To merch or not to merch

The pros, the cons and tips to help you navigate the booming world of art merchandise.
man with barcode on forehead

What started out as a specialist bookshop with a few collection postcards and the odd poster, has become big business for galleries, and artists.

From pop-up vitrine stores in most regional galleries, providing a vital income stream, to global brands like The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York) and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) with chain outlet stores worldwide, art merchandise today is the norm.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina