Gallery Gift Guide
Amber Hogan guides you through online gallery gift shops and recommends her favourite finds.
Going to the Gift Shop at the end of a gallery or museum trip is one of the best ways to help keep these establishments afloat; in particular it is a great way to aid exhibitions without an entrance fee or ticket. Not only that but gift shops usually sell unique, sustainable, and niche items that are often exclusive to the shop itself. It is the perfect place to find something pocket sized and fun to bring back home with you as a memento, part of a collection, a gift or a stocking filler.
Going to the Gift Shop at the end of a gallery or museum trip is one of the best ways to help keep these establishments afloat; in particular it is a great way to aid exhibitions without an entrance fee or ticket.
A nearby example could be the Erin Cox jewellery collection being sold at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter, including silver pieces hand crafted by the Devon-born Jeweller and inspired by the local wildlife. RAMM also sells several other designs and prints done by local artists in an act of community outreach. These are sold alongside prints of historical artworks, lending the shop a blend of old and new Exeter creativity, making for a good finish to the tour.
The Ashmolean in Oxford is currently selling lots of Young Rembrandt merchandise due to the Spring 2020 exhibition held regarding the Dutch artist. This includes postcards, prints, keyrings, bags and mugs- but most notably a collection of books and exhibition catalogues full of information. If you’re interested in collections, then these sorts of catalogues are available in almost every museum, some free of charge and some not. They make for good reading and often have photos of the exhibitions themselves that are not open to public photography. In the Natural History Museum, Gold and silver pendants are made from hand-picked oak leaves turned into unique hand-crafted necklaces. A wooden replica of the Galileo Globe Puzzle is for sale at the British Museum, alongside a collection of interesting historical tea towels. So if you’re looking for a way to support museums and galleries alongside getting a souvenir, then the gift shop is for you. These stores can also often be accessed online so don’t let lockdown stop you!
