As we step into a new era and celebrate our third decade of existence, MOPOP remains steadfast in its commitment to preserving and curating pop culture. Our architecturally stunning 140,000 square foot building, designed by the renowned Frank O. Gehry, houses an array of galleries and the iconic Sky Church, boasting one of the world’s largest LED screens. With over 700,000 visitors from diverse backgrounds and age groups engaging in immersive experiences centered around gaming, fashion, film, and music, MOPOP has truly become a hub for interactive activities and exploration. It stands not only as a landmark destination but also as a valuable learning resource that captivates passionate fans of pop culture from all corners of the globe.
Within our galleries, such as the Sound Lab, we offer visitors hands-on tools to create music, play instruments, and partake in various interactive experiences. Moreover, our public programs, including the esteemed annual Sound Off showcase that supports emerging talent of all ages, exemplify our commitment to being a community ally in the vibrant Seattle area. Situated in the heart of downtown Seattle center campus, MOPOP proudly serves as a cultural hub for everyone.
At MOPOP, we firmly believe that pop culture matters just as much as any other artistic form or practice. We embrace change and expansion, which has driven our ongoing dedication to incorporating an equitable lens into our policies, programming, and outreach efforts. As we progress, we envision ourselves as a platform for emergent forms of culture and creative expression, shifting from a category leader to a creator of new pathways.
We seek to use this knowledge to inform every aspect of the MOPOP experience, from the exhibitions we host to the creators and curators we amplify, from our educational and community programs to the training opportunities we provide our staff. Our goal is to equip them with the tools to effectively integrate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) principles and practices into their own spheres of influence.
Our strategic plan aims to be at the forefront of cultural shifts, both reactive and proactive, by breaking away from conventional norms of existence and interaction. We recognize that pop culture is ingrained in who we are as individuals and as a society, and that we have the power to create opportunities for our audience and stakeholders to ignite their own cultural power. Pop culture connects us; it serves as a connective force that has the potential to dismantle divisions and bring diverse communities together under a unified narrative of interconnectedness.
We understand that pop culture is complex and that every story told within it can be expanded to incorporate deeper analyses and connections to ideological and institutional structures. We acknowledge the high stakes involved and take responsibility for nurturing understanding and joy through our work.
Pop culture is alive; it is a living history that testifies to human creativity and expression. As technology and imagination’s evolve, pop culture undergoes metamorphoses that impact both its form and medium. We are committed to rising to these transformations and providing a nurturing environment for pop culture to thrive in its growth and reflect upon the past.
This strategic operational plan serves as a window into our mission as a museum and our unwavering dedication to preserving the stories of pop culture. It underscores the profound impact and power of pop culture in shaping our lives and influencing the future of our cultural landscape. By redefining what museums can be in the present day, MOPOP aims to act as a catalyst for promoting cultural literacy and providing equitable access to arts and culture education.
Through our thoughtfully curated exhibits, innovative programs, and educational classes, we strive to bridge the gaps left by traditional education systems and inspire inclusivity and a sense of belonging in the arts. By actively engaging with diverse communities and students from all walks of life, we are determined to foster unity and empowerment through the celebration of pop culture.
We invite you to join us on this extraordinary journey as we unveil our strategic operational plan and continue our mission to inspire, educate, and connect through the undeniable power of pop culture.
Michele Y. Smith MOPOP Chief Executive Officer
MOPOP is grateful for the leadership and service of our Board of Directors.
Paul G. Allen, Founding Director in Memoriam
Jody Allen, Founding Director, Board Chair
Shaunta Hyde, Director, People Experience & Technology (PXT3) Transformation Team, Amazon, Board President
Marjorie Thomas, CFO, Allen Institute, Board Treasurer
Davina Inslee, General Counsel, Global Health Labs, Board Secretary
Jeremy Beasley, Senior Interaction Designer, Google
Tim Bierman, General Manager, Pearl Jam Ten Club
Dana Frank, General Managing Partner, TD Frank Family Properties
Michelle Quisenberry, Managing Director, Advisory, KPMG US
POP CULTURE DESERVES
A MUSEUM.
Pop culture is a powerful, dynamic force. It lifts up unheard voices and challenges others to listen. It brings communities together in celebration, and it teaches them to disagree without dividing. Pop culture is the original change agent—moving the world by moving hearts.
WE IMAGINE A FUTURE WHERE ...
Pop culture is recognized as an art form equal to any other.
MOPOP is recognized as a safe space where people gather, celebrate together, and invite each other to see the world in new ways.
Museums challenge themselves to build, nurture, and ally with their communities.
The diverse cultural expressions pop culture represents are accessible across communities and generations.
The Power of Pop Culture is activated in new ways that respond to today’s most urgent needs.
Pop culture is a living art that constantly engages with our changing world. The Power of Pop Culture, MOPOP’s 2024–2026 strategic plan, reflects that by setting a direction instead of a destination. The five platforms of our Direction of Travel articulate who we are becoming and why.
MOPOP is a flagship museum that sets the standard in innovative exhibits for cultural institutions worldwide.
