About

overview

Who we are and how we serve our community

committees

The people who make it all happen

board of directors

Meet MSA leadership

contact us

Get in touch with us

staff

Your Museum Store Association contacts

donate

Ways to support our nonprofit organization

membership

Join or renew

How to join MSA or renew Membership

shoptalk

Our  online community platform

membership Directory

Members only access

chapters

Leadership at the local level

MSA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

An opportunity for professionals with budget challenges to attend MSA FORWARD

RECOGNITION AWARDS

The 2024 MSA Recognition Award winners

MSA NEXT

Emerging industry professionals

BUYER'S CHOICE AWARDS

Recognizing creativity and innovation in retail products showcased at MSA FORWARD

JOB SOURCE

Your one-stop career resource center to find and prepare for your next opportunity

education

Educational Recordings

Searchable downloads of all educational
sessions for members and non-members

publications

Providing ideas and methods to help store operators and employees

msa forward

Past conferences with links to session recordings, awards, exhibitors, and more. 

resource library

Curated content library for our members

Upcoming Live Webinars

What is ON for live digital events

MSA Blog

Articles written by subject matter experts to inform and educate

Knowledge standards

The foundation of nonprofit retail

Events

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

The schedule of webinars and events with descriptions and links to registration pages

msa forward conference

Where to find information about MSA FORWARD Conference and Expo

market Events

MSA events at wholesale gift markets

museum store Sunday EVENT

Annual Museum Store Advocacy Day

Application Process and Funding:

MSA Staff and Board of Directors determine the total award amount for each year. The MSA Memorial Scholarship Committee reviews applications and chooses the recipients. The committee determines what portion of this award will be given to each recipient – the amount of each award may vary based on financial need, distance traveled by the recipient, etc.

This year, MSA FORWARD 2025 is headed to Los Angeles, CA, from May 5-9, 2025.

No longer accepting applications. 

All applicants will receive written notification of their selection or non-selection. Applicants who are not selected may be encouraged to apply the next year.

Scholarship award recipients must attend the full program on the date and location specified. In case of a recipient being unable to attend MSA FORWARD, the award must be returned. The applicant may re-apply at any time to attend a future conference. The award is not transferable.

In order to be eligible to receive this year’s scholarship, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

  • Must be a first-time attendee of the MSA FORWARD
  • Must certify financial need
  • Must be an MSA member in good standing

History:

Samuel Julius Greenberg was director of museum shops for the Smithsonian Institution from 1982-89. He felt MSA’s Museum Retail Conference and Expo was a golden opportunity to learn, shop and connect with museum retail professionals. As a speaker, he gave freely of his knowledge and expertise. As a delegate, he was fond of saying that he always learned something new from store managers of both large and small museums. When a member of Sam’s staff deserved recognition for an outstanding accomplishment, Sam presented him or her with a “Dragon Slayer” pin. In honor of Sam’s memory and to embrace his enthusiasm, MSA founded the Sam Greenberg Scholarship Fund, which helps bring museum store personnel to their first MSA Museum Retail Conference & Expo. In recent years the Sam Greenberg Scholarship Fund was renamed the MSA Memorial Scholarship in order to commemorate additional nonprofit retail professionals who served MSA for many years.