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

MSA Code of Ethics

MSA Code of Ethics & Antitrust Policy

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 SCHOLARSHIPS

An opportunity for professionals with budget challenges to attend MSA FORWARD

RECOGNITION AWARDS

A full list of institution recipients by year for the MSA Recognition Awards

MSA NEXT

Emerging industry professionals

BUYER'S CHOICE AWARDS

Recognizing MSA FORWARD vendors

JOB SOURCE

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

Sponsorships & Advertising

Where MSA vendors can find opportunities to be recognized by MSA buyers

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

RECOGNITION AWARDS

The MSA Recognition Awards acknowledge the essential role that nonprofit retail professionals and museum store vendors play in the success of cultural institutions. The awards provide MSA members with an opportunity to be recognized, and awarded, for the extraordinary work they do. Receiving a MSA Recognition Award can go a long way toward advocating for your store internally or for promoting your products to buyers.

Congratulations to the 2025
Recognition Award Recipients

2025 Excellence in Visual Merchandising

Virginia Museum of Fine Art

Highlighting the best of in-store display and merchandising, the Excellence in Visual Merchandising award recognizes institutions that extend the museum experience. Awards will be presented to stores showcasing creative uses of resources, design, and impactful storytelling.

2025 Best New Product

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum of the Seminole Tribe of Florida

The Best New Product Award recognizes excellence in product development by an institution. Nominations will be evaluated based on achieving project goals, creativity, and support of the institution and its mission. We’re looking for new products that are creative, original and commercially successful, with an engaging story that is relevant to your venue and audience. Multiple awards may be given in this category.

2025 Excellence in an Online Store

Phoenix Art Museum

The Best Online Store award recognizes greatness in online commerce through innovative design, excellence in user interface, achievement of sales or marketing goals, and highlights the mission and goals of the institution it serves.

2025 Excellence in Marketing

The Mark Twain House and Museum

The Excellence in Marketing award recognizes creative commerce and innovation in a marketing effort by an institution. Awards are presented based on factors including creativity, innovation, institution brand cohesion, and inspiration at fulfilling your institution’s mission. Submissions can include social media or online campaigns, gift guides, advertising campaigns, publications and more.

2025 Best New Product Collection

Chrysler Museum of Art

The Best New Product Collection Award recognizes excellence in product development by an institution. A range includes multiple products with the same focus or theme. Nominations will be evaluated based on achieving project goals, creativity, and support of the institution and its mission. We’re looking for new product ranges that are creative, original and commercially successful, with an engaging story that is relevant to your venue and audience. Multiple awards may be given in this category.

2025 Excellence in Creative Commerce

National Naval Aviation Museum

The Excellence in Creative Commerce Award recognizes creativity and innovation with a pop up store, special event, Museum Store Sunday initiative, or other creative income generation or engagement. Awards will be presented to stores that showcase the institutional mission or strategic goals, engage visitors in a unique experience, and support the goals of the store.

Best New Initiative

The Museum of Flight

Excellence exists beyond the categories listed in these awards. This award recognizes excellence in a new initiative in areas such as DEAI, team building, training, visitor experience, non-retail revenue streams, collaboration, or others not covered by another award category.

2025 Rising Star

Kimberly Kay, Scott Family Amazeum

The Rising Star award recognizes emerging museum professionals who are making an impact on the nonprofit retail field, their institution, or the MSA community. To be eligible, a nominee should have five years or less experience in the cultural retail field* at the time of submission, and the nominee must be active in the cultural retail field* through current employment or volunteer service. Self-nominations and nominations from others are accepted. *Cultural retail includes all institutional members of the MSA.