We are a champion for pop culture in global conversations. We are catalyzing a new understanding of pop culture’s significance through our scholarship and shared expertise. We are recognized as an effective ally and a trusted partner. We are committed to a culture of fair exchange and building strength together.
We are an agent for change. Every MOPOP experience has the depth and conviction to change narratives and ignite action. Our workplace culture celebrates creativity and innovation and centers wellness and equity. Everyone who joins us should feel like they belong.
POP CULTURE IS IMPATIENT.
It questions, challenges, and celebrates what’s urgent to the people who create it. The Power of Pop Culture matches that urgency with Ways to Travel, a set of principles that we can embody while we continue to transform ourselves and our impact in the world.
ACTIVISM
We will ignite dialogues, challenge norms, mobilize communities, and create transformative social progress through what we amplify and how we do our work.
PRESERVATION
We will build the recognition, resources, and relationships—internal and external— required to ensure the voices and stories in our care have enduring impact. We pair our commitment to the museum experience with a culture of philanthropy and revenue growth that enables longterm stability and ever-increasing impact.
GLOBAL PRESENCE
We will amplify the power of pop culture by looking beyond the United States—both in what we highlight in our programs and exhibits, and by taking our place on the global stage.
IGNITING EXPERIENCES
We will create exhibits and programs that delight and inspire, spark dialogue, and catalyze change. We will push ourselves tirelessly to reimagine what museum exhibits can be and do.
SCHOLARSHIP
We will claim pop culture’s place as a significant source of insight and cultural exploration and partner with researchers, scholars, and others who are doing the same work.
POP CULTURE IS INCLUSIVE.
By focusing on our relationship to our communities—both internal and external—The Power of Pop Culture invites our peers, our partners, and our allies to travel with us.
• Partners in preservation and promotion of pop culture
• Pop culture creators and ambassadors
• Members, supporters, and visitors in Seattle and beyond
• Excluded communities, especially BIPOC, Asian, and LGBTQIA+
• The global community of museums and cultural institutions
• Philanthropic partners and other supporters
• Our staff, leadership, and board
CHANGE IS PART OF EVERYTHING WE DO.
The initiatives that will drive The Power of Pop Culture forward encompass every part of MOPOP’s work.
INITIATIVES
MARKETING REACH AND IMPACT
A bigger, bolder voice to reach pop culture champions locally and globally
GUEST CURATOR PROGRAM
A bigger platform for emerging curators; a more inclusive and innovative perspective for museums
NATIONAL MUSEUM DESIGNATION
National stature for MOPOP—and for The Power of Pop Culture
EXHIBITION AND PROGRAM CONTENT
Evolved exhibitions and programs that reflect pop culture’s social power
EARNED REVENUE
Targeted strategies to double operating revenue by 2026
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
Community-centered philanthropy to build and sustain support
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ACCESS
A platform for community engagement with everything we do
TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Cutting-edge digital tools to drive innovation leadership
DIGITAL COLLECTION
Online collection that preserves artifacts and expands access to virtual spaces
LOANS AND TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
Global presence (and influence) for MOPOP exhibitions and collection loans
COMPENSATION STRUCTURE
Transparent processes and equitable compensation for everyone who works here
TITLE I SCHOOL PROGRAM
Increased access for the next generation of creators
FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Upgrades to systems that speed and sharpen business decisions; new strategies that diversify our revenue streams
CURATORIAL PUBLICATION STRATEGY
Catalogs and publications that demonstrate MOPOP’s expertise and transform public perception of pop culture as an art
VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT PLAN
A volunteer program that expands community trust
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
An investment in our staff that redefines what it means to work at a museum
FACILITIES ENHANCEMENTS
Elevated guest experience, more space for our collections, and continuity for the future
FINANCIAL ACUMEN
Training to create empowered and finance-savvy staff
FLAGSHIP MUSEUM
MOPOP is a flagship museum that sets the standard in innovative exhibits for cultural institutions worldwide.
WHY IT MATTERS
Our reach and recognition are our power. To be an effective champion and change agent, we have to claim our place on the global stage. That means dramatically increasing awareness of our cultural and social impact. It also means challenging what the world believes a museum can be.
WHAT WE’LL DO
The Power of Pop Culture includes a commitment to resource and respect marketing, earned revenue, and philanthropy as foundational to our impact. We can’t be the champion pop culture deserves unless we expand all three.
We are consolidating our organizational story after decades of drift. We are demanding recognition, including a designation as a National Museum, that reflects our true standing among cultural institutions.
We are redesigning our organizational infrastructure—from finance to the master plan for our space—to create a stable and resilient platform for dynamic engagement with the world.
Finally, we are deepening our investment in industry-leading innovation in our exhibitions and programs. Those awardwinning experiences are directly tied to how people perceive the importance of pop culture and, by association, the voices of its creators.
POP CULTURE CHAMPION
We are a champion for pop culture in global conversations. We are catalyzing a new understanding of pop culture’s significance through our scholarship and shared expertise.
