By: Kyrie Sismaet By: Kyrie Sismaet | March 22, 2022 | Lifestyle, Fashion, Art,
Exterior shot of the SFMOMA, located on 151 3rd St.
Just as well-known as the SFMOMA’s stunning and imaginative artworks are all the equally creative merchandise they showcase in their museum store. Unlike most museum gift shops, the SFMOMA store curates innovative and distinct apparel, jewelry, and home and kitchen accessories that reflects the similar galleries and pieces they currently have on display.
“We look to our collection and exhibitions for inspiration when choosing a product to bring to our visitors,” as stated on their site, “and search for objects that are deeply connected to the art and design on our walls.” With trending art movements as the key factors for their design and aesthetics, for this spring the SFMOMA museum store has unveiled “The Garden Collection.”
Emphasizing bright poppy colors and minimalist materials and structures to evoke fresh lightness, this collection includes jewelry, glassware, puzzles, and accessories like tote bags and sunglasses. To highlight a few, this collection collaborates between the SFMOMA and designers/design studios such as Abacus Row for the jewelry, Public Glass for their drinkware, Chunks Shop for their hair and face accessories, and Baggu and Glob Land for their sustainable bagware.
Abacus Row is a local jewlery studio in Nob Hill that emphasizes subtle and meticulously crafted design to bring a sophisticated, yet minimalist style. For the Garden Collection, their limited edition series evokes ethereal reflection and new perspectives in their vibrant 14k crystal hoop earrings. These Asian-inspired pieces, which they call “Bông tai,” or the Vietnamese word for earring- “flower of the ear,” range from $295-395.
The glassware shown above is by Public Glass, which since 1997, is the only public-access glass studio and school. This nonprofit arts organization provides glass courses taught by local and nationally recognized artists in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. For their partnership with the SFMOMA, they are providing hand-blown glassware in a variety of bright jewel tones reminiscent of the vibrant flora of spring.
Chunks Shop began in 2019 by Tiffany Jiu in Seattle, and is known for its hair clips and sunglasses coming in distinct freeform shapes and cute pastel shades. Her collection at the store also continues the fun and fresh theme of lightweight but luxury spring aesthetics.
Baggu and Glob Land (featured below) both emphasize sustainability and utilization of natural and recyclable materials to craft their tote bags and accessories.
Baggu crafts “simple, playful things for everyday living,” branching out into socks and other apparel as featured in the SFMOMA shop. Glob Land aims for a “plastic-free world,” as their tote bags are made from multiple recycled bottles and can replace 500 single-use plastic bags.
The SFMOMA Museum Store’s hopes to foster enduring connections to art and design through their merchandise, with the proceeds supporting their educational programs and exhibitions.
Photography by: Georg Eiermann/Unsplash
