Spotlight
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Adventures in Online Wonderland
S THE GENERAL MANAGER OF ATLAS OBSCURA’S Obscura LIVE,” a monthly variety show featuring “different preExperiences division, Megan Roberts has had a unique sentations that are built around a theme,” with Games the focus hand in making the website and its offerings as eclectic and of the next one, set for May 28. eccentric and entertaining as they come. Where else, for instance, Many of the new experiences stem from the Brooklyn-based could you get to know a Stroh violinist, learn about the supernat- organization’s Wonder From Home initiative, which, says Roberts, ural cats of Japan, meet a queer community-building soupmaker was launched “to highlight and support our community [of] and chef, learn how to make mead vinegar from honey, and take a incredible experts and artists and small businesses and collectors” “sound bath” with a theremin-playing drag performer? while also re-emphasizing a core value, that of “keeping open to “It’s a fun rabbit hole to go down,” says Roberts. a sense of possibility in a time that's really difficult for everyone.” Founded in 2009 by Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras, Atlas Says Roberts, “It’s been really amazing how quickly both our Obscura was “built to highlight and celebrate the world’s hidden audiences have responded to our online offerings, but also how wonders,” shared through original editorial content, highlights many of the artists and the experts in the locations that we work of which have been turned into a bestselling book, a second edi- with have just really been excited about [the] opportunity to tion of which was recently released. Roughly eight share their story with a global audience as opposed Click to years ago, Roberts signed on to help bolster that to just the people [in their] location.” content by helping to oversee the development of Since the pandemic, the site has also “seen a big Explore More events “to actually get our audience out experiencincrease in the number of submissions from people ing those incredible places, kind of hidden, untold histories, and who...instead of being out in the world exploring, are kind of obscure but fascinating finds.” reminiscing on some of the incredible things that they’ve seen in For the time being, in-person experiences have been put on the past and sharing those with us,” says Roberts. “We are loving hold, but the company has responded to the COVID-19 pandem- getting those submissions. So much of what we do and can offer ic by “building from scratch an online experience business.” is really because of our amazing community of contributors.” Among the newer online offerings Roberts singles out is “Atlas —Doug Rule To explore the online offerings of Atlas Obscura, visit www.atlasobscura.com/experiences. MAY 7, 2020 • METROWEEKLY.COM
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