Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is seeking a national designation through a bill introduced in Congress that would honor the institution “as a place of great importance” in the U.S.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) is championing the legislation, which she helped announce on Monday at MoPOP alongside the museum’s CEO, Michele Smith.
If passed into law, MoPOP would be honored as the National Museum of Pop Culture.
A bill is one of several ways a museum may receive such congressional designation, according to Congressional Research Service. The designation is honorific and most national museums are private museums, funded and operated without government involvement.
Located near the base of the Space Needle at Seattle Center, MoPOP is a nonprofit “dedicated to the curation and exploration of pop culture and its profound impact on society.” It was originally founded in 2000 as the Experience Music Project by Paul Allen, the late Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist.
“We are honored by the possibility of federal recognition given MoPOP’s unwavering dedication to preserving and celebrating popular culture in all its forms,” Jody Allen, founding director of MoPOP, said in a statement. “This unique opportunity reflects the hard work and passion of our entire team, the national and global impact MoPOP has made since its founding, and our commitment to inspiring current and future generations through the power of creative expression.”
Paul Allen initially launched EMP — with its colorful, curvy design by architect Frank Gehry — as an homage to Jimi Hendrix and rock ‘n’ roll. The 140,000-square-foot building has undergone five name changes over the years, as focus shifted from just music to a broader platform of science fiction and pop culture.
In 2023, the Allen estate donated thousands of one-of-a-kind artifacts to MoPOP, spanning music, film and television and including such things as instruments, props, costumes, scripts, posters, handbills, illustrations and more.
Smith took over as CEO in March 2023, and said the elevation to the status of the National Museum of Pop Culture “will further amplify our mission to inspire, educate, and engage audiences worldwide.”
The museum said its overall attendance in 2023 was 577,721 visitors.
The National Nordic Museum, located in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, was originally called the Nordic Heritage Museum, and received congressional designation in March 2019.
