sterling Star of David Necklace
Hamsa Necklace by Emily Rosenfeld
One-of-a-kind Hand-Painted Folk Art Bracelets by Joan Shaver
Bagel Ring by Kickie Chudikova
Kids:
Portraits of Jewish-American Heroes book
Where the Wild Things Are (in Hebrew) book
Make Your Own Beeswax Hannukah Candles Kit
Don’t Mess With My Mishpocha button (other button slogans here)
Anni Albers Jewelry Kits: bracelets in red or brown, necklace with bobby pins
Favorite item: Helena Rubenstein Nail Wraps
To give a Jewish Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes
Order preparation: 2 to 4 days, email notification when ready
Mail Delivery: UPS Ground, 3 Day, Next Day
Museum of Art and Design (Columbus Circle and 59th Street)
THIS museum, conveniently located at Columbus Circle (and the intersection of five trains and five bus lines,) presents exhibitions on modern and contemporary design with a special emphasis on the makers themselves. Their annual curated show, MAD About Jewelry, features contemporary designers from around the world selling their innovative designs via the shop website, instead of the usual in-person arrangement. Be advised that each jeweler’s country has different COVID-19 policies regarding essential services, meaning that international mail service to the USA is slower than normal. If your purchase from this show is a gift, you may need to tell your recipient there will be a delay.
Books:
Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting
The 10 Book: What’s on Your Top 10 List
Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature’s Most Memorable Meals
Brian Clarke: The Art of Light catalog
Clothes and accessories:
Brian Clarke T-Shirt in Manhattan, Night Orchid, or Punk
Home Design:
Leather Origami Horse or Kangaroo
Jewelry:
Chunky Coral Nugget Necklace by Catherine Canino
Honeycomb Bella Necklace by Fairchild Baldwin
Saw It Through Necklace by Joan Hornig
Kids:
Color Me New York coloring book
Favorite item: Graphite Quill
To give a MAD membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: FedEx Ground, USPS Priority Mail
The Morgan Library and Museum (Madison Avenue and 36th Street)
HOUSED in the J. Pierpont Morgan mansion, this museum and research center is world famous for its collection of manuscripts, books, medieval objects, and contemporary artworks. The museum shop represents all these interests with style and flair, making this one of midtown’s shopping treasures.
Books:
Betye Saar: Call and Response or Betye Saar: Still Tickin; Catalog
David Hockney: Drawing from Life
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World
A Christmas Carol: The Original Manuscript Edition
Clothes and accessories:
The Gashlycrumb Tinies Tote Bag
Jewelry:
Mesopotamian Blue Triangle Necklace
Kids:
The Little Prince Baby/Toddler Sock 4-pack
A Walk In New York book
Bibliophile with Cats 100 Piece Puzzle
Favorite item(s): Pink Panther Crank Music Box
To give a Morgan Library and Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: UPS Ground only. For faster mail options, call 212-590-0390
Museum of the City of New York (Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street)
MCNY has been the go-to place to take a deep dive into NYC history and artifacts since 1923, with its collections of theater memorabilia, period rooms and unusual exhibits attracting thousands of visitors each year. The museum store is a treasure, featuring something for everyone on your list.
Books:
Broadway: A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles
City of Sedition: The History of New York City During the Civil War
Queens of the Resistance: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
MCNY’s current exhibit catalogs Activist New York: A History of People, Protest, and Politics and City/Game: Basketball In New York
Clothes and accessories:
Jewelry:
Ebbets Field, Mets or Yankees Stadium Cuff Links
Kids:
Jackie Robinson Preschool Player Tee
Mini Color Roll NYC (and a version for Hannukah too)
Jigsaw puzzles from 100 to 1000 pieces (we just love the Mini NY Puzzle: Santa & Cousins)
Favorite item: Santa Climbing Chrysler Building Ornament
To give a MCNY membership, click here.
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes
Order preparation: 2 to 4 days, email notification when ready
Mail Delivery: USPS or UPS shipping options
Neue Galerie New York (Fifth Avenue and 86th Street)
WITH a focus on early 20th century art and design from Germany and Austria, the Neue Galerie is a unique museum in the NYC cultural landscape. Shopping at this museum store is like a mini trip to Kurfürstendamm in Berlin or Kaerntner Strasse in Vienna but without the hassle of a plane trip.
Books:
Vienna 1900: Birth of Modernism
The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt’s Masterpiece
Anni and Josef Albers: Equal and Unequal
The Bauhaus and America: First Contacts 1919-1936
Neue Cuisine: The Elegant Tastes of Vienna
Clothes and accessories:
Madeline Weinrib Opium Ikat Kimono
Jewelry:
Golden Trio of glass bead bracelets
Hoffman Cufflinks for Gustav Klimt
Kids:
Coloring Books on Gustav Klimt, Wassily Kandinsky and other subjects
Favorite item: Golden Thread of Life sewing kit
To give a Neue Galerie membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes, BUT before placing an order call the bookstore at 212-994-9492 (or 212-628-6200 ext. 492) or the design store at 212-994-9496 (or 212-628-6200 ext. 496) for more information on pickup times
Order preparation: 2 to 4 days, email notification when ready
Mail Delivery: FedEx Ground
New-York Historical Society (Central Park West and 77th Street)
The New-York Historical Society is like NYC’s ultimate storage facility, with documents, art, and ephemera documenting anything and everything that has passed through the five boroughs. Their museum store reflects this eclectic mix of interests with a huge variety of items for every price range.
