At first glance, a casual observer might mistake Omega Mart for a supermarket.

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But after about ten seconds, they’ll realize they’re in for an adventure–and a lot of mind-bending fun.

Omega Mart, the second permanent art installation by Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment collective Meow Wolf, is a surreal, and interactive, immersive experience. Secret passageways, slides, Easter eggs and surreal worlds are all part of the fun.

So is storytelling with a sense of humor, as visitors can explore the lore of “Dramcorp“–or not–as they choose.

Comprised of sixty different rooms with work from international and local artists, Omega Mart opened in Las Vegas’ Area 15 in 2021. It could accurately be described as a “show”, with psychedelic lights, tall overhead flowers, a playable laser harp and portals leading to unexpected places.

The artists of Meow Wolf have even designed “products” for the “supermarket” area–and they’re unlike anything you’ll find in your local grocery.

And their goal–as with Meow Wolf’s previous installations in Santa Fe and Denver– is to continue the mission of inspiring creativity through art, exploration and play.

Spencer Olsen, Senior Creative Director at Meow Wolf, worked on twenty-two of the projects which Meow Wolf created for Omega Mart over the four years of its construction. We talked about the creative process, some of the areas visitors can experience and what’s next for Meow Wolf.

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• What first inspired Spencer to become an artist;

• One of the best creative lessons he learned from his first teacher;

• How Spencer first became a part of Meow Wolf;

• His favorite part of working with his fellow artists;

• The story of Omega Mart;

• What was most exciting about preparing the project with the team;

• A theme which visitors will discover;

• A closer look at some of the products in the “supermarket” area and how they fit into the storytelling;

• What it was like for the team of artists to come up with these tongue-in-cheek “supermarket” products;

• A hidden portal for which to look, and what guests see when they pass through;

• The summit of the narrative behind this experience;

• Two robots created especially for the occasion!:

• One of the technologies which Spencer most enjoyed incorporating into Omega Mart;

• The challenges the team dealt with, while bringing Omega Mart to life;

• One of the best creative lessons from the experience of creating this installation;

• A “don’t-miss” feature of the installation;

• Some of the tactile experiences of Omega Mart;

• What Spencer remembers best from Omega Mart’s opening day;

• Why the show isn’t “done”, and what’s new!