WHY IT MATTERS
Historically, pop culture has been trivialized and juvenilized, especially by the defenders of dominant cultural norms. But we know that pop culture is not “less than.” It’s a vital art form that inspires and influences, shapes identities, and fosters creativity. Pop culture is how silenced communities share stories—and making those voices heard is a powerful tool for inclusivity and understanding.
WHAT WE’LL DO
Through The Power of Pop Culture, we will catalyze a new understanding of pop culture’s significance. We’ll advance scholarship on pop culture by publishing original research and by collaborating in both traditional and nontraditional academic spaces. We’ll create champions among our many communities—volunteers, members, supporters, and visitors; educators and students—who can speak with knowledge and passion about why pop culture matters.
Most importantly, we will ensure that our exhibitions and programs continue to showcase pop culture as worthy of respect, study, and exploration. Our goal is not only to display and celebrate, but to bring social and cultural conversations to life.
These changes are essential to MOPOP’s future; they influence the kinds and amount of funding we receive, our opportunities for partnership, and our ability to hire and retain the talent we need. And, especially, they affect the size and influence of the platform we offer artists, creators, and our community as a whole.
COMMUNITY ALLY
WHY IT MATTERS
MOPOP’s community is large, vibrant, and diverse: fans and nerds, teachers and tourists; volunteers, members, and visitors; young creators and creators from communities where pop culture is the voice of revolution—BIPOC, Asian, LGBTQIA+, and more; and our partners and fellow pop culture champions in Seattle and beyond.
Very few museums in the world, if any, have this kind of organic reach. It’s an unequaled resource for mission delivery and an unmatched opportunity to support the social movements that pop culture represents.
WHAT WE’LL DO
It’s time to make museum culture synonymous with communitybuilding. We aim to set the standard for allyship among museums by treating our platform as a community resource. We will be a space where community members can amplify their voices and safely celebrate their difference.
We will elevate justice and belonging in our community relationships—listening, learning, and sometimes ceding power with humility and grace. We will expand our vision of access, taking a hard look at barriers related to representation and cultural safety as well as economic and other concrete needs.
We will actively seek partners who share our vision of a more inclusive and diverse arts and culture landscape. We will cocreate with them, listening to understand their needs and learning how MoOP can better serve our community. Our focus will be on partnerships that strengthen both MOPOP and our collaborators—a culture of abundant exchange.
We are recognized as an effective ally and a trusted partner. We are committed to a culture of fair exchange and building strength together.
CHANGE AGENT
We are an agent for change. Every MOPOP experience has the depth and conviction to change narratives and ignite action.
WHY IT MATTERS
Pop culture is an active force in everyday life. No other art form is as broadly accessible, generates as immediate a response, and brings people together in community as quickly.
MOPOP has never fully leveraged these strengths. For the first decades of the museum’s existence, its focus was on preservation and display. Our shift from Experience Music Project to the Museum of Pop Culture began a process of slow but steady transformation. The Power of Pop Culture crystallizes our intent and hastens us toward that future.
WHAT WE’LL DO
Over the next three years, we will intentionally evolve our exhibitions and programs to reflect the history and social complexity behind pop culture moments. We will create exhibitions that spark dialogue and challenge perceptions, emphasizing physical and virtual design that invites participation. In particular, we will design in ways that confound traditional beliefs about what a museum is and who belongs there.
We know that there will be learning ahead for us. We will need to define our position on sensitive issues and balance our strong commitment to social justice with the need to create spaces that are authentically inviting to many perspectives. But we see an urgent need in this moment of social and political crisis and division—a need that we can and will meet.
WORKPLACE CULTURE
Our workplace culture celebrates creativity and innovation and centers wellness and equity. Everyone who joins us should feel like they belong.
WHY IT MATTERS
How it feels to work at MOPOP is central to The Power of Pop Culture. Our workplace culture sets the stage for everything we do, from our visitors’ and members’ experience to how we work with partners to perception of our brand.
MOPOP aims to be a change agent for what it means to work at a museum or nonprofit organization. We are committed to a justice-centered culture, and to achieve it we are prepared to reimagine the partnership between our organization and the people who work here.
WHAT WE’LL DO
Every member of the MOPOP team should be fairly compensated and given what they need to grow and thrive professionally. Under The Power of Pop Culture, we are rebuilding our compensation and promotion structure from the ground up. Within three years, our full staff will receive training on DEIA and core business skills. With those foundations in place, we will layer peer learning, job shadowing, and other tools for deeper growth.
Every member of the MOPOP team should be respected for their unique skills and ideas and empowered to act on their expertise. This is critical to collaboration and to our ability to act effectively in a dynamic environment. The standard will be set at the leadership level, through management training and collective commitment to listen, learn, and model. New and improved systems throughout every aspect of the organization will enforce transparency and foster clear communication. Every member of the MOPOP team should feel that they belong here. The energy, creativity, and resilience of MOPOP’s workplace culture should match the spirit of the pop culture we celebrate. We will cultivate acceptance and fearlessness at all levels of the organization, with sensitivity to where power rests and how that affects individuals’ ability to speak and be heard.
