With a mission to collect, preserve and make accessible instruments from every country in the world, the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) is the world’s only global musical instrument museum. This month the museum will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a weeklong series of public events.
During its relatively short existence, MIM has already made a tremendous impact on the greater Phoenix community. The museum has welcomed more than 1.15 million guests and has risen to TripAdvisor’s top-ranked attraction in the Phoenix area. Additionally, at a time when arts education is being cut from many Arizona schools, MIM has welcomed more than 140,000 students as part of its school field-trip program.
The museum has also seen tremendous growth in both its collection and programing throughout the past five years. The museum opened with 173 fully installed displays and today has 370 fully installed displays. The museum’s popular “Experience” series has also expanded. These signature events, which used to occur quarterly, are now hosted on a monthly basis, allowing many more cultural groups to share their musical traditions. MIM Music Theater’s schedule of concerts has tripled in size. The acoustically superb space originally hosted about 60 concerts per year and now hosts more than 200.
The museum also has big plans for 2015. In addition to the highly anticipated launch of MIM’s first membership program on April 20, the museum will also host its inaugural summer camp in June. Each weeklong session will offer a unique focus on global culture, highlighting world connections through the power of music, art and more. In November MIM will host its second annual global music festival, MIMFest. Attendees can expect more than a dozen distinguished performers on three stages, plus delicious food from local food trucks and fun activities for guests of all ages.
“In five years MIM has already carved a path to being recognized as one of the best museums in the world, but this is just the beginning,” said April Salomon, executive director of MIM. “As a museum in constant evolution, we’re excited to continue fulfilling MIM’s mission and look forward to inspiring and entertaining guests for many years to come.”
MIM’s weeklong fifth anniversary celebration begins on April 20. Each weekday’s theme is inspired by one of the museum’s five major Geographical Galleries. The day’s activities will include two Gallery Talks by members of MIM’s curatorial team as well as a musical performance and a themed menu in Café Allegro.
On April 25 and 26 the museum will host “Experience MIM.” This weekend celebration, in the style of MIM’s popular signature event series, will include an opportunity to “speed date” a curator; multiple musical performances; interactive elements such as craft activities, a photo booth and face painting; complimentary cupcakes for the first 100 guests each day; and a sparkling wine tasting in Café Allegro.
The Musical Instrument Museum is located at 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard in Phoenix (corner of Tatum and Mayo Boulevards, just south of Loop 101). For general museum information and a full schedule of events, visit MIM.org or call 480.478.6000.
