Photo credit: Courtesy of Meow Wolf Denver

Tell us about Meow Wolf. What do you want the B Corp community to know?

Meow Wolf is an arts and entertainment company that creates immersive, interactive experiences to transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. It began in 2008 as an artist’s collective and focuses on bringing art and imagination to its communities. Meow Wolf values providing living wages for employees, full-time jobs for artists, and increasing access to the arts.

The company's first location in Santa Fe, New Mexico, opened in 2016 and showcases House Of Eternal Return, where visitors explore a multidimensional mystery house with secret passages, portals to magical worlds, and surreal, maximalist, and mesmerizing art exhibits. Meow Wolf opened Kaleidoscope, the world’s first artist-driven ride, at Elitch Gardens in Denver in 2019.

Meow Wolf opened their second permanent installation, Omega Mart, at AREA15 in Las Vegas, NV, in February 2021 and their third permanent installation, Convergence Station, in Denver, CO, in September 2021, Grapevine in 2023, and Houston, opening on Halloween 2024. Meow Wolf seeks to give life to new properties in historically marginalized neighborhoods and engage with local community groups to bring art and imagination to more places.

Meow Wolf opens portals of possibilities by shifting the paradigm of art and storytelling. An award-winning immersive experience spanning the cities of Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Denver, Grapevine, and Houston, each location features a next-generation narrative and a mission to amplify provocative playfulness. Each location is a Certified Autism Center, creating an inclusive atmosphere that connects naturally through the power of art.

When did you first become aware of the B Corp certification? Did someone from the community tell you about it?

Engaging with local community groups to bring art and imagination enhances the narrative of each location’s storyline, while the artist's touch of creativity brings the vision to life. The themed entertainment industry is uniquely positioned to lead the art world in new ways that give life to marginalized stories. Sustainability, accessibility, job access, and increased artist participation create a more vibrant economy where immersive experiences can truly thrive. This fall’s special programming supports that sentiment.

When Meow Wolf initially filed as a company, it was as an incorporated benefit corp. That means Meow Wolf is legally obligated to balance profit with purpose. These values and goals of being a B Corp have been ingrained in the company’s mission since the very beginning. This certification strengthens this mission.

What motivated you to become a certified B Corp?

Since our beginnings as an art collective, we’ve always believed that community is the cornerstone of connection, where individuals come together to support, co-create, and inspire one another.

We focus our community engagement on contributing to and celebrating arts and culture through donations and sponsorships, providing access to our exhibition for nonprofits and youth groups from under-served communities, paid internships for local college students, our robust Artist Collaboration program, showing up as volunteers, and through our community programming in our Learning Centers.

Since our early days of dumpster diving and making art installations from found and recycled materials, environmental sustainability has long been core to our identity at Meow Wolf. To this day, our commitment to responsible stewardship of our planet’s precious resources shows up in many parts of our work. Absolute Rubbish, Meow Wolf Denver’s groundbreaking fashion show, is in its second year and features eco-conscious designers in a full runway production.

Are there assessment areas or aspects of your certification you’re particularly proud of?

Meow Wolf is particularly proud of being an intentionally designed company with social and environmental responsibilities contributing to positive and impactful programming.

What is your main ambition as a B Corp, and what are your future commitments?

Meow Wolf seeks to give life to new properties in neighborhoods that have been historically marginalized and engage with local community groups to bring art and imagination to more places.

From Meow Wolf Denver’s artist liaison Brandon Vargas:

"We would like the community to know that we are committed to high standards of being a force for good while maintaining social responsibility in everything we do. Take Galleri Gallery for example, we always strive to show artists that come from emerging spaces, and work to connect them with a new audience for their pieces through the broad platform that is Meow Wolf Denver.

We create space for artists to diversify their income stream by paying stipends, prioritizing their work as creators and opening up additional revenue-generating opportunities - like offering placement in the Meow Wolf Denver retail shop. This creates a sizable impact on the artist's wallet, enabling them to focus on creating new and interesting work."