Puget Sound Stories: Seattle Music + Beyond and Jimi Hendrix: West Coast Seattle Boy Open November 21

SEATTLE – The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) is thrilled to announce the opening of two new long-termexhibitions focused on the dynamic history of Seattle-area music. Puget Sound Stories: Seattle Music +Beyond and Jimi Hendrix: West Coast Seattle Boy open to the public on November 21.

Puget Sound Stories: Seattle Music + Beyond explores the artists, communities, and cultural movements thatshaped the region—including the riotous rise of grunge and beyond. Jimi Hendrix: West Coast Seattle Boyoffers a rare, intimate look into Hendrix’s early days in Seattle. Together, the exhibitions take you inside theplaces, people, and moments that gave Washington its sound.

“You can't tell the story of popular music without Seattle, and Seattle's music is in MOPOP's DNA,” said Michele Y. Smith, MOPOP CEO. “These two exhibitions are a love letter to the Pacific Northwest: its history, the artists who shaped it, and the scene that keeps reinventing itself.”

Across more than 350 objects, Puget Sound Stories and West Coast Seattle Boy provide two unforgettableperspectives, bringing together a mélange of rare photographs, musical ephemera, stage-worn fashion,family heirlooms, and more.

“Seattle is rightfully known for grunge, but we’re also known for jazz, indie rock, hip-hop, and folk, amongother genres,” said Jacob McMurray, chief collections and exhibitions officer at MOPOP. “These exhibitionswill be updated each year to invite ongoing conversation about the Pacific Northwest’s living and breathingmusical identity.”

Highlights of the exhibition include:

• "Butterfly" costume, worn by Jimi Hendrix at Sicks’ Stadium, Seattle, July 26, 1970
• Univox Hi-Flyer guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain at the Evergreen State College, Dorm K208, Olympia,WA, October 30, 1988—the first guitar that Cobain demolished on stage
• Ann Wilson dress worn in concert in 1978 and featured on the cover of the February 6, 1979 issue of“Circus” magazine
• Weeping Norway Spruce Tree Suit, designed and worn by Neko Case for the cover of the album“Neon Grey Midnight Green”
• Hendrix family memorabilia, including art by young Hendrix and records from his personal collection
• Immersive, audio-driven installation created by Indigenous artist collective Setting Sun Circle, basedin Bellingham, Washington
• Custom electric bass, “NBA II,” played by Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, 1992-1994—smashed by Amentonstage at Madison Square Garden April 17, 1994

Both exhibitions are long-term galleries that will be on view at MOPOP for the foreseeable future. For ticketsand more information, visit mopop.org.

ABOUT MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MOPOP)
‍The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) is a cutting-edge nonprofit museum in Seattle, dedicated to the ideasand risk-taking that fuel contemporary pop culture. With a mission to activate the world-shaping power ofpop culture through participative experiences, discovery, and play, MOPOP reaches multigenerationalaudiences through its collection, exhibitions, educational programs, and community partnerships. AtMOPOP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge to bring understanding, interpretation, and scholarship tothe pop culture of our time. For more information, visit mopop.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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CONTACT:
Caroline Hall
carolineh@mopop.org