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Special Collections You Can Bring Home from the Museum

MCA Chicago Store

Chicago

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago first opened in 1967 and has spent the past 50 years taking chances on and providing opportunity to artists — like the time Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the exterior and interior of the original museum building using more than 12,000 square feet of canvas as part of their “Wrap In Wrap Out” installation.

That sense of risk and feeling of reward can be found at the MCA Chicago Store. Each item is arguably a piece of contemporary art, such as a necklace made of Lucite bubbles, Marie Antoinette salt-and-pepper shakers and wooden Japanese kokeshi-style dolls of artists and pop icons.

The online store also features a selection of items that complement Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami’s recent MCA exhibit “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg.” Merchandise includes Murakami prints, apparel, books, plush dolls and puppets.

www.mcachicagostore.org

Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Philadelphia

At the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, gleaming wood-and-glass cabinets hold a dizzying array of medical collections, such as 1,300 “wet specimens” — body parts preserved in fluid-filled jars — and more than 3,000 skeletal specimens, as well as wax anatomical models and historical medical instruments.

The museum’s store is an extension of its exhibits, with fun, quirky and sometimes-bizarre items. The book selection covers topics such as dangerous medicinal plants, the “life” of cadavers and collections of medicinal art through the ages.

The Mütter store’s most popular piece of apparel is a custom-designed hoodie that highlights some of the museum’s famous specimens, such as Mega Colon and the bust of conjoined twins, Chang and Eng. Visitors can even take home a custom plush Mega Colon, which doubles as a neck pillow.

www.muttermuseum.org

Rachel Carter

Rachel Carter worked as a newspaper reporter for eight years and spent two years as an online news editor before launching her freelance career. She now writes for national meetings magazines and travel trade publications.