SF Bay Area Video Game Museum to Reopen February 5, 2016
We just got news that the MADE, the video game museum we’ve reported on previously, reached their Kickstarter goals and are re-opening in their new location in February. More information follows in the press release below.
Videogame Museum Reopens February 5, 2016
Oakland, California – January 15, 2016 – The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) will reopen in its new location with a fabulous event Friday, February 5, 6 PM to 9 PM. The Museum will also be reopened for regular exhibition hours and free classes the following day.
The MADE closed down in October after successfully raising $50,000 in its second Kickstarter campaign. That effort closed on October 15, and the Museum packed up and moved into its brand new home at 3400 Broadway the following weekend.
After 3 months of renovation, organization and recuperation, the all-volunteer staff of the MADE is preparing to reopen the doors on Super Bowl weekend, in time for the First Friday Art Murmur in Oakland, which takes place nearby.
As a non-profit videogame museum, the MADE will also be hosting free classes, starting February 6. Normal hours for the exhibit hall, featuring all-playable selections of historic works, will be Saturdays and Sundays, 12 to 6.
Were excited to resume operations. Our volunteers have worked very hard to make sure were ready to wow the public, said Alex Handy, founder and director of the MADE. Our previous space was hard to find, hard to get into, and difficult to organize. Our new location is like a dream come true.
Comprising 4400 square feet of retail space, the MADEs new location is steps away from bustling downtown Oakland, and surrounded by newly renovated businesses, such as the new Sprouts supermarket across the street. The MADE also abuts the posh Piedmont district, a hot shopping destination for the entire Bay Area.
The MADEs opening night party is open to the public, and will feature celebrity guests, free admission, and food and drink. For more information, check out the MADE Website.
About The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE)
Now 4 years old, the MADE has outgrown its current location and is moving into a space double its current size, in downtown Oakland. The all-volunteer museum raised $52,920, which will fund the renovation and move to the new location.
Weve done a lot of great work here, behind City Hall in Oakland, but its time to expand in every way, said Alex Handy, founder and director of the MADE. Our tournaments are standing room only and our collection grows every single weekend through new donations. In our new home, well be able to continue our growth, while also hosting more classes, events and exhibits.
The MADE was one of the original Kickstarter success stories, originally raising $20,000 on the site in 2011. Those funds were used to open Americas first dedicated, all-playable, open to the public videogame museum.
The MADE aims to preserve the history of videogames through playable exhibits and free programming classes. In its four year history, the museum has trained over 400 students in skills ranging from Scratch, C and Android development, to Photoshop, Unity, Presonus and ProTools.
We really try to provide insight as to how videogames are made, so kids and adults alike can begin to learn how to make games of their own, said Handy. This also means preserving the history of games, and their development processes.
To this end, in its four year history, the MADE has worked to preserve and relaunch Habitat, the first graphical MMO for the Commodore 64, the long lost GamePro 1996 TV show, and has worked with the EFF to change copyright law around the preservation of old videogames.