About Geoffrey Curley

Exhibition Design and Immersive Experiences

Geoffrey Curley has pioneered museum exhibitions that blend science, literature, and spectacle. He served as project lead and exhibition designer for the MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition, pitching the concept to the Discovery Channel team and developing it over five years for venues like OMSI, Fleet Science Center, and others.[2][3][5][7][21] His designs emphasize hands-on testing and questioning, aligning with MythBusters' ethos: "Science is about finding a question of your own and figuring out how to test it."[2] Similarly, he curated the Powerhouse Museum's Sherlock Holmes exhibition, drawing from his theatre studies exchange in London on Chiltern Street.[1][10][15]

Theater and Artistic Direction

Curley's early career rooted in theater includes serving as artistic director of Chicago's Roadworks Productions, where he worked midseason shutdowns amid financial challenges.[4][6] He began in the 1990s as a theatrical designer collaborating with playwrights like David Mamet, informing his later experiential design approach.[20] This foundation shifted toward exhibitions, founding GMC+A (Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates) in 2010 as an exhibition and theatrical design firm.[16][19][20]

Business Ventures and Attractions

Curley founded GMC+A, an international experience design firm focused on discovery-driven attractions like The Great Fermentation at Water Tower Place, developed with his company.[8][13][17][18][19] His work extends to winery experiences (e.g., Schramsberg) and Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination at MSI, prioritizing educational value.[9][18] Now Chief Creative Officer at Starlings Group, LLC, he continues in design and arts.[16]

Science, Education, and Cross-Disciplinary Fusion

Curley's projects unite disciplines, such as science-fiction in Star Wars exhibits and science-literature in Sherlock Holmes.[1][9] MythBusters exhibits brought TV science to museums for public engagement.[2][3][5] His philosophy centers on interactive learning and excitement of discovery.[2][18]

Music/Arts and Personal Connections

Interests in music/arts appear via possible relative Katie Curley featured in Radio Crystal Blue podcast alongside arts acts.[11] Broader arts involvement ties to theater and design topics.[0]