The 2010’s are now behind us, and what a wild ride it has been. Ten years ago, GMC+A was founded by Geoffrey Curley as an exhibition and theatrical design and consultation firm.
How does one decide to start doing museum exhibitions, master planning, publicity activations, planetarium work, media creation, and more? It started in Chicago.
Geoffrey Curley began in the ‘90s as a theatrical designer working with paradigm shaping American playwrights such as David Mamet, Sam Shepard, Amy and David Sedaris, Ray Bradbury, Mary Zimmerman, Eric Bogosian, Kenneth Lonergan, and other talented theatre actors, producers, and crew. He was, and still continues to be influenced by painters, sculptors, and installation artists to create shows that “enhance[d], rather than detract[ed] from, the dramatic storytelling” on the stage. [1]
After years of working in theatre, Geoffrey was hired by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago at a time when the museum was taking bold steps to ensure their exhibits were passionate, emotional, and story driven. MSI embraced new staff from the entertainment industry—such as Disney, Universal Studios, and Chicago theatre—to bring in exciting new approaches to telling stories in an immersive and interactive museum that has continued to be at the cutting edge in the industry. At the museum, Geoffrey spent time curating, developing, and collaborating on projects such as the 75th Anniversary Celebration, The Glass Experience, City of the Future, and helping launch traveling exhibitions such Harry Potter and CSI. In addition, he led the development of exhibition concepts with an amazing museum team for traveling exhibitions using IP/brands such as, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Dora the Explorer. In 2010, Geoffrey started his own firm.
Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates kicked-off its start with conceiving, developing and designing the exhibition based on Discovery Channel’s compelling show MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition in collaboration with Exhibits Development Group, Discovery Communications, and Museum of Science Industry, Chicago (MSI). This interactive and immersive experience heightened the bar for the level of interactivity found in science-based traveling exhibitions over this past decade. Translating the activities seen on TV into an exhibition might seem straightforward, but to capture the emotional excitement that comes from blowing stuff up on screen is not easy. GMC+A transformed the show into a dynamic physical experience that is not only safe but lets the guests drive their experience as they choose—putting them in charge of the experiments with their own hands and own minds to make use of the scientific method.
There are many aspects to our work, every project is different and approached with fresh eyes. We are more than a content development shop or a design firm. We find the ingredients for a story and nurture it from conceptualization through installation and while open to the public. Whether the content is science, history, art, fashion, popular culture, or anything else—we generate compelling content that resonates with audiences emotionally and has them craving for more.
Check out a sampling of our work at https://www.gmcurley.com/our-work and get in touch to learn about the ways we approach content development and producing it into an immersive environment and interactive experience. We can’t wait to work with you.
“According to Walt Whitman, “Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,” and Geoffrey M. Curley has taken him at his word.”
[1] Mauro, Lucia. (2004, April). Look Out For These Hot Young Designers, Stage Directions Magazine, 48-51.