To describe Meow Wolf as an artistic juggernaut might not be entirely hyperbolic. Founded in 2008 by a group of Santa Fe-based artists looking to show their work outside of the traditional art ecosystem, the collective created its first permanent exhibition in Santa Fe 2016 when famed author George R.R. Martin pledged $2.7 million to purchase an abandoned bowling alley. Meow Wolf titled the installation “House of Eternal Return,” and the surreal, immersive, semi-narrative, multi-artist, multimedia and multi-room experience it provided quickly garnered many fans and repeat visitors. Since the success of “House of Eternal Return,” Meow Wolf has opened several more gigantic installations: two in Las Vegas, one in Denver and as of July 2023 one Grapevine, TX titled “The Real Unreal.”

Meow Wolf continues to be artist-run and employs artists both in their headquarters in Santa Fe and also in the locales where they install their new exhibits. In order to understand the extent to which the company’s model of audience engagement and artist support might be a gamechanger nationally, “Art Restart” interviewed three Texas-based artists who contributed their talents to the creation of “The Real Unreal.”

Kwinton Gray is a composer and sound designer based in Dallas; Will Heron, who is based in Austin, is a graphic designer and muralist; and Katie Murray is a painter and muralist based in Fort Worth.

https://meowwolf.com/visit/grapevine

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