The Office of Secretary of State will unveil a new exhibit next month that aims to celebrate Washington’s greatest accomplishments in business, science, technology and music.

Entitled Grand Coulee to Grunge: Eight stories that changed the world, the free, privately-funded, image-driven exhibit recounts local feats that have had influences around the globe. Those feats include Weyerhaeuser‘s rise into a timber empire; construction of the Grand Coulee Dam; the Hanford Nuclear Reservation‘s role in providing plutonium for the atomic bomb; Boeing‘s role in aerospace and its contributions to world air travel; Washington’s agriculture industry and its role as a leader in the export of apples, wheat, potatoes, wine and other first-class products; innovative companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco and Amazon.com that have become known globally; Washington musicians who reached stardom and legendary status, from crooner Bing Crosby to famed guitarist Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana; and the roles of Bill Gates and Paul Allen in forming Microsoft and transforming it into a computer software company that helped connect the world and created thousands of “Microsoft millionaires” in Washington alone.

“The innovative spirit of Washington is second to none,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “We’re fortunate to live in a place respected around the world for its innovation, vision and investment in the future. This exhibit captures our global achievements in a way that is very interesting to see.”

Wyman’s Legacy Washington team created the exhibit, which will be displayed in the office lobby on the second floor of the Legislative Building for one year before it travels to heritage organizations statewide. The exhibit is designed to foster a better understanding of Washington, from its unique position along the Pacific Rim to the innovators and risk takers who carried the Washington name to the world stage.

The exhibit launches Sept. 4 with a reception in the Capitol Rotunda and the Office of Secretary of State from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The public is invited. The reception will feature remarks from Wyman, musician and activist Krist Novoselic, business leaders, members of Washington’s congressional delegation and state legislators.

More information is available online at sos.wa.gov.