About EMP

EMP celebrates the creative process, engages the imagination, and inspires personal expression in current and future generations.

Statement of Mission

EMP is a leading-edge, nonprofit museum, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture. With its roots in rock 'n' roll, EMP serves as a gateway museum, reaching multigenerational audiences through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, using interactive technologies to engage and empower our visitors. At EMP, artists, audiences and ideas converge, bringing understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the popular culture of our time.

The EMP Building

More About the EMP Building

Frank O. Gehry looked to music for his inspiration when designing EMP.

A classical music fan, Gehry wanted to understand rock 'n' roll, so he traded in his Bach for Hendrix and took a trip to the neighborhood guitar store. He bought several electric guitars, took them back to his office, and cut them into pieces. The guitar pieces were the building blocks for an early model design. Influenced by the colors in the early model, Gehry's final design brightly displays the red and blue hues of electric guitars.

Private Events

The museum's one-of-a-kind architecture offers numerous unique sites, from lofty and spacious to cozy and secluded.

Whether your event is a corporate meeting, a concert, an intimate gathering, a film premiere, a seated dinner or an elaborate reception, EMP offers an awe-inspiring setting for your next special occasion.

Questions? Contact privateevents@EMPmuseum.org.