Produce Section Inside Meow Wolf's Omega Mart in Las Vegas
Some businesses have been more affected by the Covid-19 pandemic than others. While on-line commerce has thrived, in person activities such as visiting a restaurant, bar or movie theater have continued to face an uneven recovery.
Previously I havewritten about how an interactive arts space, Santa Fe-basedMeow Wolfwhich operates theHouse of Eternal Return, was dealing with the challenges of Covid. As an immersiveartsand entertainmentexhibition built around interactive experiences, mysterious and magical worlds and features such asslides andsecret passageways, social distancing guidelines were particularly challenging for suchabusiness to meet.Meow Wolf was guided by its deep social mission and identity as a B Corp in how it handled both visitors to its space and employees.
We also had discussed Meow Wolfs expansion plans and it was great to hear that after facing multiple delays due to the pandemic, it opened its second permanent exhibition,Omega Martin Las Vegas on February 18, 2021. Omega Martstarts out as an exhibition in the form of an average-seemingsupermarket featuringaisles filled withthought provoking products that highlight the bizarre, mysterious and often hilarious nature of consumer culture asCorvas Brinkerhoff, Meow Wolf Co-Founder and SVP of Experience Design, and Executive Creative Director for Meow Wolf Las Vegas told me.
A popular product at Omega Mart: Nut Free Salted Peanuts. 100% Salt (Warning: It may contain ... [+] peanuts.)
For example, Nut Free Salted Peanuts is nut free, i.e. 100% salt, although a disclaimer notes that it may contain peanuts. Participants soon discover theres more than meets the eye at Omega Mart, and embark on a journey through hidden portals into a world of surreal landscapes and immersive storytelling that inspires a real life choose-your-own-adventure game.
At the time of its opening, Las Vegas still faced many health and safety restriction mandates, including reduced capacity. Omega Mart openedat a reduced capacity of 25% and was able to expand to full capacity in May,with several health and safety protocols still in action daily by Omega Mart to ensure guest and employee safety and wellness.Since then it has attracted record-breaking attendance numbers, and touristscontinueto flock to Omega Mart.
As part of myresearch on social businessesI recently had the chance to talk toBrinkerhoff about Omega Mart, and topics such as how the pandemic shaped the opening andthe experience ofopening an exhibition in Las Vegas.See below for our edited conversation.
Christopher Marquis: What was the inspiration forOmega Mart?
Corvas Brinkerhoff:Can we reconnect you with your imagination in a new and mind-blowing way? Can we disrupt a status quo way of thinking? Can we explode our collective sense of possibility into a thousand fractal shards of color and creativity? Can we create a setting where an artist can completely unleash themselves? This is the kind of thing we draw inspiration from. Then every project has its own unique set of sources and influences.
Omega Mart is about the bizarre, mysterious and often hilarious nature of consumer culture. Its much more than a critique or satire, though. Its really a joyous and earnest exploration of modern life and the wonderful - if not utterly surreal - renderings of culture that come with having nearly everything you can possibly desire at your fingertips. Just who and what are we becoming? Omega Mart is not asking you to shuck or hide from our culture, its an invitation to find the humor, mystery, and beauty below the surface.
"Old Fashioned Spray," One of 7 Cocktails Exclusively Served at the Hidden Bar Datamosh Inside Meow ... [+] Wolf's Omega Mart
As you dig deeper, you will find winding narratives that pull you into the secret underpinnings of a cyber-spiritual mega corporation, Dramcorp. Think Church of Scientology crossed with Amazon. Youll find the story of a group of young people banding together and claiming their power. Eventually, youll uncover a story about evolution, resistance to change, and the power of creativity. Im inspired by simple and beautiful metaphors, stories that help me understand my place in the universe.
And beneath all of that, its just an excuse to give artists an opportunity to make work at an incredible scale and depth. If nothing else, its a world-class collection of amazing pieces of immersive art. We are artists and we are inspired by artists.
Artists Emily Montoya and Benji Geary are the core of the creative vision behind Omega Mart, the store itself. (Its a bit confusing because the store is about 10% of the exhibition and its namesake, the other 90% being other art installations and otherworldly explorable dimensions). They lead up the creative vision for the store itself, including all the advertisements, products, interior design, music, etc. They are both just persistent fountains of brilliant ideas. My hats off to them, and the hundreds of incredible artists who contributed to the show.
Marquis: What do you hope visitors get out of the Omega Mart experience?
