Meow Wolf on Matt King's Tragic Death: "[He] Is Riding Rainbows in the Astral Plane Now"
Jul. 13 2022, Published 9:18 a.m. ET
The 37-year-old visual artist and creative director who co-founded Meow Wolf in 2008 has passed away.
Matt King, the field art director of Omega Mart, a permanent exhibition in Las Vegas, and the creative director of Convergence Station, the immersive experience in Denver, Colo., died on Saturday, July 9, 2022, a new announcement by Meow Wolf confirms.
What's Meow Wolf co-founder Matt King's cause of death?
Matt lost his life on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Meow Wolf confirmed the news via a heartfelt Instagram post on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
"The Meow Wolf community is devastated and in absolute shock by the sudden passing of Meow Wolf co-founder, artist, and dearest friend Matt King. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family, friends, and everyone who knows and loves him," the announcement reads.
"Matt’s work as both a collaborator and artist was like no other: monumental, groundbreaking, otherworldly, and wild. This is a tremendous loss to the world. And we are tremendously grateful to have shared time and space with him," it adds. "Matt is a f---ing wizard who is riding rainbows in the astral plane now."
"He was fearless and untameable. He dedicated his life to Meow Wolf and, in turn, inspired thousands of artists and built the company that we have today. He cared deeply for the people around him and lived his life with an unbound passion for creating and collaborating," the announcement holds.
Meow Wolf is yet to disclose details about Matt's cause of death. As the company shared in a statement, Matt passed away "suddenly." But further information about his passing is yet to be made publicly available.
Meow Wolf is a company building immersive exhibitions and unique experiences.
Founded by Matt, Sean Di Ianni, Corvas Brinkerhoff, Emily Montoya, Caity Kennedy, Benji Geary, and Vince Kadlubek, Meow Wolf has become an immensely profitable company transforming mundane buildings into the location of highly profitable art exhibitions.
Meow Wolf has so far organized three permanent art installations. House of Eternal Return has transformed the art scene of Santa Fe, N.M., since first opening its doors in 2008. Omega Mart in Las Vegas and the Convergence Station in Denver, Colo. have had a similar impact on the local art economy.
Meow Wolf is currently in the process of delivering two large-scale exhibitions in Texas. Meow Wolf Grapevine is set to open in 2023. For their show at the Grapevine Mills, a shopping mall in Grapevine, Texas, Meow Wolf has pledged to transform the space into the stuff of kaleidoscopic dreams, with an Alice in Wonderland-esque portal transporting viewers into a magical world.
For their second exhibition in Texas, Meow Wolf will take over Houston's Greater Fifth Ward to orchestrate a unique set-up bound to leave a lasting impression on one-time visitors and die-hard art lovers alike.