The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has launched a new exclusive ice cream flavor called "Van Dough" in its second-floor cafe and sculpture garden food stand. Created in collaboration between Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and Caffè Panna, the flavor features vanilla ice cream mixed with MoMA chocolate chip cookie dough chunks and chocolate chips. The article traces MoMA's long history with ice cream, including its ownership of Claes Oldenburg's *Pastry Case, I* (1961–62) and *Floor Cone* (1962), a 1935 Zeroll ice cream scoop by Sherman L. Kelly in its design collection, and a 2013 ice cream social with Milk Not Jails as part of artist Caroline Woolard's project.
This matters because it highlights the intersection of museum culture, culinary branding, and art history, showing how institutions like MoMA use food collaborations to enhance visitor experience and generate revenue. The article also playfully suggests a broader commitment to ice cream at MoMA, including revisiting recipes from the 1977 *Museum of Modern Art Artists’ Cookbook* and dreaming of a future exhibition on ice cream and modernism featuring works by Wayne Thiebaud, Evelyne Axell, Norman Rockwell, and Florine Stettheimer. It reflects how museums increasingly blend art, commerce, and hospitality to engage audiences.