Corvas Brinkerhoff, Meow Wolf Co-Founder and SVP of Experience Design, and Executive Creative ... [+] Director for Meow Wolf Las Vegas
Brinkerhoff:We want to ignite your imagination. We want to create a deep and powerful journey that brings guests to a place of wonder, amazement, and self-reflection. You get there through a wildly meandering series of rooms and experiences beginning with a tripped out grocery story that isalmostnormal, until you look a little closer. From the store, youll find yourself launched into myriad other worlds - a parallel dimension.
We say sell em candy and give em medicine. You know, we want you to be happy and feel like you got something unique and valuable when you fork over some of your hard earned cash. And in that sense, theres something for everybody, whether you're soaking up the jaw-dropping immersive art or diving into the multiple storylines. We want you to come for the spectacular and wondrous, and stay for the mysterious and meaningful.
In the case of Omega Mart, its all about The Source: the source of our creativity, the source of our humanity, the source of our food and possessions, the source of our desires, the source of our light, and the source of our darkness.Its all about The Source.
Marquis: What are some of your favorite products featured at Omega Mart?
Brinkerhoff:Well who doesnt want to be caressed by our Sweet Whispers brand toilet paper? And I personally always prefer using my Plausible Deniability laundry detergent.But my favorite has to be the Nut Free Salted Peanuts. Its 100% salt (Warning: It may contain peanuts.)
Marquis: How was working in Las Vegas on a project like this different than in Santa Fe?
Brinkerhoff:I think weve done work in 10 or 15 cities at this point. Most of that was early days temporary stuff that not a lot of people saw. One thing thats amazing about Vegas is that there are tons and tons of artists, performers, and generally just brilliant creators. Because so many people think they know Vegas when they really just know The Strip, that gets overlooked a lot. We wanted to help shine a light on another side of Vegas, a more authentic and artistic side, which has this wonderful culture and creativity.
One thing that you learn doing work in a lot of different places is that there are artists and powerhouse creative geniuses literally everywhere. They are often undervalued, undersupported, and underrecognized. As a culture, we are so hungry for that creativity and authenticity. We hope that Meow Wolf and, more importantly, our business model can be a force of real and lasting change in the plight of the modern living artist. We dont sell expensive art to rich people. We sell an affordable experience of art to millions of people. This democratizes the process of tastemaking, which allows everyone to determine what is good and valuable in art, not just the super elite.
It would be a shame for Meow Wolf to be the only group using this model to support artists.Fortunately, there appears to be a movement coming up around us. We are so proud and so thrilled to be innovators in this new chapter of the evolution of art.
Beyond the supermarket is Projected Desert, an artificial canyon where psychedelic journeys become a ... [+] reality.
Marquis: Why do you think Omega Mart has seen such a great and immediate response inLas Vegas?
Brinkerhoff:Theres what I can reason, and then theres just the bigmystery. First off, this show is just bonkers. There are combinations of artists, processes, technologies, and mediums that have never been combined before and at a completely unprecedented scale. Its just got a gravity to it that is kind of undeniable. So Id say thats a good start. Our marketing team is really very good at what they do, too. A lot of artists hate the idea of marketing, but for us, everything, every desk in the office, every interaction with our guests, every aspect of our process and organization is part of the artwork. Meow Wolf doesnt just make art, it is a work of art.
Another thing thats helped: we work really hard to empower local artists and activate the community. We want our work to be an embraced piece of the social fabric of the city we are in.We do that because it feels right to us. When opening an exhibition in a pandemic, that local focus turned out to also be a really important way to establish an audience when there werent so many tourists in town.
At this point, we are seeing a lot of tourists in addition to locals. Why do they keep coming? I think it comes down to a hunger we all have regardless of where youre from.We want authenticity.We desire to feel affirmed and elevated in our humanity.Art gives us that. When all of the A.I.s and bots take over, what will be left for us humans? I believe creativity is non-fungible; its our essence; its what we have to offer when everything else is stripped down.When you experience a monument to the creative spirit, such as a Meow Wolf exhibition or a great concert or whatever it may be, it testifies to who we are - the boundless flowing stream of dreams, stories, images, and ideas that all of us continually generate. I think it comes down to this; the experience is fun, new, and inspiring and that makes us feel good because it reminds us of what we already knew to be true about ourselves but might feel a bit disconnected from.
And then, theres the big Mystery.Maybe we should just give all the credit to that. You really cant take credit when something catches the collective zeitgeist. Thats not something you have control over. You just make work and hope that your channel is open and clear. And then maybe if youre lucky youll make something that really connects with other people.
Marquis: How did Meow Wolf navigate opening its second installation in a time during the pandemic when many health and safety restrictions, including reduced capacity, were still in effect?
