Meow Wolf will bring its immersive and interactive art experiences to the Lone Star State in 2023.
The first location will be at Grapevine Mills where the Santa Fe-based art production company will transform an empty Bed, Bath & Beyond into the same sort of surrealist playground that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to its existing three locations each year. In 2024, Meow Wolf will open another location in Houston’s Fifth Ward in partnership with The Deal Company, a commercial real estate developer.
Jose Tolosa, the CEO of Meow Wolf, says Texas was an obvious next step for the brand’s expansion.
“Opening a permanent exhibition in the largest and one of the most diverse states in the country has been on Meow Wolf’s radar for years,” said Tolosa.
In 2016, Meow Wolf opened its first immersive experience, House of Return, in Santa Fe. Since then, the company has expanded to Denver and Las Vegas. Grapevine and Houston will be the company’s fourth and fifth locations.
The company has worked for two years to develop the new Texas locations. It went with Grapevine Mills because of the abundance of family-friendly activities already present in the retail and entertainment area. Mayor William D. Tate event lent his voice to the press release, described the forthcoming location as a perfect pairing with the city’s restaurants and wineries.
Although the exhibit is yet to be named, Meow Wolf will convert the closed Bed, Bath & Beyond Store into a 40,000 square foot immersive experience.
In preparation for the Grapevine location, Meow Wolf has received feedback from arts programs at local universities and artist-centered organizations like The Cedars Union. The company recently hired a North Texas-based arts liaison to ensure representation of artists local to the Dallas-Fort Worth Area.
“We focus our community engagement on reaching historically marginalized people and will focus on connecting with respected organizations who serve diverse communities,” said Danika Padilla, the company’s director of social impact. “Over the next few years, we will start with listening to the needs of local groups and artists before we engage in a significant way.”
Inclusivity is at the heart of Meow Wolf’s mission to enrich people’s lives through imaginative art, he says. The company describes itself as the intersection of a “social impact art project” and a “business.” It plans to incorporate works from artists local to Texas and Santa Fe.
For those interested in submitting art to be featured in the Grapevine Mills location, click here.
Author
