From the well-known to the up-and-coming, this shop bags the best.
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is more than a museum, inspiring countless visits, events, inspiring artistry and more.
The Shop at MCASD is no different, unwrapping artists’ visions in offerings meant to enthrall.
“We’re more than just a gift shop,” said retail and visitor experience manager Dante Rowley, who curates the items available in The Shop and develops collaborations with artists.
From books and apparel to home decor and more, The Shop has new items arriving weekly, ensuring stock is invigorated often.
Items are standalone, artifacts in their own right, but are also often tied to MCASD events and current exhibitions, like a book followed by products that might not have a direct connection to the exhibit but are correlated through a theme.
And sometimes events follow objects, as when The Shop began carrying jewelry by Georgina Trevino, whose items sold so well the museum did a workshop with her, which led to an artist talk, Rowley said.
Popular shop purchases include Yayoi Kusama designs, after the iconic pumpkin that greets MCASD guests in the lobby.
Rowley’s also working to expand items in the shop that represent MCASD’s vast permanent collection.
In addition to the well-known, Rowley strives to balance The Shop with less-established artists.
One such collaboration is with Ezra Brown and 5 and a Dime, the oldest streetwear store in San Diego.
“I brought them out of retirement,” Rowley said, for items like an exclusive hat and tote bag.
When Rowley first took on The Shop at MCASD in 2022, the museum “really wanted to focus on local artists and items that you couldn’t find anywhere else,” he said, something he had experience with after a decade running a limited edition shoe and clothing store in Downtown San Diego.
“I had my finger on the pulse of what’s cool and hard to find,” Rowley said, accessing that knowledge to connect with brands and local artists “you wouldn’t necessarily see in a museum environment. … Some of them jumped at the chance.”
Sourcing shop products is also a matter of scrolling the internet for the new and unknown, or Rowley is approached by artists themselves.
Rei Tionko came into MCASD to show Rowley his jewelry pieces. Rowley wasn’t quite sold on the designs yet and gave Tionko feedback on “what I would look for if I was a wholesale buyer,” Rowley said.
Tionko took Rowley’s notes “to heart and set up meetings with me to pick my brain about it” and perfect his craft, Rowley said.
Tionko returned with designs that led to a pop-up at the museum and then a table at MCASD’s first Expo; the artist now has items in The Shop, with some of his pieces featured in magazines.
Participating in Tionko’s evolution as an established artist has been “really cool to experience,” Rowley said.
“It’s really important to elevate the up and coming,” he said. “We want to be the place that showcases them first.”
This week, The Shop will release a Roy Lichtenstein beach towel during a “pop art pop up” at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, which will also be available at the museum store.
The Shop at MCASD will also imminently roll out a collaboration with the San Diego Padres to bring co-branded hats for purchase, a partnership Rowley has been working on for two years.
Later this year, The Shop will host a winter merchant market and premiere a children’s book during the holiday season, Rowley said.
The Shop at MCASD is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays, but shopping is always open online at shopmcasd.com.
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