MoPOP Announces 2020 Exhibitions and Programming

Non-profit Museum Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Exciting Offerings

Seattle, WASH. (January 9, 2020) – Today the Museum of Pop Culture announced its 2020 slate of programming coinciding with its 20th year as a leading Seattle non-profit institution. Further 20th anniversary celebrations will be announced later this year.

"We are so thankful to the countless people—from visitors to members to donors to our entire community—who have built MoPOP into a leading creative institution over the past twenty years," said MoPOP Executive Director Alexis Lee. "We are thrilled to announce a momentous slate of exhibitions and programming fitting for this landmark milestone."

EXHIBITIONS
MoPOP will unveil its 100th exhibition with Body of Work: Tattoo Culture on February 1. Tattoo art is gaining popularity after being marginalized and misunderstood for a long time. Body of Work explores tattoo's rich history and modern artistry as a dynamic, ever-evolving artform, whose contemporary mainstream acceptance has been driven by popular culture. The exhibition helps demystify tattooing and tattoo culture, making the subject more approachable to a variety of visitors.

Coinciding with pride month in June, MoPOP will host Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement. Presented in partnership with the Newseum, the exhibition explores what happened at the Stonewall Inn and how it gave rise to a 50-year fight for civil rights for LGBTQ Americans. MoPOP will also be adding a significant local component exploring Seattle's LGBTQ history and culture.

Minecraft: The Exhibition will continue until September, highlighting the game as a platform for creative expression, community creation, and social change through engaging experiences, films, interactives, scenic environments, and full-size in-game creatures. A new exhibition to follow Minecraft: The Exhibition will be announced later in 2020.

PROGRAMMING:

• Sound Off! – MoPOP's annual 21-and-under music showcase and competition will take place starting with three semi-final rounds Feb 15, 22, and 29, with finals on March 7.
• The annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival will be held in March.
• This year's PopCon – MoPOP's annual pop culture conference will be held April 23-26, with a focus on youth and music.
• Write Out of This World � MoPOP's Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story Contest will hold its winner's showcase and awards on May 2.
• The Residency � a summer intensive hip-hop artist residency focusing on creative songwriting, performance techniques, and beat production in partnership with Arts Corps and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will be held July 22 to August 16 culminating in a showcase in Sky Church.

Throughout the year, MoPOP will also continue its series of other programs including:

• Six Pop+ events, which are free opportunities to experience specially curated artifacts and performances based on a theme
• The Movies at MoPOP film series featuring two festival style, themed screening series
• Sensory friendly opportunities to experience the museum with lowered volume and light levels
• Architecture tours of the iconic building
• For students and educators MoPop will also offer: Live at MoPOP, a performance series for student groups
• Homeschool Days, an opportunity for homeschooled students and their families to participate in thematic, hands-on experiences centered on the museum's exhibits and content
• Summer youth programs
• As well as educator professional development, and educational tours and workshop

For more information, please visit MoPOP.org.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MoPOP)
Now in its 20th year, MoPOP is a leading-edge nonprofit museum in Seattle, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary pop culture. With a mission to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities, MoPOP reaches multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, educational programs and community partnerships. At MoPOP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the pop culture of our time. For more information, visit www.MoPOP.org

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Michelle Leyva, Michelle Sanders Communications
(206) 595-1151
michelle@michellesanderspr.com