Brinkerhoff:Leading up to the opening, with so much still up in the air with health and safety restrictions, there was definitely some collective anxiety about opening when we did. But, we decided to lean into it by adding extra layers of safety for our guests and employees, making sure to communicate our efforts effectively as much as possible along the way. We were thrilled to see such strong visitorship and were confident that its due in large part to the hard work of our team in developing and implementing a rigorous health and safety plan.
Marquis: As a B-Corp, Meow Wolf makes a strong investment in its social impact. How is the company working to become a part of the Las Vegas community?
Brinkerhoff:Meow Wolf has always been about giving. From the early days where me and all the OG Meow Wolfers were giving countless hours, days, and years of our lives as volunteers, to the concerts and immersive experiences we gave to our community, to the countless volunteers, supporters, champions, and enthusiasts along the way, this thing was built on the spirit of generosity and doing something bigger than ourselves.
As the company grows and matures and we expand into new cities, we are dedicated to giving back to the communities we inhabit and being not only a good neighbor but a catalyst for positive social change. With that, we look for opportunities to support the art community and local organizations that provide for underserved and often marginalized communities.
Our outreach team in Las Vegas has worked really hard to forge new partnerships and get behind important causes. A few things were doing so far include: donating tickets, merchandise and auction items to non-profit groups and their fundraising efforts; providing monetary and in-kind donations and sponsorships to groups like Communities in Schools of Southern Nevada, the Indian Center of Las Vegas, The Animal Foundation and others; providing volunteer opportunities for our staff to work with organizations like Delivery with Dignity, Vegas Roots, Just One Project, Project150, and others; engaging artists on various community projects to make art more publicly accessible; and much more.
Marquis: Is there anything else youd like to add?
Brinkerhoff:Thank you for helping tell our story. We are dedicated to inspiring profound change in our culture, and Im personally really grateful for your help in getting the word out.
Read more:
- NBC Has a Huge Opportunity with Law & Order: SVU's 25th Season - CBR - Comic Book Resources - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Seeding a gay community in LA, the gay liberation revolution - Los Angeles Blade - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Britney Spears's 'Baby One More Time' music video debuted on ... - Yahoo Entertainment - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- 13 Of The Greatest And Most Famous Britpop Bands - Hello Music Theory - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- The top advertising campaigns of 2023 according to Australian ... - AdNews - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- The 25 Best New Movies Streaming in November 2023 - TheWrap - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Jets' Aaron Rodgers 'attacking' rehab, eyes return this season - WABC-TV - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- ESG counteroffensive is missing big guns - POLITICO - POLITICO - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- The increasingly radical climate movement, explained - Vox.com - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Imani Winds inspires with recital celebrating composers of color at ... - EarRelevant - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- The Super Models Tells the Story of the Original Fashion Influencers - AnOther Magazine - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- What constitutes a master? Don't ask Jann Wenner The Daily ... - Daily Free Press - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- The Conviviality of Ivan Illich (Part I) | by O.G. Rose | Oct, 2023 ... - Medium - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- SickKids unveils more future-focused VS campaign to match new ... - The Message - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Top 6 Iconic Classic Rock Bands of the '60s - American Songwriter - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Brent Harold: The renaissance of union logic - Arizona Daily Star - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- German bishops conclude tense gathering with all eyes on Synod ... - Catholic World Report - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Slasher Saturdays: The Hills Have Eyes (1977) Vs. The Hills Have ... - Horror Obsessive - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Listen to Scott Drebit Discuss His New Book A CUT BELOW: A ... - Daily Dead - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Whitney Houston Hairstyles: Tribute to Her Unparalleled Elegance - PINKVILLA - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Frosted Lipstick, Chunky Highlights & Thick Eyeliner: Every Beauty ... - New Zealand Herald - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- From Alphas To Betas: Science Says There Are Three Types Of ... - Evie Magazine - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Russell Brand is a product of the horrifically misogynistic noughties - Prospect Magazine - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- The Enduring Magic of Lorde's Pure Heroine and HAIM's Days Are ... - Paste Magazine - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Climate activists: How far is too far in raising the climate alarm? - Daily Maverick - October 3rd, 2023 [October 3rd, 2023]
