Last year, Meow Wolf, the Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment company, announced its plans to open two permanent spaces in Texas, one in Grapevine (a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth) in 2023, and the other in Houston in 2024. Today, the company has announced that its Grapevine location will open this summer.
A rendering of Meow Wolf Grapevine’s lobby by Gabriella Lovato Leger. Mural concept design by Tsz Kam.
The new location will debut in a former retail space in Grapevine Mills, a large destination shopping mall which is known for its entertainment venues like the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, and AMC Grapevine Mills 30. The Meow Wolf installation will include 30 rooms within a 29,000-square-foot exhibition space.
Though little has been revealed about the narrative story behind the installations in Meow Wolf Grapevine, in a Q&A posted on the organization’s website, Lead Writer LaShawn M. Wanak said, “I can say that it is a story about caring, caring for people, and I hope when people walk into Grapevine, when they walk into the site, I want their first impression to be: ‘Oh, this is a well-loved place, and the people inside love each other and care for each other.’”
Mariell Guzman. Photo by Jordan Mathis, courtesy of Meow Wolf.
This past fall, the organization shared the list of more than 40 North Texas-based artists selected to collaborate with 30 in-house Meow Wolf artists to create installations for the Grapevine space. The North Texas artists include Yana Payusova, Dan Lam, Mariell Guzman, Desireé Vaniecia, Riley Holloway, Zeke Williams, and Ricardo Paniagua, among many others. Last year, Meow Wolf also hosted community feedback sessions throughout North Texas, during which artists and community members shared thoughts and concerns. After these gatherings, the organization told Glasstire some of their main takeaways, including a greater awareness of the racial and ethnic diversity in the Grapevine area and greater North Texas, and the need to create a family friendly space, engage young and emerging artists, give back to the community, and focus on hiring local people.
Kevin Sennott. Photo by Shayla Blatchford, courtesy of Meow Wolf.
In a press release announcing the summer opening, Kelly Schwartz, general manager of Meow Wolf Grapevine, stated, “The countdown is on to our opening this summer! We are hiring like mad and the construction barriers that have been put up at Grapevine Mills can barely hold the collective imagination within. I can’t wait for you to see what we are creating for you.”
Meow Wolf is planning on hiring more than 150 employees for the new location. Currently, 14 open positions, including public relations, retail store positions, exhibition design, and facilities management jobs, are posted on the organization’s website.
