* E X P E R I E N C E * M U S I C * P R O J E C T *

Experience Music Project, now open next to the Space Needle, is a 140,000-square-foot interactive music museum celebrating creativity and innovation as expressed through rock'n'roll and other forms of American popular music. Designed by Frank O. Gehry, the museum really bucks the trend towards dull, mass-produced modern architecture in downtown Seattle. Its colorful, curvilinear forms have been compared to a melted-down electric guitar; among its innovative features is that the Monorail passes right through the building (you can see the tracks emerging from the architect's model at left). The architect's vision has given birth to a structure whose form mimics a multi-lobed living being, designed with a sculptural sense of space and arrested motion.

EMP combines the interpretive aspects of a traditional museum, the educational role of a school, the state-of-the-art research facilities of a specialized library, and the audience draws of frequent live performances in several spaces expressly designed for that purpose. Founded by well-known philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, EMP showcases his extensive collection of Jimi Hendrix memorabilia, plus world-class pop music documentation and a fabulous collection of rock poster art from many decades. This is the definitive museum of American popular music, and especially of music movements centered in the Pacific Northwest.

Just opened in a spectacular weekend of free concerts and workshops by leading national and international artists (including James Brown, Taj Mahal, Bo Diddley, Paul Revere & the Raiders, and others too numerous to name), EMP has proven an instant hit with Seattle's sophisticated and technologically savvy audiences.

Through its broad spectrum of traditional exhibits, interactive activities, and public programs, Experience Music Project encourages visitors to experience the power and joy of music in all its forms.

Visit EMP's award-winning web site:

http://www.emplive.com/

Photo copyright © 1999 by Larry Neilson

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