Brooklyn apartment hallway turned to Nancy Kerrigan museum
Two roommates who turned their 25-foot Brooklyn apartment hallways into a museum dedicated to the infamous rivalry between figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan have now turned their unique idea into a full-time career, launching a museum space dedicated to iconic moments in pop culture.
Viviana Olen, 30, and Matt Harkins, 29, launched the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (THNK) 1994 Museum in 2015 using money raised via Kickstarter, after coming up with the unique idea to fill an otherwise-useless space in their home.
What began as a fun-filled hobby however has now become a successful business, with the overwhelming success of their hallway museum leading them to open a full-time 'celebration of fandom', showcasing art, installations, and even clippings from tabloids focusing on popular celebrity icons from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Inspiration: Two roommates turned an unoccupied 25-foot hallway in their Brooklyn apartment into The Tonya Harding Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Museum in 2015, where it remained for two years
The creators: Matt Harkins, 29, and Viviana Olen, 30, found such success with their hallway museum that they have now quit their jobs to run a full-time pop culture space in Brooklyn
Beginnings: The museum began with a Kickstarter goal of $75 and raised $2,000; it featured donated artifacts from the Nancy and Tonya scandal, as well as tabloids and artwork
A-list intrigue: The museum is described as 'a look at the many celebrities and scandals that formed a generation', and began with a look into the infamous Nancy and Tonya case of 1994
They change the exhibits frequently, with each new installation showcasing a different moment or celebrity from the 20-year era that the space focuses on, with Matt and Viviana describing the space as ‘a look at the many celebrities and scandals that formed a generation’.
Their most recent exhibit, for example, is titled Nicole Richie’s 2007 Memorial Day BBQ, which delves deep into the star-studded event which took place ten years ago, and played host to the likes of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
However, that's not the only event to be spotlighted in the space.
On the walls you can also find tributes to Madonna and Britney's 2003 VMA kiss, as well as pieces focusing on Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s 2004 Super Bowl scandal, when Janet's nipple was exposed mid-performance.
Other items in the museum include a painting of Naomi Campbell in the couture outfits she wore to perform her community service in 2007, and several tributes to the iconic moment Tyra Banks screamed at a contestant on America's Next Top Model.
‘It’s a place where no one will call you an idiot for liking this kind of stuff,’ said Matt, revealing that the pair got the idea for their first Nancy and Tonya exhibition while watching the ESPN documentary The Price of Gold on the figure skaters' case.
The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Museum had a collection of press passes and score sheets from the crime scene, along with large paintings and shadowboxes of the beloved figure skaters. Those pieces are now apart of the permanent collection.
But while the duo knew that they had a clever idea on their hands, the museum went far beyond what they had initially envisioned; what started as a simple $75 goal on Kickstarter turned into a $2,000 museum that attracted more than 500 people in the two years that it ran.
The most expensive piece at the museum's newest exhibit ‘Nicole Richie’s 2007 Memorial Day BBQ’ is ‘Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton in a Car’, which is worth $3,000
A re-creation of the magazine page where Lindsay Lohan was featured sporting her ankle bracelet
The famous kiss on the VMA stage between Britney Spears and Madonna is showcased at the THNK1994 Museum's new full-time location in Brooklyn
The Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake 2004 Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction gets revamped in IRL GIF named ‘Dear Justin’
Two exhibits later, the creative best friends have quit their full-time jobs to run the THNK1994 Museum permanently.
There are more than 12 artists’ work currently being featured in this collection.
Among them is Laura Collins, whose painting of a re-created magazine photo of the Olsen Twins inspired the second museum of the girls hiding from the paparazzi.
Coming up: ‘Dorinda Medly Pointing at Herself’ will be featured in the fall exhibit running from October 6th to November 12th
Artwork ranges from $125 to $3,000. Laura’s 24” by 36” acrylic on panel painting 'Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton in a Car' is the top-priced item selling for $3,000.
Co-curating the museum with Viviana and Matt is the man behind the blog and Instagram account Pop Culture Died in 2009. He has been described as the ‘world’s leading scholar on celebrity scandals that took place between 2000-2009,’ and boasts close to 150,000 followers on Instagram.
The creators said they are ‘big fans of his work and built the exhibit around him.’ But the 19-year-old pop culture blogger prefers to conceal his identity in Banksy-like fashion.
Though the museum is free, the curators make their profit from the gift shop that sells prints of all the work along with phone cases, mugs, and tin lunchboxes. Museum-goers can also order the merchandise online.
The creators insist that ‘we’re not making fun of people’, but instead offer an open space where ‘if you like Lindsay or Britney you don’t have to apologize for it’.
This exhibit runs until September 10th; from October 6th to November 12th, THNK1994 will feature 'The Real Housewives Pointing Fingers' exhibit.
Memorial: An Adderrall Glow Sculpture is featured symbolizing the mixture of drugs and alcohol that were consumed at the 2007 BBQ
Memorable: Every America's Next Top Model fan remembers this iconic moment when Tyra Banks freaked out at a contestant
Whoops! The museum features an entire wall dedicated to models falling on the runway
Move over Kim! Included in the exhibit The Olsen Twins Hiding from the Paparazzi was an interactive Kylie Jenner Selfie Station
Fashion favorite: Hanging on the walls of the museum are paintings of Naomi Campbell’s multiple couture outfits that she wore to perform community service in 2007
Get it while it's hot! Merchandise includes a phone case of an Olsen twin hiding from the paparazzi and a mug of Nancy and Tonya dressed as the twins from The Shining
'Yama Kippi Yay Bo: A Celebration of Kim Cattrall'
The third THNK1994 exhibit was a celebration of the Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, featuring several pieces of art inspired by her performance in the iconic show.
Another aspect of the exhibition also focused on a YouTube video of Kim, which saw her performing poetry with her now ex-husband Mark Levinson. In the video, Kim can be seen reciting poems, while Mark plays jazz on the upright bass.
Museum-goers admired the painting at their third exhibit devoted to a bizarre YouTube video of the Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall scatting
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