Motown Museum unveils immersive exhibits and progress on expansion campaign

New experiences will showcase stories of Motown legends through music and photo archives

By Layla McMurtrie

Oct 5, 2023 at 10:30 am

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard - Inline - Content",
            "component": "35519556",
            "insertPoint": "5th",
            "startingPoint": "3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "3",
            "maxInsertions": 100,
            
            "adList": [
              {
                "adPreset": "LeaderboardInline"
              }
            ]
          }
          
        ]

Courtesy photo

A rendering of The Motown Atmosphere, a new exhibit that will showcase images of legendary Hitsville artists.

Detroit's Motown Museum has been going through a transformation in the last few years, slowly revealing numerous updates for its long-awaited expansion project. During a private donor event on Oct. 4 that paid tribute to The Temptations and the Four Tops, an exciting update revealed renderings of new immersive exhibit experiences that will offer a glimpse into the Motown legacy's incredible stories.

Motown Museum Chairwoman and CEO Robin Terry also shared that expansion fundraising has reached $59 million of the museum's $65 million goal.

“We are full of gratitude for the $10 million federal grant Motown Museum received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the beginning of 2023, which greatly furthered our progress," Terry said. "Our original plan was to be under full construction on the final phase of the expansion this summer, but that timeline had to evolve to align with the required and rigorous HUD environmental approvals, which are happening now leading to full construction commencing this spring. In the meantime, our talented team of architects and exhibit designers are full-steam ahead on creating the immersive experiences that will tell the inspirational Motown story in a larger, expanded way."

The two new exhibits unveiled during the event are called The Motown Atmosphere and The Backstage Lounge.

The Motown Atmosphere will be an immersive room featuring classic Motown images that capture the close-knit, familial atmosphere of Detroit's music scene. A curated collection of images will feature legendary Hitsville artists in their daily lives, providing fans with an intimate look at their favorite Motown stars and sharing personal anecdotes from Motown alumni.

Courtesy photo

A rendering of The Backstage Lounge, an upcoming new immersive musical archive exhibit.

The Backstage Lounge, poised to become Motown Museum's musical archive, will welcome visitors to delve into the vast Motown music collection and access exclusive interviews with Motown veterans. It provides a distinctive chance for enthusiasts to hear directly from iconic figures, uncovering the heartfelt stories behind cherished songs.

Once the final phase of construction is completed on the museum, a new nearly 50,000-square-foot entertainment building behind Hitsville USA will feature immersive exhibits, a performance theater, recording studios, an expanded retail experience, and meeting spaces. The new museum campus is expected to have a transformative impact on the surrounding Detroit neighborhoods, offering employment and sustainability, as well as fostering community pride while acting as a catalyst for new investment and tourism in the historic area.

For more information on the Motown Museum and its expansion project, visit www.motownmuseum.org.

Tags:

About The Author

Layla McMurtrie

Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about art, music, food, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between the Lines, and Metromode, among other Michigan publications.