Museum Monday: We’re Starting a Patreon!

Click/Tap for Video: Martin Atkins sharing PPIM Patreon Launch August 3

In April of 2021, we announced we were starting the Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music—creating an opportunity for anyone to become a founding member.

Two people became founders within minutes of the announcement. Then another the next day. A few more trickled in. After the first week, we were up to six founders. A month later, over 100. In those early months, the walls were mostly empty. No NiN tape. No Genesis’ lederhosen. No Margot Olavarria’s Amanda Uprichard penny dress. The lost PiL tapes were still lost. No signed Burroughs book, no unreleased Ministry masters, no Skinny Puppy anything. Ogre’s suit, lighting plots, posters, banners, contracts, raincoats, circuit-bent instruments, tour itineraries—they simply weren’t here yet.

We slowly curated items from my collection and began receiving donations from our incredible community.

Fast forward to today—we’re 1,500 founders strong. Every single one of you has helped us build something rare and remarkable. Not a square inch of wall space remains empty. Every surface tells a story.

THANK YOU—founders, donors, visitors, and this entire community for your energy, emotions, stories, emails, reviews, photos, and messages of support—without all of that, we wouldn’t be here.

What started as a pandemic fever dream has become a living, breathing, beautiful museum powered by a passionate, thriving community.

And now, we’re ready for the next step – it feels like a big step today.

We’re launching the PPIM Patreon—a digital extension of the museum that anyone, anywhere can access. My hope is that it continues to fuel your appetites for all this stuff and helps us keep archiving as we go. Growing the collection. Expanding access. Capturing and preserving the stories that matter. I’m especially excited for the people who can’t make it to Chicago to get a deeper feel for what we’re building—and to lose themselves in it. And for the young kids who seem to be drawn in… inspired, intrigued, maybe even a little pissed off that they weren’t there? Now they can research it, feel it, experience it through our eyes and through our stories. YAY!

It’s a huge amount of work to keep this going, and your contributions through the Patreon will help! 

We launch on August 3rd (my 66th birthday!) with 6 hours and 66 minutes of content—video, photos, audio, stories, ideas, and more—for you to dive into. Plus, we’ve got 5 or 6 more posts ready to go to keep you amused. We’re playing this by ear, and are just excited to launch and get you involved. So bear with us as we find our collective way, okay?

Here’s a link to an overly long video of me at the museum explaining what I hope this will be. Base level to join is just $2/month—and that gets you everything. I didn’t want to restrict access to folks who can’t afford more. I’m too well aware right now of many of us who aren’t able to contribute more. Some of us can’t give a lot right now—but might be the ones who most need the memory jog, the uplift, the spark of all this. OF COURSE if you want to jump in for more, you can – but that’s not necessary.

We love doing this and are thrilled by the impact the Museum has had on so many of you—especially those who’ve traveled to Chicago just for the experience—and we’re excited to keep sharing it!

If you can, come visit us in Chicago – GO HERE
If you want to donate a piece or have an idea for a story – GO HERE
If you want to join in the Patreon before launch (Aug 3) – GO HERE! 

Be as nice as you can to as many people as you can – I’m not saying that’s easy, just feels necessary – kind of like everything really XXXXX

MA

Chicago ILLANNOYS