One year after opening, Meow Wolf Grapevine has a lot to celebrate, and the arts and entertainment company is marking the milestone with a spectacular multi-day birthday bash July 11-14.
"The past year for Meow Wolf Grapevine has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Meow Wolf Grapevine General Manager Kelly Schwartz. “We've been overwhelmed by the community's enthusiasm and support for The Real Unreal. This event is more than celebrating our one-year anniversary. Birthdaze Palooza allows us to celebrate every visitor who has become part of our story.”
Birthday Palooza, an event Meow Wolf Grapevine lovingly calls its Grand Opening: The Sequel, will include the Trashion Show on July 11, where eight designer teams will create works of art from recycled materials. This 21+ event expanded from Meow Wolf Denver and Meow Wolf Santa Fe due to its success, celebrating sustainability and creativity with avant-garde creations that transform trash into high fashion. Attendees will witness these visionary designs unfold on the runway, showcasing the extraordinary potential of repurposed materials.
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Birthdaze Palooza will feature a week of festivities, including Karaoke Night on July 12. This month's artist talk on July 13 will feature a large panel of Meow Wolf collaborating artists. The discussion, led by artist liaison Will Heron, will cover their creative process and how they made their work dimension-proof for The Real Unreal.
“I have had the surreal pleasure of seeing The Real Unreal unfold, from its early days in construction to its vibrant reality,” said Artist Liaison Will Heron. “This upcoming artist talk is a moment to celebrate the kaleidoscopic visions of the artists who've breathed life into every corner of The Real Unreal."
The celebration culminates on July 14 with a grand birthday celebration which includes a cross-dimensional extravaganza featuring all-day activities, live games, and an artist toast.
Birthday Palooza wraps up a busy year for Meow Wolf Grapevine, welcoming 2.6 million visitors in 2023. Since its opening last summer, Meow Wolf Grapevine has immersed itself into the community, launching a full range of events, including adult-only nights (Adultiverse), artist talks, a Halloween Cosmic Howl, and a New Year's Eve event.
In January, the arts and entertainment company opened the Matt King Mystery Center, a community space designed to host community programming and local events. Meow Wolf Grapevine unveiled a parking lot mural by local artist Lauren Lewchuk at the end of May and introduced an annual 'portal pass' that allows guests to access the entire exhibition multiple times year-round.
Within its first six months of operation, Meow Wolf Grapevine partnered with several organizations for volunteer work, artmaking, and updates. In 2023, the company offered 20 programs, including free artist workshops, artist talks and presentations for the community. Meow Wolf employees logged in more than 583 service hours throughout the community. The arts and entertainment company invested $450,000 in the community through in-kind and monetary support, offered more than 6,800 free admission passes to non-profit partners and educators and contracted more than 50 local artists — 80% of its support went to historically marginalized people such as the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Kinfolk House was selected as the 2023 recipient of the Emerging Artist Support Grant, a matching grant supported through the Meow Wolf Foundation. Meow Wolf Grapevine hosts a free quarterly artist talk series with a suggested donation directed towards Kinfolk House and matched by the Meow Wolf.
In June, Meow Wolf Grapevine launched a mentorship program with SPARK! Dallas, an educational facility fostering creativity in youth. SPARK! PRISMATIC Art Pop-up Experience, now on view at Southside Lamar in Dallas through September 29, features 28 DFW area high school artists’ creations. The students benefited from the Meow Wolf exhibition team’s expertise in creating immersive spaces. The colorful exhibition is an immersive experience showcasing the students’ creativity through a variety of themed areas imagined, designed and built in a single color and theme.
“As an inaugural grantee of the Meow Wolf Foundation for 2023-2024, SPARK! Dallas is honored to announce Meow Wolf Grapevine as a presenting sponsor, which will contribute to the success of the PRISMATIC Art Pop-up Experience. This partnership not only provides financial backing but also offers amazing opportunities for student enrichment, including behind-the-scenes tours at Meow Wolf Grapevine, mentorship from Meow Wolf's Exhibitions team members and funding for materials,” said Meg Bittner, executive director of SPARK!
Learn more: Meow Wolf Grapevine
