Need to buy a unique gift? Shop at the DAI’s Museum Store from home

The online Museum Store will wrap and ship for free

We could all use a gift from the heart right about now.

You can still shop for a unique birthday, graduation or anniversary present while social distancing and help support a local institution.

The Dayton Art Institute is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the online Museum Store is open for business and expanding weekly.

“Although we can’t open the doors to our brick and mortar store, we’re still able to serve the community through our online Museum Store,” Diane Haskell, museum store and museum rentals manager, said.

“With Amazon not prioritizing certain deliveries, we saw this as a chance to increase our online offerings and make a wider variety of products available.”

All online purchases include free shipping while the museum is closed and complimentary gift wrapping.

“Our online store gives people a great way to shop local for unique gifts to send to friends and family members who may be celebrating birthdays or special anniversaries while the state’s stay at home order is in place,” Haskell said.

More than 100 items in a range of prices are in the online store and each week new products will be added including artbooks, activities for kids, jewelry and apparel.

Need a special wedding gift? How about a colorful vase or art glass bowl from Seattle’s Glass Eye Studio.

Fuzzy stuffed animals, clay molding kits and pop-up books about dinosaurs are great options for children.

Just want to make someone’s day a little brighter? Socks embroidered with classic art works, a fountain pen and journal set or a piece of unique jewelry could be the perfect gift.

Like many other organizations and businesses in our region, the Dayton Art Institute is facing financial challenges and uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

“This is certainly not how we expected to begin our second century,” Michael R. Roediger, DAI director and CEO, said. “As a not-for-profit organization that depends on community support to operate, we need that support more than ever. Something as simple as shopping our online store can play an important part in helping sustain the museum through this difficult time.”

The DAI's online Museum Store can be found here or connect on its Facebook page.

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