SEATTLE—Today, Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM) announced it has seen a 13 percent increase in admissions, year-to-date over last year—making summer 2009 the highest summer attendance since the museum opened in June 2000. In the last three and a half years, the museum has seen a steady increase in attendance, with 2009 (as of Sept. 30) being the second highest year-to-date attendance since the museum’s first year of operation.

“Summer is traditionally the most active time for museums and cultural attractions. We were expecting a busy summer, and these higher than average attendance numbers exceeded our expectations,” said Christina Orr-Cahall, CEO and director of EMP|SFM. “The increase in attendance is likely attributed to staycation visitors—visitors who were looking for low-cost, local activities, the popular Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibition that we hosted though August 16, and the hard work of our talented staff and volunteers.”

Included in the museum’s attendance numbers are All Access Night guests. EMP|SFM welcomed more than 10,700 guests during the July and August All Access Nights. All Access Night offers free admission and live music from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month.

EMP|SFM is proud to present two exhibitions in the coming months, Gelatine Lux and Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock ‘n’ Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash, organized by Experience Music Project.

Gelatine Lux

Opens Nov. 21, 2009

EMP|SFM is proud to present Gelatine Lux, an otherworldly exhibition by noted Italian glass and installation artist Maria Grazia Rosin.

Organized by the Carnegie Museum of Art, this immersive installation features 20 illuminated glass chandeliers and a series of glass curtains suspended within an environment that includes sound and video components. The chandeliers, which evoke the forms of both marine and microscopic life, exist in an intra/extraterrestrial universe that envelops and disorients the viewer and raises questions about the origins of the world. Initially trained as a painter in Venice but working in glass since 1992, Rosin is fascinated by science—from marine biology to the physics of black holes.

Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock ‘n’ Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash

Opens Feb. 6, 2010

The museum is proud to present Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash. This dynamic new exhibition, organized by Experience Music Project, showcases some of the most memorable photography in the history of popular music, as chosen by legendary musician Graham Nash of the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, who is also well-known as a photographer, collector and pioneer in digital imaging and printing.

As guest curator, Graham Nash, brings his rich musical history, keen eye and storytelling skills to an exhibition of 98 rock 'n' roll images taken by 40 of the world's greatest music photographers, including Anton Corbijn, Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall, Neal Preston, Mick Rock, Francesco Scavullo and Nash himself.

All Access Nights

In January 2007, EMP|SFM began offering free admission and live music from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. Since the inception of All Access Nights, the museum has welcomed more than 65,000 visitors during All Access Nights.

Family Days

EMP|SFM hosts Family Days on the third Saturday of every month. Family Day activities can include interactive art projects, live music from local bands, free instrument workshops and more. Family Days are sponsored by IKEA.

Sound Off! 2009

Sound Off! is the Pacific Northwest’s largest battle of the bands. A launching pad for musical careers, Sound Off! has enjoyed hosting many young up-and-coming bands over the years including Schoolyard Heroes, Idiot Pilot, Mon Frere, The Lonely H, Dyme Def, The Lonely Forest, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and New Faces. Semifinal concerts will be held Feb. 13, 20 and 27, 2010 and thefinal concert will be held March 6, 2010. Sound Off! is sponsored by IKEA, KORG, Shure, 107.7 The End, KEXP 90.3 and Bumbershoot.

Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

EMP|SFM, in partnership with SIFF, will present the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF) Jan. 30, 2010 at the Seattle Cinerama Theater. The annual festival brings together industry professionals in filmmaking and the genres of science fiction and fantasy to encourage and support new, creative additions to science fiction and fantasy cinema arts. SFFSFF is sponsored by Cinerama Theater, Vulcan, Inc. and NORWESCON.

empsfm.org/education
Pop Conference

The Pop Conference at EMP|SFM, now in its ninth year, joins academics, critics, performers, and writers of all kinds to discuss popular music. Next year’s conference topic is “The Pop Machine: Music and Technology.” The conference runs April 15-18, 2010.

Lessons & Workshops

Lessons & Workshops at EMP|SFM are weekend and evening classes for adults and teens 16 and older. These series provides in-depth, hands-on training on a specific music or science fiction-related topic. A 2010 class schedule is posted at empsfm.org/education.

Camps and Teen Artist Workshops
EMP|SFM’s Camps and Teen Artist Workshops take youth on a journey of artistic exploration and self-discovery during their spring and summer breaks. Visit empsfm.org/education for a complete list of 2010 camps and workshops offered by EMP|SFM and partners Pacific Science Center and Seattle Children’s Theater.