MASSIVE: The Power of Pop Culture

MoPOP
325 5th Avenue N
Seattle, WA
mopop.org//exhibitions-plus-events/exhibitions/massive-the-power-of-pop-culture/

Massive: The Power of Pop Culture will explore the impact of global pop culture on our daily lives across 2,400 sq. ft. of exhibition space, offering visitors the tools to ask their own questions as they deep-dive into their role as creators and consumers of modern pop culture. Exhibit features Robin the Frog from The Jim Henson Company Archives. Waffles and Mochi (Higher Ground Productions) are also on view.

Open 10:00am–5:00pm
Open daily except Wednesdays

Cardboard Cinema: Robin Frohardt's Handmade Worlds

MASS MoCA
1040 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA
massmoca.org/event/cardboard-cinema/

Cardboard Cinema: Robin Frohardt’s Handmade Worlds is now on view in MASS MoCA’s Kidspace. This companion project to The Plastic Bag Store is an installation of handmade cardboard sets and puppets accompanied by Robin Frohardt’s animated short films. Known for her rich aesthetic and highly detailed constructions, Robin Frohardt is a theater and film director whose work uses recognizable materials, often trash, to create richly detailed worlds that consider the relationship between capitalism and the resulting environmental catastrophe. The tactile quality of cardboard, the low-fi animation effects, rich sound, and dynamic lighting combine to create a cinematic expression that defies the humbleness of the material. Frohardt began using cardboard with the Cardboard Institute of Technology, a collective of artists creating immersive cardboard environments in San Francisco in the early 2000s. Her first cardboard film “Fitzcardboardaldo” premiered in 2013 at the Telluride Film Festival.

Open six days a week, 10am–5pm
Closed Tuesdays

Free

The Academy Collection

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
6067 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
academymuseum.org/

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. The Academy Collection includes items from The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and other Henson projects. Currently on view: a selection of items from The Dark Crystal (only through 3/29) and Labyrinth (ongoing).

Open six days a week, 10am–6pm
Closed Tuesdays

Adults $25 / Senior $19 / Student $15

Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic

The Jim Henson Company

MoPOP
325 5th Avenue N
Seattle, WA
mopop.org/about-mopop/the-mopop-blog/posts/2022/november/artifact-spot-dark-crystal/

The Jim Henson Company has gifted MoPOP with a carefully selected group of artifacts from the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and our valiant curatorial wizards have gone above and beyond to create a space that immerses visitors in the fantasy world. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, a prequel to The Dark Crystal (1982), tells the story of Brea, Deet, and Rian, three Gelfling in the land of Thra who discover the horrifying secret behind the evil Skeksis' power, then set out on an epic journey to ignite the fires of rebellion and save their world.

Open 10:00am–5:00pm
Open daily except Wednesdays

Original Kermit and Sam & Friends Puppets

Entertainment Nation

National Museum of American History, Entertainment Nation
Constitution Avenue NW Btwn 12th and 14th Streets
Washington, DC
americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/entertainment-nation

Jim Henson's first Kermit as well as his Sam and Friends co-stars Sam and Harry are located in a prominent position in the entrance area (between C-3PO & R2-D2 and Dorothy's ruby slippers). Elmo and Rosita are also featured in a case devoted to children's television.

The museum is open every day except December 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admission is free and no tickets are required.

Free

The Jim Henson Exhibition

Museum of the Moving Image

Museum of the Moving Image
36-01 35th Ave.
Astoria, NY
movingimage.us/event/the-jim-henson-exhibition/
718-777-6888

The Jim Henson Exhibition explores Henson's groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on popular culture. This new exhibition features approximately 300 objects to tell the story of how Henson and a talented team of designers, performers, and writers created an unparalleled body of work that continues to delight and inspire people of all ages. Among the highlights are nearly 50 puppets including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Gobo Fraggle, and Wendell Porcupine; character sketches, storyboards, scripts, and photographs; and nearly 30 monitors with video clips from throughout his career and three large-scale video installations.

ONGOING
See website for current dates and times

$9-$15

The Global Collection

Center for Puppetry Arts

Photo by: Sara Hanna Photography

Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring Street NW at 18th
Atlanta, GA
puppet.org
404-873-3391

The Global Collection celebrates puppetry traditions in major cultures from around the world. Highlighting the history of puppetry in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, this Collection also demonstrates the use of the art form as a teaching and communication tool.
Organized by continent, artifacts are displayed with rich, contextual backdrops and hands-on interactives that encourage patrons to immerse themselves in puppetry traditions from around the world.

