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.