Black History Month Celebrations and More Announced at MoPOP This Month

The Museum of Pop Culture is a leading-edge, nonprofit museum in Seattle, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary pop culture. Currently on view are the touring exhibitions, Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop and Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume, along with a host of exhibitions covering science fiction, music, video game, and more. See the complete list here.

For tickets and information, visit MoPOP.org.

Here's what else is coming up this month at MoPOP - both in-person and virtual:

Through The Eyes Of Art

Join MoPOP and The Chosen Few for the 9th annual Through the Eyes of Art, a Black History Month celebration. Each year we bring together artists, community leaders, politicians, and tastemakers from across the state of Washington to celebrate the Black experience. This year we explore parenting in the Black community through the lens of the millennial caregiver. This event will allow us to center the diverse experiences, observations, and approaches that impact and inform how we are raising the next generation and create a safe space for Black parents to dialogue, grieve, laugh, and reflect on the parenting journey.

February 25

7:00pm PT

Livestream on Facebook and YouTube

Graphic Novels Student Clubs

MoPOP's virtual Graphic Novels Club provides a unique opportunity for students to bond with fellow nerds while cultivating a natural love for reading. Each month, we'll use a graphic novel (or two) to explore social justice topics and issues such as LGBTQ+ and Black stories, climate change, immigrant equity, and more. With separate tracks for readers ages 9-11and ages 12-14, sessions will alternate between discussions about the books and creating art inspired by our favorite cartoonists and graphic novelists.

Meetings on Zoom, weekly on Tuesdays from 4:00-5:00 p.m. PT in March, April, May, and June, and you can sign up for any (or all!) of the months you'd like.

Museum of Pop Culture's 21st Annual SOUND OFF!

The Pacific Northwest has a wealth of young musical talents who, with support and opportunities, can expand their creative horizons and might even become the next Northwest sound. MoPOP's Sound Off! gives these up-and-coming artists mentorship from industry leaders, entrée into an artistic community invested in their growth, connections with peer musicians, and the chance to showcase their original music in MoPOP's iconic Sky Church venue.

This years' three live showcases raise the bar for an all-ages show with a first-class experience at MoPOP for performers and the audience alike. Plus, you get the unique opportunity to see these young artists' natural creative gifts while supporting their personal and professional development.

February 19, February 26, March 5, 2022

Doors at 7:00pm / show at 8:00pm PT

Showcase #1 - 2/19/2022

Instant Crush, Lexi Lalauni, Maceo Sky, REFUGIO

Showcase #2 - 2/26/2022

Gavon Leo, Kiddus Fecto, Saezo, The Sleepy Haunts

Showcase #3 - 3/5/2022

Emma Wang, Sam Ashkenazy, Trevor Eulau

SUMMER CAMPS - ON SALE FEBRUARY 21

Professional teaching artists lead MoPOP experiences where campers create original music videos, explore fantasy worlds, discover the world of drag, or design their own exhibitions. Programs begin in July for students in grades 2-12. Here is a preview of the camps to come; get more information here >>

Rock 'n' Rolling!

July 18-22, 8:45am-4:00pm, ages 10-13

Creating Fantasy Camp

July 25-29, 8:45am-4:00pm, ages 7-10

MoPOP Exhibit Design Camp

August 1-5, 8:45am-4:00pm, ages 10-13

Drag-tastic Summer Camp: The Art of Drag

August 8-12, 8:45am-4:00pm, ages 12-18

Rain City Rock Camp Partner Camp

ADVANCED MUSIC PROGRAM (AMP) AT MoPOP

August 22-26, ages 14-19

Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop

October 16, 2021 - March 2023

They say a picture's worth 1,000 words, and that's especially true of one of music's most language-conscious genres: hip-hop. Contact High explores four decades of photography, from the late 1970s to today, documenting a revolution not just in music, but in politics, race relations, fashion, and culture. Through more than 170 iconic images of hip-hop's most influential artists (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Tupac, and more) - including contact sheets that give us a rare glimpse into the creative process of a photo session - Contact High examines the evolution of hip-hop, connecting us with the experiences, identities, and places that have shaped the world's most popular music genre.

Exhibition highlights include:

Exclusive images of some of hip-hop's biggest influences, including Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Kanye West, and Tupac Shakur.

More than 75 unedited contact sheets ranging from Barron Claiborne's iconic Notorious B.I.G. portraits to images of Aaliyah, Wu-Tang Clan, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and Kanye West.

The Dapper Dan jacket made for Rakim and MF DOOM's mask.

In addition to photographs, artifacts from MoPOP's permanent collection such as early rap battle fliers, Grandmaster Flash's turntables, Tupac Shakur manuscripts, Flavor magazines, and costumes from Sha-Rock and The Notorious B.I.G., add to our understanding of hip-hop culture.

A documentary short film featuring Contact High photographers at work and in conversation, including Barron Claiborne, Brian "B+" Cross, Eric Coleman, Estevan Oriol, Jorge Peniche, Jamel Shabazz, Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo, Jack McKain, Dana Scruggs, and Danny Clinch. The film is produced by the Annenberg Foundation and Radical Media.

Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume

Closes April 2022

Using more than 70 original pieces, including ball gowns, sorcerers' capes, military uniforms, tiaras, and of course glass slippers, the exhibition explores the vision, process, and craft used to create the costumes worn by some of the biggest names in entertainment. Heroes and Villains features costumes from some of Disney's toughest villains and kindest heroes.

Exhibition highlights include:

Ten Cinderella pieces including ball gowns, tiaras, slippers and other accessories including a gown from 2015's Cinderella by Sandy Powell made from more than 270 yards of fabric and adorned with over 10,000 crystals.

Work from 19 different designers, 11 of whom are Oscar® winners and nominees: Colleen Atwood, Jenny Beavan, Jacqueline Durran, Anthony Powell, Sandy Powell, Bill Thomas, Paco Delgado, Gary Jones, Jeffrey Kurland, Judianna Makovsky, and Anna Sheppard.

A "Magic Mirror" inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and designed by MoPOP, allows the visitor to virtually "try on" several of the costumes featured in the film. The mirror uses touchless technology and a depth camera to sense visitors as they approach and show them how they might look as Cinderella, Maleficent, Jack Sparrow, or Mary Poppins.

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