Jun 18, 2010

MAD Pop-up Store Debuts at NYIGF

White Plains, NY — One of New York City’s premier museum retailers, the Store at MAD (Museum of Arts and Design), will install a retail “pop-up” location at the summer 2010 edition of the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®). As part of the partnership between NYIGF and MAD, NYIGF’s first ever temporary store will sell – and also ship – its exclusive products to market participants August 14 – August 19, 2010, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The MAD pop-up store will feature a range of products which celebrate the artist, material use and design – items that preserve the essence of “made-by-hand” while, in some cases, utilizing the latest design technology. Product categories range from jewelry, glass, ceramics, wood, home design and fashion accessories, to a highly-curated selection of children’s products and books.

“This exciting new feature at NYIGF will give participants direct access to MAD’s exclusive products, as well as one more avenue to showcase – and celebrate – quality artisanal craft at NYIGF,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. As NYIGF’s Handmade celebrates its 25th anniversary, the division has been reorganized into two distinct collections – Handmade® Designer Maker with 360 exhibitors, and Handmade® Global Design with 220 exhibitors.

According to Franci Sagar, MAD vice president and director of retail and brand development, products exclusive to The Store at MAD include work from many international destinations known for their celebration of natural materials and workmanship, as well as a compelling selection of design-focused home, gift and fashion merchandise.

“Because of the Museum of Arts and Design’s mission to explore how craft, art and design intersect, The Store at MAD is in a unique position to present product that crosses over into many diverse categories,” said Sagar. “Our product selection appeals to a sophisticated customer who appreciates workmanship and design. NYIGF buyers fit this profile, making the Fair an ideal platform for MAD to have a pop up store.”

As an additional component of the new partnership between NYIGF and MAD, market participants will receive free admission to the museum, located at 2 Columbus Circle, during the week of August 14-19, with a NYIGF badge. On view is the compelling exhibition, Dead or Alive, showcasing contemporary works created from organic materials and once-living materials.

For nearly half a century, the Museum of Arts and Design – formerly the American Craft Museum – has served as the country’s premier institution dedicated to the collection and exhibition of contemporary objects created in media such as clay, glass, wood, metal, and fiber. The Store at MAD has become a premier shopping destination, with a cohesive presentation of well-designed craft and design objects. The Store is dedicated to building a bridge between its customers, the makers and their products. For more information, visit: www.madmuseum.org

NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,800 exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 85 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nyigf.com.