Useless at the MF

Regular readers of the MF blog know the museum tries hard to maintain environmentally responsible organizational procedures. From our use of QR Codes in the galleries and facility-wide CFL lighting to the retro-fitting of our properties and GREEN membership program, we strive to make sure what we do has the least amount of impact to the environment as possible. And now I'm happy to announce we're extending that mission into our product selection in the MF shop.

Many of the new green items in the shop come from Useless, an organization that focuses on using less and giving more in order to maintain a better planet. The organization is based around the reuse of materials to create chic, eco-friendly products. Think about all the useless things that we buy everyday, and then consider putting your money to a good cause like Useless. 10% of their profits fund clean water and sanitation projects around the world. You can see the exact project your money is going to by visiting their website: www.useless.org. All of their products are made in the USA and are created from recycled and sustainable materials. The MF Shop offers their BPA-free, recyclable water bottles, organic cotton tshirts, in both men's and women's sizes, and billboard tote bags.



And for a short time only, you can add a MF Green Membership to any Useless Merchandise (or any other Green product) purchase for only $40! (A $10.00 discount) So think about the Mattress Factory in your own mission to "go green," and become a Green Member today!

POSTED BY ERIN Read All Posts by Erin

Limited Edition Garden Party T-Shirts

UPDATE 6/12/2009: We are now Sold Out of the Urban Garden Party Ticket + T-Shirt packages.

We are in the home stretch with a little over a week left to go before the MF gets rockin' at the 2009 Urban Garden Party! Everyone here at the MF is having such a great time with this year's theme. MF Shannon & the rest of the graphic design team are working up some amazing rock-themed event signage and ads, while MF Owen & his team of installers are going all-out with lighting, video projections, multi-media and other decor.

I didn't want the MF shop to be left out, so we decided to put together these limited edition graphic T-Shirts especially for the 2009 Urban Garden Party. These vintage black Alternative Apparel tees come in both Men's and fitted Ladies sizes (S, M, L, XL). They'll be on-sale for $20 during the event next Friday, so if you're planning to attend the Garden Party, make sure to stop in the shop and pick one up!


And what's even better is that we're offering an extremely limited number as a Ticket & T-Shirt advance package. So act fast; while supplies last you can pick up a limited edition T-Shirt and a ticket to the Urban Garden Party for $100.00 even (A SAVINGS OF $10). The Urban Garden Party is a very important fundraiser for the museum that helps to continue to support cutting-edge artists and push artistic boundaries. All proceeds from the Garden Party and related merchandise go directly to support Mattress Factory exhibitions and programs.

POSTED BY ERIN Read All Posts by Erin

Sizzling Summer Deals in the MF Shop!

The month of June is just around the corner and summer is starting to heat up here at the Mattress Factory. Starting next week, the MF Shop will be offering several amazing deals I'd like to share with you. My personal favorite is the bag sale, which will include most of our in-stock bags at a discount of 15%. There are many different bags to choose from including MF messanger bags, recycled bags, and felted laptop bags. Because most of the bags are one-of-a-kind (like the Vy & Elle bag made from recycled billboards you see here), they are only available in-store. The sale will be on until the end of the month, so give me a call or come come visit me in the shop to SAVE BIG on some of our most unique bags.

Also, we are offering a promotion for our MF catalog collection. Through the end of June, both ten-year catalogs (1980-1989 and 1990-1999) will be heavily discounted when purchased as a package. The two paperback catalogs, regularly $59 combined, are now on sale for $50 and include a complimentary New Installations, Artists in Residence: Cuba catalog from our show in 2005. [ MORE INFO ] The hardcover catalogs also include a Cuba catalog and are being sold together for $100, regularly $115. [ MORE INFO ] These are really great coffee table books and cover all Mattress Factory installations from the museum's first two decades.

And as if all that isn't enough, for a limited time, Mattress Factory logo magnets will be $.99 with ANY purchase in the MF Shop. So get online, stop in the museum, or give the Shop a call (412.231.3169) to get some great deals!

POSTED BY ERIN Read All Posts by Erin

Mother's Day at the MF

As we are all aware, Mother's Day is rapidly approaching this Sunday (YIKES!). If you're at all like me, time has certainly crept up on you and now you're scrambling to make sure your Mom is well-taken-care-of this weekend. Well, we here at the MF have a few offerings designed to help make your Mom's special day easy for you and art-filled for her!



1) FREE Admission and Mimosas for Mom! Bring your Mom to the museum this Sunday, May 10th, and she gets in FREE. That's right, all Moms attending with their child(ren) get in FREE. And if that's not enough of a deal, the BoxSpring Café will be serving brunch from 1:00PM - 4:00PM, at which Mom will be treated to a complimentary Mimosa!

2) Unique Gifts for the Mom Who Has Everything! I know the perfect gift for Mom can be very hard to find. The MF Shop has some great new items that would make fantastic gifts for any Mom this Mother's Day. We have some very fun recycled tote bags that would be perfect for summer trips to the beach (or maybe the Monongahela or Allegheny Rivers in our case!) or even just the grocery store. Our recycled totes make the perfect gift, as we are all trying to be a bit more eco-conscious in our everyday lives these days.

Paired with our Green Membership, you could make it an environmentally-friendly Mother's Day! We also have soy candles, coffee table books, ceramic spring vases, and some other great things for Mom. Gift cards are also available at any chosen amount. So whether you're looking for the ultimate gift or even just a nice card, come by and see us – the MF Shop is open during regular museum hours and during select events.

POSTED BY ERIN Read All Posts by Erin

Erin's First Blog Post

Hi there. My name is Erin and this is my very first blog post! I'm the shop coordinator here at the Mattress Factory and I'll be posting regularly about cool new items we receive in the shop and special discounts exclusively for our online friends, among other things.

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love the holiday shopping season! Finding perfect and unique gifts for everyone on my list and watching their reaction when they open them are the highlights of my holiday. From now until the end of December, the MF Shop is featuring 20 fantastic items all under $20. Our list includes Mattress Factory items such as our Art You Can Get Into Panties (pictured to the left) and Ceramic Coffee Mug (pictured below), as well as other unique items including a Disappearing Civil Liberties Mug and Kikkerland Wind Up Toys.

The best part about the MF Shop is that all museum store purchases help the Mattress Factory provide artists in residence with unparalleled support in creating new installations at the museum. So proceeds from the MF Shop go directly to the art. Thank you in advance for helping to support our mission!

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Posted by ERIN
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Erin Potts, MF Shop Coordinator

ERIN POTTS, MF Shop Coordinator Extra-Curricular Interests Reading, Hockey, Knitting, Movies What artists are currently in heavy rotation on your iPod? Alkaline Trio, Bouncing Souls, Tegan and Sara If you could bring two things with you to a deserted island, what would they be? My bathing suit and the Twilight book series If you could have dinner with one person from history, who would it be and why? Jane Austen because she was a fascinating woman and could tell a seriously good story. One more thing we should know about you: I am a graduate student at Duquesne University. READ ALL POSTS BY ERIN