The Museum Store is packed with creative gift ideas, from books, vases and cards to the jewelry below.
Tell Us! Got a favorite store, restaurant or cultural gem? We want to hear about it! Send your suggestions to wavelength@fpraz.org.
Phoenix Art Museum Store: Blending Culture and Commerce he shop at Phoenix Art
razor holder—a little plastic person—that sticks to the shower ($5.99). It makes me smile in the morning.” Fortunately, very few items at the shop fall into the categories of dreadful knickknacks and knockoffs. A sense of humor is required in the Frida Kahlo section, where you’ll find a doll ($16.99), activity book ($19.99) and playing cards ($6.99). Andy Warhol icons (including his Marilyn Monroe portrait and graphic flowers) decorate
everything from plates (set of four in matching box, $16.99) to wallets ($21.99). You can buy a magnetic bookmark replicating Van Gogh’s selfportrait ($2.99), with the quote, “The more you love, the more you suffer.” Within the outlandish spirit of the shop, this seems humorous, not heartbreaking. Phoenix Art Museum Store, 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix; 602-257-2182; phxart.org
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elegant way. Shelves are cleverly appointed with all kinds of stylish stuff that reflects collections and exhibition programming, blurring the line between culture and commerce. In conjunction with a show highlighting the fashions of Ralph Rucci, who was inspired by Japanese design, Japanese items are showcased. The “less is more” discipline in Rucci’s work is reflected in the simple grace of Zen-infused objects, including a cast iron tea pot ($100) and an elegantly handcrafted basket ($175). Visitors browse books about Japanese culture, including a paperback on wabi-sabi ($14.95), the Japanese aesthetic long associated with the tea ceremony, and a glossy coffee table book about Rucci, signed by the artist ($75). Other merchandise revolves around the increasingly popular theme that good design is good for you. Andrea Brode, who has frequented the museum during a yearlong business stint in Goodyear, visits for an “art fix,” and is buying colorful measuring spoons ($5.99) and whimsical “High Five, Low Five” drink stirrers ($9.99), also brightly hued and shaped into hands at top and bottom. “I find stuff here that I use regularly—to bake and to entertain—so I have the rationale to buy something new,” she says, smiling. “On my last visit, I bought a
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TMuseum is hip, but in an
Fall 2008
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