Books:
American Founders: How People of African Descent Established Freedom in the New World
Gilded Suffragettes: The New York Socialites who Fought for Women’s Right to Vote
Ten Times Chai: 180 Orthodox Synagogues of New York City
Honeybee Hotel: The Waldorf Astoria’s Rooftop Garden and the Heart of NYC
How We Live Now: Scenes from the Pandemic
Clothes and accessories:
Eloise Venetian Masked Ball Silk Scarf
Jimi Hendrix Axis Bold T-Shirt
Haring New York Folding Tote Bag
Louis C Tiffany Wisteria Rain Cape
Jewelry:
New York City Subway Token Watch
Piano Wire bracelets, earrings, & necklaces
Concrete jewelry by Dconstruct (bracelets, earrings, & necklaces)
Romantic Alexander Hamilton Necklace
Red Spotted Purple Butterfly Brooch Pin
Kids:
Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl book
Favorite item(s): 27 different items referencing Ruth Bader Ginsberg
To give a NYHS membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes
Order preparation: 2 to 4 days, email notification when ready Mail Delivery: FedEx Ground, USPS Priority Mail
Poster House (23rd Street near Sixth Avenue)
POSTER House is NYC’s newest museum and the only one in the US dedicated to poster history and design from around the world. The store’s special strengths include original 20th century posters for sale and some excellent catalogs explaining the history of this near universal art form.
Posters:
Women In Design Poster by Lora Appleton
Visit Dante’s Inferno Poster by Pushpin Studio
If You Keep Women Out They Get Resentful Poster
New York Is About New York, 1967 by Milton Glaser
Books:
Iron Fists: Branding the 20th Century Totalitarian State
Becoming a Design Entrepreneur: How to Launch Your Design-Driven Ventures from Apps to Zines
100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design
The New China – New Year Pictures
Clothes and accessories:
Get Rich Sock from Chop Suey Club
Fists Up Combined Exhibition Tote Bag
Jewelry:
Balance Bar Necklace by Ladies and Gentlemen Studios
Ideal Beauty Bolo Tie by Georganne Deen Acme
Kisiwa Large Rangi Hoop Earrings
Kids:
Listen! Listen! picture book
Pepin Paper Craft Art Deco Book
Favorite item: Simplicissimus Pin
To give a Poster House membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: No
Mail Delivery: USPS but for express shipping rates contact shop@posterhouse.org
Queens Museum (Flushing Meadows, Corona Park)
THE Queens Museum has been working hard during 2020 to engage their local community with arts programs tailored to a population that skews younger and is very much in touch with their multicultural roots. Their store touches on these interests as well as the institution’s past for a seamless narrative of the borough’s history.
Books:
13 Most Wanted Men: Andy Warhol and the 1964 World’s Fair
Clothes and accessories:
Bookish Cats Reusable Shopping Bag
Campus Backpack in Orange or Artic Blue
Kids:
Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds book
Archidoodle: An Architect’s Activity Book
Favorite item: Ümlaut Brooklyn’s Cool Magnet
To give a Queens Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes
Mail Delivery: FedEx Ground, USPS Priority Mail
(Tibet, 15th century. Gilt copper alloy with inlays of semiprecious stones and pigment, 10 3/4 × 8 1/2 × 5 5/8 in. Rubin Museum of Art)
The Rubin Museum of Art (17th Street, near 7th Avenue)
AT The Rubin, art, culture, history and religion of the Himalayas is the focus. As one of New York’s youngest museums, they understand the value a museum store brings to their mission to promote learning and understanding of this complicated and fascinating region.
Books:
Black & Buddhist (preorder available, to be released 12/8/20)
The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols
How To Meditate: A Practical Guide
Clothes and accessories:
Jewelry:
Turquois Nepalese Bead Necklace
Kids:
Life of the Buddha book
Audio Pets Bluetooth speaker
Favorite item: Wool Tiger Rug
To give a Rubin Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes (call 844-289-0473 for more information) Mail Delivery: UPS
Tenement Museum (103 Orchard Street)
THIS museum may be one of the smallest on our list, but its mission is enormous: to tell the American story through the lives of its immigrant community here in New York City. Their shop compliments this work through a fascinating selection of books and objects that chronicle the experiences of these future citizens.
Books:
97 Orchard Street: An Edible History of Five Families in One New York Tenement
Sewing Women: Immigrants and the New York City Garment Industry
Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America
Jewish New York: The Remarkable Story of a City and a People
Were You Always an Italian?: Ancestors and Other Icons of Italian America
Clothes and accessories:
Denim Lower East Side Tote Bag (also in white canvas)
Jewelry:
Working Brass Telescope Necklace
Kids:
First Generation: 36 Trailblazing Immigrants and Refugees That Make America Great book
Ridley’s Classic Flashing Plastic Yo-Yo Toy with Extra String and Trick Guide
Favorite item: Tea Leaf Reading Kit
To give a Tenement Museum membership, click here
Curbside (Store) Pickup: Yes, Friday through Sunday from 11 am – 3 pm
Order preparation: 2 to 4 days, email notification when ready
Mail Delivery: USPS Priority Mail
Museums and cultural centers that don’t have online stores (or only have limited products) but do sell memberships:
Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)
Museum of Food and Drink (MoFAD) (and a limited online shop is here)
