MoPOP + Electric Harmony: The Scent of Revolution

On the day of the summer solstice, when light lingers longer, and stories deepen their hue, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) celebrates 25 years of innovation, impact, and unforgettable moments. The anniversary alone would be reason enough to raise a glass (or a guitar pick), but this year, MoPOP’s celebration comes wrapped in something far more unexpected… and far more intimate.

Introducing Electric Harmony, the museum’s first-ever signature fragrance. A bold, multisensory leap into the future of pop culture. Created in collaboration with Generation by Osmo, an AI-powered fragrance house, and guided by the artistry of Master Perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, this scent is a love letter to everything MoPOP has been and everything it’s becoming. And at the heart of it all is MoPOP’s magnetic CEO, Michele Y. Smith.

The Girl from Philly Who Dreamed in Glitter and Grit

Before she was a cultural leader and force of reinvention, Michele Y. Smith was a girl growing up in Philadelphia with her eyes locked on the stage. Trips to NYC for Broadway shows like The Wiz, her first major concert (The Jacksons’ Victory Tour), and TV shows like Good Times lit a fire within her. A knowing that art wasn’t just entertainment. It was transformation. It was representation.

“My teenage bedroom,” she laughs, “was covered in posters of Britney, Tupac, and Nirvana. I had ‘...Baby One More Time’ and ‘All Eyez on Me’ in rotation. The room was a colorful mix of glittery decor, band t-shirts hanging on the back of my door, and a collection of fashion magazines that inspired my sense of style.” That blend of grit and glam would follow her through cheer squads, choir rehearsals, and community theater stages, shaping a woman who now stands at the helm of one of the nation’s most influential cultural institutions.

MoPOP Reimagined: A CEO with a People-Centered Pulse

Since taking over in 2023, Smith has led MoPOP with what she calls “positive disruption," a blend of empathy and innovation rooted in real community impact. “I don’t adhere to a script,” she tells NFM. Smith set a pace where wellness and creativity are foundational, where failure is just feedback, and where inclusion is more than a buzzword.

That ethos began crystallizing during her tenure at Woodland Park Zoo, where she helped lead pandemic recovery efforts. “It was a crash course in my career,” she says. That experience sharpened her discernment and emboldened her to reimagine what leadership at MoPOP could be: dynamic, culturally rooted, and radically welcoming.

Photography credit: Natalie Post, Post Productions

Enter: The Electric Harmony Era

So why fragrance?

“We have sight and sound covered, but scent was something we hadn’t yet explored but hoped to one day incorporate. Generation by Osmo gave us the opportunity to bring that dream to life,” Smith says. “As we enter our 25th year, we continue to look at ways to bring new sensory experiences to our members and patrons.”

The collaboration with Generation by Osmo was as futuristic as it was organic. “It was such a seamless process from start to finish. We were introduced to Generation and told them what we were looking for. We were on the phone with them while they entered our prompt into their OI, bringing Electric Harmony to life.  It was so exciting to see how technology could take something conceptual and turn it into something tangible.”

The final blend is audacious and elegant: lemon oil, linden blossom, oud, rum extract, and patchouli. It’s both green and metallic. Warm and mineral. Feminine, masculine, neither, and both. It evokes the museum’s Trimpin sculpture, a tornado of 500+ guitars suspended mid-whirl, and pays homage to MoPOP’s musical roots as the Experience Music Project.

“The Ai-powered scent evokes tranquility, connection, and innovation, seamlessly blending the rhythmic and melodic elements of music with the electric energy of contemporary sounds. It creates a unique ambiance that embodies the fusion of technology and artistry,” Smith explains. “Showcasing how the foundation laid by our founder continues to drive MOPOP forward into its third iconic decade and 25th anniversary.”

What AI Can Create When Guided by Heart

Smith knows AI is a controversial topic. Some love it, others loathe it. But this project stands as proof that tech, when guided by vision and values, can birth beauty. “This is something that would’ve never been possible without AI due to budget and time constraints in the traditional fragrance development process,” she says. “This is a small example, but one that shows us how AI can be used for good.”

A Legacy of Belonging

Smith’s reign at MoPOP has brought more than scent to the institution. She’s implemented sensory-friendly programming, digitized 80,000+ artifacts, dreamed up a virtual MoPOP inside Fortnite, and championed exhibits like Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music, a journey through gospel, jazz, blues, and soul as tools of resistance.

“I push the importance of community investment and mutual support rather than "philanthropy" because when someone gives $5 to help us provide free admission for SNAP recipients or donates their time to mentor young artists, that's not charity, it's community building,” she says. Her leadership reframes philanthropy as community action. “Every contribution, whether it's a dollar, a volunteer hour, or sharing our content on social media, is someone saying "this matters to my community and I want to be part of making it happen." If we frame giving as collective action, people see themselves as partners in creating cultural change, not recipients of someone else's generosity.”

She speaks with passion and fire, but never ego. When asked what she hopes her legacy will be, she says: “Ultimately, I envision being remembered as a leader who not only advanced the museum's mission but also enriched the community, leaving a lasting legacy that empowers individuals and strengthens connections across the globe.”

From Scent to Symbol: A Call to Disrupt

Electric Harmony isn’t just perfume. It’s a manifesto. A call to remember that art is power. That culture isn’t curated from above. It pulses from the people. And that leadership, in the right hands, smells like justice, joy, and guitars in bloom.

“To any Black girl or BIPOC teen feeling like the arts world isn't for them, I want you to hear this loud and clear: You belong in the arts, and your voice is vital. It's time to disrupt the narrative that suggests otherwise. The art world is a powerful space for expression, and it desperately needs your unique perspective.”

Experience It Yourself:

MoPOP’s 25th Anniversary Party is Today! Electric Harmony is available now at the MoPOP Store and online. Tickets + info: www.mopop.org

Written by Wynn Wilder for NFM Magazine Photography by Natalie Post, Post Productions and MoPOP/Electric Harmony