Meow Wolf: An Origin Story

Upon receiving the email containing the screener of this story, I was beyond excited to see a most epic story displayed on the screen before my eyes. I have always been intrigued by Meow Wolf but never knew the backbeat to the storyline until now. Co-founded over 10 years ago by Benji Geary, Emily Montoya, Matt King, Caity Kennedy, Vince Kadlubek, Megan Maher, Quinn Tincher and Corvas Brinkerhoff in Sante Fe, New Mexico. A group of artists wanted to create something different, something someone could touch and become immersed in. With only traditional art studios around, they would have to create their own environment to house their art and with that, the conception began. Instead of taking whatever they could get; being backed by well known author George R.R. Martin, they purchased and renovated an old bowling alley to begin their quest of bringing art to the world in a whole new way. The purchase of the bowling alley itself was cheap compared to what it would take to renovate it and the crew had to eventually ask for help with a loan to make this dream come true.

Over the course of many years, artists assisted in creating this masterpiece that would be known as Meow Wolf. One of those artists was David Loughridge. David was known for his happy nature and ease to be around. Many of the other artists enjoyed having him around but sadly an unfortunate circumstance led to his untimely death. With the help from David’s parents, Meow Wolf would be able to obtain the loan they needed to proceed with the ultimate creation… something David had only dreamed of.

Morgan Capps, one of the directors for this movie, had the opportunity to be along for this journey every step of the way. I had the chance to ask her a few questions and below are her responses:

Do you remember the first moment you heard about Meow Wolf? What was your reaction?
It was in 2015, and all I heard was a group was trying to build a psychedelic Disney land and that was enough to get my mind churning! I had to meet these people.

What inspired you to create a piece on Meow Wolf?
I would say it was more happenstance and luck than decision. When I got started, it was because I was trying to make friends. Then I started filming and was lucky enough to stick around until the success. It was like, “What the hell, I’ve got to see where this goes”, because I had never been involved in that sort of thing before. The energy was completely intoxicating and foreign and terrifying. So many people were dedicated to making something that had never been made before. There was clearly something major going on here.

What was your favorite part of producing this piece?
My favorite part of making the film was the absolute puzzle of putting this huge, sprawling 10 year story together in a coherent 88 minute narrative. There were so many characters, voices, points of view, memories, events, and a massive collage of visuals to piece together. It was very, very challenging, but that made the ultimate culmination that much sweeter.

Wow! So here we are 10 years later and Meow Wolf is an obvious hit, expanding its walls to Denver and Las Vegas!! I personally am very excited on this expansion to Denver, I have been hearing the rumor for years now and I’m so happy to hear it’s coming true. What a long journey it’s been for everyone involved, the dedication it took to get here and the determination that kept them pushing through all the hard times. This movie truly showcases what can happen if you never place limits on what you can accomplish.

This movie will be released in theatres November 29th. I would suggest anyone who is a fan of Meow Wolf or anyone who is curious to what it’s all about to watch this little film. It was an interesting behind the scenes look at a wickedly cool pop culture attraction!

Till next time

Ciao,

Bella