Interpretive Visitor Experience

Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses—Exhibition Graphic Design

Client:

MoPOP

Venue/Location:

Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle, WA

Browse:

Highlights

Client:

MoPOP

Browse:

Highlights

MoPOP (formerly EMP Museum) commissioned Belle & Wissell to design the exhibition graphics and a series of interactives for their exhibition titled “Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses”—which paid homage to both the band and the music scene from which they were born. Since the exhibit’s opening in 2011, it has been experienced by over 3 million visitors from all over the world.

Several large-scale photo murals from photographers Charles Peterson and Alice Wheeler were used to mark the start of each section (including a large two-story mural to draw visitors upstairs to the gallery).

Recurring quotes, record walls that showed album artwork and allowed users to listen to each album, and hanging banners with photo collages of performance posters were integrated throughout the gallery spaces.

Hanging graphic mobiles, illustrated scenes, and listening stations were included to help visitors learn more about the micro-scenes that contributed to the Nirvana sound.

Project Accolades:

I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, 2011
The New York Times
“Post-Grunge, Seattle Rocks On,” 2011
MTV “Nirvana Exhibit Leads Fans Through Band’s Humble Start, Meteoric Rise,” 2011
Examiner “Must-see rock music exhibits at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum,” 2011
The Seattle Times “EMP unveils Nirvana exhibit and a part of Seattle’s music legacy,” 2011

Belle & Wissell Team Credits

Design Director: Gabe Kean
Senior Designer: Thomas Ryun
Designer: Edrea Lita
Producer: Marq Dean
Illustrator: Steven Henry

Additional Project Credits

Curator: Jacob McMurray
Assistant, Curatorial: Erin Wheeler
Exhibit Manager: Addy Froehlich
Exhibit 3D Designer: Curious Beast
Sound Design, Content Advisor: Steve Fisk
Mobile Fabrication: Josh Levine
Logo Designer: Jacob Covey
Photographer: Charles Peterson
Photographer: Alice Wheeler

Belle & Wissell Team Credits

Design Director: Gabe Kean
Senior Designer: Thomas Ryun
Designer: Edrea Lita
Producer: Marq Dean
Illustrator: Steven Henry

Additional Project Credits

Curator: Jacob McMurray
Assistant, Curatorial: Erin Wheeler
Exhibit Manager: Addy Froehlich
Exhibit 3D Designer: Curious Beast
Sound Design, Content Advisor: Steve Fisk
Mobile Fabrication: Josh Levine
Logo Designer: Jacob Covey
Photographer: Charles Peterson
Photographer: Alice Wheeler

MoPOP (formerly EMP Museum) commissioned Belle & Wissell to design the exhibition graphics and a series of interactives for their exhibition titled “Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses”—which paid homage to both the band and the music scene from which they were born. Since the exhibit’s opening in 2011, it has been experienced by over 3 million visitors from all over the world.

Several large-scale photo murals from photographers Charles Peterson and Alice Wheeler were used to mark the start of each section (including a large two-story mural to draw visitors upstairs to the gallery).

Recurring quotes, record walls that showed album artwork and allowed users to listen to each album, and hanging banners with photo collages of performance posters were integrated throughout the gallery spaces.

Hanging graphic mobiles, illustrated scenes, and listening stations were included to help visitors learn more about the micro-scenes that contributed to the Nirvana sound.

Project Accolades:

I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, 2011
The New York Times
“Post-Grunge, Seattle Rocks On,” 2011
MTV “Nirvana Exhibit Leads Fans Through Band’s Humble Start, Meteoric Rise,” 2011
Examiner “Must-see rock music exhibits at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum,” 2011
The Seattle Times “EMP unveils Nirvana exhibit and a part of Seattle’s music legacy,” 2011