New Brooklyn Museum Gift Shop Now Open

The newly renovated and expanded  Shop opened Wednesday in a space previously devoted to temporary exhibitions.

The new shop is 1,600 square feet larger than the old shop, and is the beginning phase of a transformation of the museum’s first floor.

The Brooklyn Museum Shop first opened in 1935 as a sales desk offering publications, postcards, and photographs of artwork in the museum’s collection. In 1954 it was changed into a Gallery Shop that specialized in toys, folk art and crafts, as well as mementos of special exhibitions.

Now the shop specializes in Brooklyn-designed products. “The Shop's merchandise will highlight the borough's designers, jewelers, authors, and illustrators, and reflect the diversity of cultures and time periods represented in the Museum’s collections, according to the museum’s website.

Offerings include a $108 vase that looks like it was made from silver paintbrushes by Brooklyn artist Harry Allen, dinner plates made from cork at $168 a piece by Brooklyn designer Daniel Michalik and a series of pose-able wood toys in robot and gorilla shapes by Brooklyn designer David Weeks $29-$105.

"The major goals of the new design for the first floor of the Museum have been to create a more coherent visitor experience, larger footprints for the Museum's shop, restaurant, and exhibition galleries, and space to create a remarkable installation of major works from the Museum's permanent collections," said Museum Director Arnold Lehman, in a written statement.

Up next for renovation are the museum’s restaurant and café, which will get a bar and an outdoor dining terrace in late summer. The new dining room will also accommodate special functions.

Finally, the space that formerly housed the Museum Café is being transformed into special exhibition galleries, adding 50 percent more floor space to the Robert E. Blum Gallery.

The Brooklyn Museum Gift Shop is located at 200 Eastern Pkwy at Washington Ave. and is open Wed 11am–6pm, Thu 11am–10pm, Fri–Sun 11am–6pm.