The Menil Collection Bookstore

Great place to shop for gifts for your artistic friends and family! Most of the books are heavy hardback art books, which are quite expensive!

Great gift ideas for the book collectors and art lovers in your life available here

Great little bookshop featuring books, magazines and ephemera regarding art, architecture and culture. You won’t find typical museum junk here. No Magritte erasers or Max Ernst flashlights, though my favorite knick-​knacks are the teacups with two different halves formed together. A few years ago they had a small room in the back that sold local artwork which they don’t have now.

Just an overall great selection of books and nifty gifts to look through. I am hooked!

This is a small and quaint bookstore housed in what looks like a former Craftsman-​style home. When I stopped in last week, they were gearing up for the opening of the Richard Serra exhibition at the Menil Collection. That was OK, as Gayle and I saw a nice selection of his work at the Guggenheim in Bilbao Spain last October. Or as the person working the bookstore desk mentioned, Richard Serra is having his moment.
The Menil Collection Bookstore also stocks some Rothko Chapel stuff, but surprisingly nothing regarding the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, considering that fabulous art’s imminent return to Cyprus. At the same time, this place is a fun and educational browse and within its eclectic offerings, there is artistic treasure to be found.

What a great, little, eclectic art bookstore! It’s like Aladdin’s cave in here. Something on every conceivable type of art. I just love poking around.
I hold back the fifth star because, quite honestly, the prices make me bit dizzy! Other than that, go have a browse around. You’ll love it!

Look, I’m not art critic. I really enjoyed the museum though, and one one wish as a total philistine was a cool poster or print. Nothing doing in the bookstore, though. Maybe it’s a copyright issue? But all they had were posters advertising old exhibits. Not going to slam on what bookwise was a very cool place, though. 3 stars.

Small bookstore, discount items in the back room. Across the street from the museum and you pass it from the parking lot. Books, stationary, gift items.

Okay, I’m in modern art book heaven. So for me, let’s just say I was in the heaven of awesome.
If you are looking for a great, eclectic, interesting art book for any reason whatsoever, go to this amazing book store. Everything from the history of family photographs to a three book series on the life of Picasso to ancient art of Oceania to travel books to cities known for art and architecture. Apparently Wallpaper magazine has a series on what significant architecture (with pictures) to see in lands far away. Marrakech, Bangkok, Vienna, and Tokyo to name a few.
If you’ve ever been to The Menil Collection, then you know the scope and scale of the art the de Menils collected. Over 17,000 pieces. This bookstore highlights this wonderful collection, both their permanent collection and exhibits that show there. After walking through an impressive (IMPRESSIVE, I must stress again) Max Ernst exhibit, I was glad to find some amazing books highlighting the exhibit in the bookstore. There was one for over $ 1000. (still makes me giggle.) There was also one for $ 25. A hefty book. It was specific to the Menil Collection’s Ernst pieces and the friendship between the de Menils and Ernst.
They also carry other items. There were past exhibit posters in the back room/​sale room/​kitchen. I didn’t ask the price of it, but I was very tempted to get the Rauschenberg poster*. They also have some really pretty jewelry, cards, and writing journals.
They keep the same hours as the museum: W-​Su 11am-​7pm. I highly recommend going here after your Menil visit. Oh, and if you’ve never been to The Menil Collection, then you are missing out on Houston’s #1 gem. Seriously.
*I didn’t want to completely update this review, but the past exhibit posters are just $ 5. So, to any of you wanting to get the Rauschenberg exhibit poster, someone already has it hanging on her wall. :)