- Pride Anthems at WHBPAC June 2nd at 8PM - Hamptons.com - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- The illuminating influence of Eric Huntley - Peoples Dispatch - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Want Sofia Richie Style? Try These Cheap Nordstrom Finds - Who What Wear - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- What will Saudi-Iran rapprochement mean for the Palestinians? - +972 Magazine - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- EU as Arbiter of Ideological Elegance? The European Conservative - The European Conservative - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Catholic theology yesterday and today: A Thomist's response to Dr ... - Catholic World Report - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Andy Warhol exhibition coming to College of DuPage - Chicago Tribune - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- COVER STORY | Arlo Parks Embraces the Intimacy of Aliveness - Paste Magazine - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- The Number Ones: The Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow - Stereogum - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- 7 First-time ASTRA Exhibitors You Don't Want to Miss This June - Gifts & Decorative Accessories - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Curator Lesley Lokko on the Venice Architecture Biennale: 'It's about ... - Financial Times - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- German revolution of 1848: A precursor to today's democracy - DW (English) - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam to open 21st August 2023 - Hospitality Net - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Ruin America? Joe Manchin is just getting started. | Will Bunch ... - The Philadelphia Inquirer - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How the MTV logo captured the creative spirit of the 1980s - Creative Bloq - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- I give up I cant do that: The song that made David Crosby want to quit music - Far Out Magazine - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How We Loved and Lost the Hot Girl Summer - The Swaddle - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- 5 Laid Back Essentials From Faherty Prove The Hype - Fatherly - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline' director Daniel Goldhaber explains the ... - The Real News Network - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The Totally Rockin' History of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem - Collider - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Was The Hunger Games Renaissance Planned All Along? - GameRant - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Michael J. Fox Looks Back on Hollywood Triumphs, Setbacks and Why Parkinsons Is the Gift That Keeps on Taking - Variety - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- It's Raining Ramen! A Brief History of Jewish Asian Fusion - Aish - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Ted Weber's Wesleyan Political Theology - Juicy Ecumenism - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- What do the British Royals and Cleopatra have in common? - Firstpost - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Pakistan Army won't bounce back easily this time. Imran Khan ... - ThePrint - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Five years since #MeToo, Tarana Burke is looking beyond the hashtag - Yahoo News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- After Florence Pugh Freed The Nipple, Olivia Wilde Supported The Movement On New Magazine Cover - CinemaBlend - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Barbara Kay: The Movement to Normalize Pedophilia Hits a Roadblock, but We Mustn't Let Our Guard Down - The Epoch Times - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Is it Time to Decolonize Global Health Data? - Research Blog - Duke University - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Claire Foy Doesnt Think Women Talking Could Have Been Made Before #MeToo - Yahoo Entertainment - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Can the Congress rewrite its chronicle of a death foretold? - Scroll.in - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- We need a strong nationalist as a president - Daily Sun - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- The 19th Century Movement to Canonize Columbus - Catholic Exchange - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Audemars Piguet toasts 50 years of Royal Oak with new watches, book - New York Post - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Claire Foy Doesn't Think 'Women Talking' Could Have Been Made Before #MeToo - Yahoo! Voices - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Best Bets: 6 nights of live music at Wussow's and more - Duluth News Tribune - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Five Burning Questions: Bad Bunny Spends a 13th Week at No. 1 With Un Verano Sin Ti - Billboard - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- San Diego artist uses creativity to uplift Black culture and 'determine how we are seen' - The San Diego Union-Tribune - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Premier League at thirty - what should it sound like next? - Broadcast - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Steve Braunias on Peter Ellis case: 'Moral panic, contaminated evidence and an innocent ghost' - New Zealand Herald - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Constituency Statutes: The Overlooked Predecessor to the ESG Movement - JD Supra - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 10 books to add to your reading list in October 2022 - Los Angeles Times - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The Multiple Religions Coexisting Within the Catholic Church - Crisis Magazine - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 2023 Oscar Predictions The Rules of the Game - Awards Daily - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Kathy Sheridan: Brace yourselves for where Giorgia Meloni and Italy end up - The Irish Times - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The rise and fall of Sir Philip Green, the retail king who fell from grace - Evening Standard - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The lying flat movement standing in the way of China ... - Brookings - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Namwali Serpell Distills the Disorienting Experience of Grief in 'The Furrows' - Shondaland.com - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Dance & House Music Ruled the Summer. What Now? - Complex - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- It is time to back a new party in the elections - Morning Star Online - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- The empty feminism of Dont Worry Darling - The Guardian - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Sunburn The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics 9.26.22 - Florida Politics - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- GOP candidate Trevor Lee ran a secret Twitter account that attacked LGBTQ people and Utah Gov. Cox. Now he's been rebuked by Republican leadership. -... - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Peeling Back the Slasher-Inspired Look of HBO Maxs Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin with Cinematographer Anka Malatynska - Dread Central - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]