Museum of Ice Cream

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Museum of Ice Cream
Museum of Ice Cream SF.jpg
The San Francisco location is the Museum's flagship
Established2016
TypePop-up exhibition
Visitors500,000 (November 2017)
DirectorMaryellis Bunn (Founder)
Websitewww.museumoficecream.com

Museum of Ice Cream is a company that develops and operates interactive retail experiences, or "selfie museums", in the United States and Singapore. These exhibits, typically hosted in storefronts, are ice-cream and candy-themed, with bright colors. The exhibits serve as backdrops for selfies, and the posts made by visitors to Instagram and other social media sites have served to promote the company's offerings.

History[]

The company was founded by Maryellis Bunn and Manish Vora.[1] Its first location, a pop-up, opened in the Meatpacking District in 2016. Bunn and Vora initially self-funded the company. Bunn drew inspiration for the company from her perspective on American retail and traditional museums, which she has respectively referred to as a "dead industry" and "archaic".[1] Despite positioning themselves as an alternative to more traditional institutions, the company does not produce "museums" as such;[2][3] writers have described the locations as "...[playgrounds] with no age [limits]" and as an "interactive multi-sensory exhibit".[4] Bunn has stated she regrets using the term "museum" and now prefers the portmanteau "experiums" to describe the company's offerings.[5]

The success of the first pop-up and subsequent locations inspired the establishment of other experience-focused companies, such as the Museum of Pizza, Cado, and Rosé Mansion.[1][3] Target began selling pints of Museum of Ice Cream ice cream in 2018.[6] Flavors included "Piñata" and "Sprinkle Pool". As of 2020, Target no longer sells Museum of Ice Cream products.[7] The Museum of Ice Cream also produced a makeup line for Sephora.[8]

The organization received criticism due to its "tone deaf" efforts to express solidarity with protestors after the killing of George Floyd.[7] A sign featuring the names of victims of police brutality, including Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice was placed outside the company's SoHo location in bright pink. Their names were preceded with the words "I scream for..." implicitly comparing the deceased to ice cream. Additionally, Ahmaud Arbery's name was misspelled "Ahmed Aubrey".[9] In the same Forbes article that reported on the "tone deaf" moves, founders Maryellis Bunn and Manish Vora received criticism for abuse directed at employees and difficult conditions and restrictions placed upon retail employees.[7]

On 7 April 2021, the Singapore Tourism Board announced that Museum of Ice Cream will be opening its first overseas location in Singapore's Dempsey district in August 2021. A total of 14 exclusive installations will be featured.[10][11] During the official launch on 12 April, details of the exhibits were revealed, including a "Dragon Playground", a jungle with bananas and the largest sprinkle pool of any MOIC. There will also be ice-cream tasting as well.[12][13] The Museum of Ice Cream opened in Singapore on 19 August 2021.[14]

Locations[]

City Dates Location
Meatpacking District, Manhattan July 2016 – September 2016 100 Gansevoort Street
Los Angeles April 2017 – December 2017 2018 E. 7TH Pl.
San Francisco (flagship) September 2017 – present 1 Grant Ave.[15]
Miami December 2017 – May 2018 3400 Collins Ave.
SoHo, Manhattan December 2019 – 558 Broadway
Singapore August 2021 – Dempsey
Austin August 2021 – 11506 Century Oaks Terrace

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Wiener, Anna (2 October 2017). "The Millennial Walt Disney". New York Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  2. ^ Guse, Clayton (7 June 2018). "Stop saying the Museum of Ice Cream is cool". TimeOut. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b McCormick, Emily (15 August 2018). "What If the Museum of Ice Cream Is the Future of Retail?". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. ^ Silman, Anna (21 February 2020). "Could You Survive a Day at the Museum of Ice Cream With No Phone?". The Cut. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  5. ^ Cao, Sissi (9 October 2019). "Everything You Think You Know About the Museum of Ice Cream Is Wrong: Interview With CEO". Observer. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  6. ^ Kelso, Alicia (11 June 2018). "Target scoops up exclusive partnership with Museum of Ice Cream". FoodDive. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Wilson, Alexandra; McGrath, Maggie (2 July 2020). "The Meltdown at the Museum of Ice Cream". Forbes. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  8. ^ Roof, Katie (14 April 2019). "Museum of Ice Cream Valued at $200 Million". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  9. ^ Lakin, Max (22 June 2020). "When Luxury Stores Decorate Their Riot Barricades with Protest Art". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  10. ^ Tang, See Kit. "Museum of Ice Cream among 3 tourist attractions opening in Singapore". CNA. Retrieved 2021-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "The Museum of Ice Cream Opens Its Doors in Singapore!". Shout. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
  12. ^ Lim, Jessie (12 April 2021). "Museum of Ice Cream to open in Dempsey in August". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  13. ^ Rohani, Siti (12 April 2021). "'Dragon Playground' and sprinkle pool: What to expect at Singapore's Museum of Ice Cream". CNA Lifestyle. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  14. ^ hermesauto (2021-08-19). "Instagram sensation Museum of Ice Cream opens in S'pore with sprinkle pool, disco and more". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  15. ^ "The Museum of Ice Cream extends SF stay and will debut two new installations". sfgate.com. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.

External links[]

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