Community

Our Philosophy

We believe that community engagement is about showing up, again and again, to build trust and relationships that last.

As Meow Wolf grows into new markets, we want to acknowledge that each community is unique and we will be spending the majority of our energy focused on listening to the needs of the local creative community before we engage in a significant way.

While immersive exhibition experiences and interactive storytelling remain the flagship of Meow Wolf’s collective goals, you can also count community engagement, ethical investment, environmental stewardship and strengthening the local economy as key and sustained efforts in engaging a wider circle of talented people and organizations.

Meow Wolf will prioritize supporting the efforts of organizations and non-profits in the local communities we serve – Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Denver – that provide creative and inclusive opportunities for all.

Corporate Responsibility

Meow Wolf is committed to our DIY roots and grassroots community support principles. To document that commitment, we converted our legal designation into a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation and have certified as a B Corporation. As a B Corp, we have a triple bottom line of supporting financial, social and environmental wellbeing in our community.

These principles guided the creation of Meow Wolf’s first Corporate Social Responsibility plan for our Denver project. The creation of our CSR took nearly two years of listening to the unique needs of the community and assessing how we could provide targeted support.

We are currently working on a company wide responsibility plan including commitments for all of our locations.

Artist Engagement

As a growing art collective, supporting local artists and the arts community remain a strong pillar of our engagement. Our emphasis for new projects centers on engaging and working with artists in the local community. We want to bolster artists who have deep histories, stories and contexts in their city – it not only makes our narratives and exhibitions stronger to retain a diverse cohort of collaborators, it’s one of the main reasons why we are expanding our company.

We’re not just commissioning artist murals in these new markets, we’re endeavoring to create a community of artists that will work with Meow Wolf for years to come on public art and professional projects. Collaboration with artists makes us stronger, it pushes the aesthetic quality of our brand and it unleashes our deepest power to produce truly mind-bending experiences! Visit our Artist Engagement page to submit your work and learn more.

Investments

Since 2017, Meow Wolf has invested over $1.6 million in funding to local non-profit organizations, projects that pay artists and to art spaces through our annual DIY Fund. We recently released our Priorities and investment mission to focus our resources on artists and providing creative opportunities for all.

Priority will be given to requests from local, community-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations, or organizations that have a fiscal agent with 501(c)(3) status, public schools or municipalities located in one of the cities we serve — Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Denver. These priorities will guide decisions in pass donations, in-kind support, and other programmatic activities. To read more about our priority areas or request support from Meow Wolf please visit our Philanthropy page.

As our business recovers from the effects of COVID-19 we are beginning to solicit requests. Check back regularly for the latest information.

DIY Fund

Established in 2016 in the wake of a tragic fire at Oakland’s DIY arts and music space, Ghost Ship, Meow Wolf established an annual DIY Fund to assist and help ensure the safety and sustainability of similar venues around the world. This cause is near and dear to our hearts as Meow Wolf started as a DIY arts and music community since 2008.

Through the DIY Fund, small community art spaces receive grant money to pay for everything from infrastructure improvements to rent. To date, we have awarded more than $375,000 in funding to support more than 250 DIY spaces across the country. Learn more about the DIY Fund and its application process on our DIY Fund webpage.

Meow Wolf is not soliciting DIY funding requests at this time.

Community Voices

At Meow Wolf we want to use our talents for good and look for opportunities to capture and showcase local non-profit partners unique stories through our platform. One such example in using our talented storytelling team to elevate important issues and organizations is our Community Voices documentary video series. This series is currently designed to spread awareness of non-profit organizations in Northern New Mexico like Moving Arts Española, Girls Inc., Reading Quest, and Santa Fe Community College.

We also use our talented photographers and writers to capture moments for our partners and feature their stories on our blog. We've highlighted artists, non-profit organizations and countless other partners, and plan to continue to elevate the voices of others through these incredible resources.

Just the Beginning...

As new locations are being announced and our community grows, Meow Wolf is just beginning to have these conversations with the cities and communities involved. We welcome input and ideas for expanding our footprint and work, and are dedicated to increasing transparency as we evolve. Our ultimate goal is to support systemic change in the arts by reaching out to communities that are underserved and underrepresented, and building strong partnerships with those most affected.
The original mission of Meow Wolf was to foster community and support emerging artists.

With the success of House of Eternal Return, the dream has expanded to new communities and new artists. Meow Wolf is constantly learning and adapting to the needs of the communities we serve. We welcome feedback and healthy dialogue as we hone our process.