Thursday, September 16, 2021
Immersive Arts Innovator Meow Wolf Flexes Economic Muscles Post-Pandemic With New Denver Location
www.forbes.com: Few areas of the economy took as direct a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic as the fast-growing, buzzy world of immersive arts experiences typified by companies like the Santa Fe-based social impact B-corporation Meow Wolf, which had just raised $158 million in 2019 to expand its operations.
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I have always had a great appreciation for Meow Wolf due to their ability to bring many artists together for collaboration. I have also always respected the number of artists they employ. However, to hear about their projected success is simply mind blowing to me. It is so thrilling to see the number of artists being signed on. It is also exciting to see the projected income that will help recoup much of the industry’s loss from COVID. At the same time, I worry that with so much money being introduced, Meow Wolf will turn to commercialization. It is great that they are expanding to more cities. However, I wonder if the company will try to appeal to larger audience bases to achieve more rapid expansion. Focusing less on the root of the company. I believe we can anticipate a phenomenon similar to the seemingly endless pop-up Immersive Van Gogh exhibitions. With expansion comes more exposure to different populations, but a less authentic, more mass produced piece of art.
I have not heard of Meow Wolf before reading this article but after doing some more research, their work looks really fascinating. It is incredibly impressive that they were able to raise 158 million dollars to open up a new exhibit. It’s especially exciting to see because many arts organizations went under during this pandemic period so it is interesting to see which ones thrived through all of this. It is going to be really telling about the future of the arts economy and how our industry shifts to accommodate growing interests in new types of art. This immersive style of art with interactivity and technology integrated in has proven to be a new hit. There have been many exhibits like both Van Gogh exhibits that have done this and are extremely successful. While this is not what I want to end up doing, I definitely am into this kind of thing and will hopefully attend more of these interesting exhibits.
I have never heard of Meow Wolf before, but upon learning about it and reading I believe that initiatives like these are so important and so beneficial to the community that surrounds it. I love when local artists are able to showcase their work, because I feel like it reminds the community and those who visit it that the place they are inhabiting is a living breathing space. On that note, I think that is why I love the idea of an interactive artspace so much. Especially with the pandemic, I think the premise of interaction has been severely cut out of art. While this is valid, I think that interactive is what art needs right now. I have always had a dislike for artworks that are so close yet so far away because it takes out the joy art has. I also like the mindful commentary on budget, because it is often a topic that is shied away from when talking about art.
Prior to reading this article, I was not familiar with the company and works of Meow Wolf. It’s admirable how they managed to bounce back from the setbacks forced by the COVID-19 pandemic and breathe life back into its captivatingly unique exhibits. Meow Wolf’s status as a social impact organization was particularly meaningful; it was clear that they are fulfilling this mission as well based on the list of economic and business statistics in the article. The company’s commitment to appealing to the “Instagram generation” is also fairly indicative of the values of many modern-day museums; they hope to generate (younger?) media attention through their bizarre visuals, which all make use of more contemporary designs and technology. Meow Wolf also placed a lot of emphasis and priority on safety guidelines regarding COVID to their exhibits, which is incredibly important especially since the company has been hosting and planning on more physical viewings.
Reading this made me really interested in the installation and as there is only one photo in the article, I looked up some other photos and it looks like a beautiful installation, I would love to visit. But in reading more about the company, I also found out Meow Wolf is being sued by former employees for wage theft and gender-based discrimination. The article focused mainly on the revenue Meow Wolf brings in, and while it’s amazing that the company brings so much revenue to the states it puts installations in, it looks egregious that they make so much money yet aren’t properly compensating the employees that make that revenue possible. The Forbes article mentions the “enduring and sustainable economic value of the arts,” and it seems hypocritical to value the art but not the people making and sustaining the art itself. Hopefully the new Denver installation is more fairly organized and is an overall positive contribution to the city.
I had recently heard about Meow Wolf, and I did not really realize what they were. Now, after reading this article they are just the next step above Instagram murals and have turned that into an entire market. I may find this type of immersive art weird, but I am not here to disparage anyone’s success. If this is working and is making a positive impact on the economy, and they are actually paying their taxes than this is great, and we need more Meow Wolf locations across the country. I was confident that performing arts would return after the pandemic. Theater has existed in some form or another for literally all of human civilization so the idea that once the pandemic ended, there would be no one left to do theater was always absurd to me. Obviously, some of the smaller theater companies will have closed but the human desires to see art, perform art, and for storytelling will always be there and these Meow Wolf exhibits prove it. Art and storytelling aren’t going anywhere.
I am so in love with the immersive experience that Meow Wolf creates. It allows you to get as deep into what is happening as you like and lets you explore at your own pace. The experience is well curated so that it feels very new and rich. It is also fun that they plant so much detail in the world of the event that you can continue to dig deeper and find new things.
It makes me happy to see that as Meow Wolf moves forward, they are curating not only the experience but also the standards which they set for themselves. The article didn’t cover it well but they also made sure the new Denver location had increased accessibility for guests beyond the minimum ADA requirements. I hope they continue to grow and establish themselves as a brand that can keep presenting new and exciting events.
Meow Wolf is an arts production company that creates immersive, multimedia, interdisciplinary experiences. It’s easy to point to the pandemic as a depressing example of how the arts have ‘failed’. Shows closing, creatives losing jobs, and more has resulted in an uncertain future and a future of trepidation for those in the art industry. However, Meow Wolf’s success proves this idea wrong. They had raised $158 million in 2019 to expand its operations and even after going through the pandemic, a tough time for the vast majority of artists, Meow Wolf has announced the opening of its third permanent installation, Convergence Station, in Denver. Success during pandemic is extremely difficult to achieve and it’s inspiring to see that it can be done. In addition to this, Ali Rubinstein, co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer, said the priority was ensuring attendee safety with mask mandates, social distancing. In some states, COVID safety also includes proof of vaccination or recent negative test, all the while, delivering a fantastical experience.
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