Experience Music Project — New Milestone! Experience Music Project Reaches Over a Half Million Visitors Since Opening; EMP One of Top Cultural Institutions in Seattle

Business Wire, Jan 17, 2001

Business, Entertainment Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2001

From Walla Walla, WA to Cape Town, South Africa, over 500,000 visitors from around the world have participated in Experience Music Project's (EMP) tribute to American popular music.

Not only have they visited but museum patrons from around the world have joined as members, making EMP one of the strongest and most vibrant cultural institutions in Seattle. More than thirty-three thousand memberships have been sold to members as far away as Singapore and Australia. Local and regional members set the pace, inspiring EMP to constantly evolve its music programs and educational initiatives.

EMP has engaged and excited museum patrons eight to eighty years old with its unique public programs and interactive exhibits. Visitors have explored the exhibit space bumping elbows with visiting artists including Bonnie Raitt, Beck and James Brown; rocked the night away with Built To Spill performing in Sky Church; skateboarded with skate punk legend Duane Peters; learned to spin the turntables with Grandmaster Flash and jammed on interactive instruments in Sound Lab with other visitors exploring their own musical talents.

"It's a testament to the music culture we are building at EMP to have so many patrons visit the museum over and over, " said Bob Santelli, EMP's deputy director of Public Programming. "We are passionate about creating an environment that stimulates music fans, aspiring artists and musicians who express their talents through American popular music."

2001 promises to offer even more reasons to come to EMP. The museum kicked off the New Year with Jazz in January featuring the jazz greats from the Pacific Northwest, All Ages concerts, the upcoming Artist to Icon photography exhibit and winter/spring film series -- Music + Film. Look for announcements on new concert series, new exhibits, national artist performances and unique educational events guaranteed to inspire the artist in everyone. For up-to-date calendar information visit the web site at www.emplive.com.

EMP charter memberships, still available until July 1, 2001, provide guests with unlimited free access to EMP and are available online at www.emplive.com or by calling 877-EMPLIVE.

About Experience Music Project

Dedicated to exploring creativity and innovation in American popular music, EMP is a new kind of museum that strives to capture and reflect the essence of rock `n' roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and the blues, as well as rock music's influence on hip-hop, punk and other recent genres. A total sensory experience awaits visitors inside EMP's dynamic structure. Patrons can make their own music, see and learn about rare artifacts and memorabilia from EMP's collection of more than 80,000 items, explore various musical milestones within unique interpretive exhibits, and discover the power and joy of music in all its forms. Founded by investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen, under the direction of co-founder Jody Patton and designed by architect Frank O. Gehry, the 140,000-square-foot multi-colored and "swoopy" museum rises up in the heart of the city at Seattle Center and provides visitors a musical experience unparalleled anywhere in the world. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EMP opened on June 23, 2000 and is online at www.emplive.com.