New Mexico to lose 29 positions in Meow Wolf layoffs

After announcing layoffs earlier this week, Meow Wolf said Thursday that 29 employees — both corporate and exhibition – were laid off in New Mexico.

The Santa Fe-based entertainment company originally said 165 positions would be affected companywide, though the official number is 159, according to Kate Daley, Meow Wolf director of marketing.

According to the company, 32 positions were cut companywide on the corporate side, 15 from New Mexico.

“House of Eternal Return” in Santa Fe was cut by 14 exhibition positions; meanwhile, “Convergence Station” in Denver lost 50 exhibition positions.

“The Real Unreal” in Grapevine, Texas, lost two exhibition positions, while “Omega Mart” in Las Vegas, Nevada, lost six positions on the exhibition side and the elimination of 55 bargaining unit positions is pending.

On Monday, Meow Wolf CEO Jose Tolosa wrote in an email that Meow Wolf will cut expenses by approximately 10% and reduce its workforce in order to right-size the business, fund growth and continue to drive future success.

Plans for its Houston installation remain unchanged, with a launch planned for sometime this year.

Meow Wolf began as an artists’ collective in 2008 in Santa Fe, where it became known for its large-scale interactive and immersive installations. “House of Eternal Return” is the company’s flagship attraction, which is inside a 20,000-square-foot building.

The company also released that part of its plan to cut expenses by 10% includes the entire executive team — Tolosa and each of his direct reports — reducing their compensation by 10% for the remainder of the year.

The company plans to eliminate expensive software contracts and make a substantial reduction in spending on professional services.

It will also reduce company travel and other expenditures across the board by close to $1 million, as well as reduce funding for the Meow Wolf Foundation in 2024.

The Meow Wolf Foundation was formed in 2022 and its focus is giving back to the communities of new and existing Meow Wolf locations, including but not limited to those in New Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Nevada.

In November, the foundation awarded $600,000 to 63 organizations whose work reflects a wide range of arts and culture programs.

Tolosa told the Journal in November that the company launched the Meow Wolf Foundation to deepen the company’s commitment to communities and help amplify the critical work of those using art and creativity to change lives and build thriving creative communities.

Julie Heinrich, Meow Wolf chief impact officer and head of the foundation, said the grant program makes a deeper investment in communities where Meow Wolf has permanent installations.

“This foundation is a longtime vision and Meow Wolf has always been a community-minded organization,” Heinrich told the Journal in November. “I’ll recognize that Meow Wolf is the sole donor of the foundation now, and it represents the company’s extension of the commitment to the community.”

Tolosa said Meow Wolf also closed its New York City office and is scrapping plans to open a Los Angeles office.