Pop-up stores have become a hot retail trend spurred by the recession, according to a recent article in the LA Times. New York's newest entry to this market is the Museum of Arts and Design's gift shop, which opened last week on the Upper East Side, at 74^th and Third.

MAD PopUp is the child of Kate's Paperie, whose owner, Angelica Berrie, is the main sponsor of Slash: Paper Under the Knife, now on view at the museum. And the new store, which occupies 1200 square feet in Kate's Paperie, brings visibility not only to the museum and the exhibition but also to the high-end crafts that are MAD's mission to present.

MAD PopUp's windows are a live ad for Slash: Paper Under the Knife, currently on view at The Museum of Arts and Design. The installation was created by one of its featured artists, Mia Pearlman. Photos: Peggy Roalf.

Among the offerings are a heady array of jewelry, from refined precious metals to an eye-popping group of colored glass earrings and necklaces by Dorothy Hafner, a New York-based glass artist. Like many of the crafters nurtured by the museum, she works in many aspects of the art, from jewelry to large-scale vessels to architectural installations.

The variety of merchandise reflects the museum's concerns, which are broad-ranging indeed. There is tableware fashioned from wood, from glass, from metals, and ceramics. One of the most whimsical is a series of female figure vases in formal attire by Terri Cody of Washington state. Textile arts, one of the most fascinating crafts thriving today, are represented in the form of apparel and decorative items as well. And, like most good museum gift shops, logo tote bags and t-shirts are game players.

MAD Pop-Up Store, which will be open at least through the holiday season, is located at 1282 Third Avenue and 74th Street, New York, NY. For Information: 212.299.7700. The exhibition Slash: Paper Under the Knife, which was featured in the October 8 issue of DART, continues at The Museum of Arts and Design through April 4, 2010.