ONGOING
See website for current dates and times

Non-Members: $10.50, Members: FREE

The Jim Henson Collection

Center for Puppetry Arts

Photo by: Sara Hanna Photography

Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring Street NW at 18th
Atlanta, GA
puppet.org
404-873-3391

In 2007, Jim Henson’s family announced a momentous gift of puppets and props to the Center for Puppetry Arts. We are thrilled that approximately half of our expanded museum space is dedicated to the Jim Henson Collection.
This interactive exhibition follows Henson’s prolific imagination chronologically, transporting visitors through environments that typified the master puppeteer’s world such as Jim’s Office and the Television Studio.
In addition to learning how Henson’s characters came to life and are still performed, visitors can view iconic puppets such as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

ONGOING
See website for current dates and times

Non-Members: $10.50, Members: FREE

Circle of Water: Puppetry as an Agent of Change

Sandy Spieler and Laura Wilhelm

Hennepin History Museum
2303 3rd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN
hennepinhistory.org/avada_portfolio/circle-of-water-puppetry-as-an-agent-of-change/

In 1983, a troupe of performers traveled down the Mississippi River from Brainerd, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana in honor of water. A multi-faceted project spanning six months, the Circle of Water Circus honored the Mississippi River, fostered community, and raised awareness of the ecological distress of the river through the ancient tradition of puppetry. Produced by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre (HOBT), the main attraction was a performance featuring 150 puppets and original music that explored the devastation of colonialism throughout the history of the region with an optimistic look towards the future. Forty years later, Hennepin History Museum pays tribute to this unique example of artistic activism in Circle of Water: Puppetry As An Agent of Change. This exhibit showcases a wide array of puppets alongside footage and music of the original show while presenting the experiences and perspectives of the performers.

June 29, 2024 - July 1, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 29 from 3 – 5 pm

Pay As You Can

The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited

Peoria Riverfront Museum

Peoria Riverfront Museum
222 SW Washington St
Peoria, IL
peoriariverfrontmuseum.org/exhibits-collections/the-jim-henson-exhibition-imagination-unlimited

A Muppet-filled multimedia exhibition spotlighting the groundbreaking work of world-renowned puppeteer Jim Henson will be playing in Peoria this fall.The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, presented by PNC.
Few people of the 20th century have had such enduring, wide-reaching, and inter-generational appeal as Jim Henson (1936-1990). His innovations in storytelling revolutionized childrens’ education, and his work from “Fraggle Rock” to “Dark Crystal” had a profound impact on generations of people.

September 28, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Museum hours are from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

$20

Bunraku Backstage

Japan Society

Japan Society
333 East 47th St
New York, NY
https://japansociety.org/gallery/bunraku-backstage/

Alongside the live bunraku performances held at Japan Society this fall, Bunraku Backstage offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the theater. Bunraku, a dramatic art integrating performances of skilled puppetry, shamisen music, and narration, has evolved since the early 17th century in Japan and is recognized by UNESCO as a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.” Showcasing actual working puppets, costumes, props, and instruments on loan from the National Bunraku Theatre, Osaka, in celebration of their 40th anniversary, this exhibition unveils the collaboration that goes into staging a bunraku production. Unexpected multimedia installations by contemporary artists, all of which re-interpret and revive the artistic language of bunraku, explore the theater’s ongoing inspiration and influence.

October 4, 2024 - January 19, 2025
Thursday - Sunday 11am - 7pm
Free First Fridays 7pm - 9pm

$12 nonmembers, $10 students and seniors

Fantasy: Realms of Imagination

Bowers Museum

Bowers Museum
2002 North Main Street
Santa Ana, CA
bowers.org/index.php/upcoming-exhibition/fantasy-realms-of-imagination

Set out on a legendary quest through the impossible worlds of fantasy. Let our landmark exhibition cast its spell as we explore the beautiful, uncanny and sometimes monstrous makings of fantasy. From epic visions to intricately envisaged details, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination celebrates some of the finest fantasy creators, reveal how their imagined lands, languages and creatures came into being, and delve into the traditions of a genre that has created some of the most passionate and enduring fandoms. This exhibit features artwork and costumes from The Dark Crystal.

October 26 - February 16, 2024
Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00AM - 4:00PM

$18

Festive Features

Center for Puppetry Arts

Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring St NW
Atlanta, GA
puppet.org/programs/worlds-of-puppetry-museum/

Get in the holiday spirit with a visit to this festive hall of puppets. This year’s new additions bring lesser-known stories and artists to the forefront and highlight traditions from both Jewish and Christian holidays. Festive Features showcases a curated collection of puppets from holiday productions on the stage and screen. The fan-favorite pieces include a pair of original Santa and Rudolph stop-motion puppets from the 1964 Rankin Bass television special of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, alongside new additions like the whimsical puppets from The Famous Chelm Players, which celebrate Jewish traditions like Hanukkah. New York-based puppeteer Robert Rogers created The Famous Chelm Players based on the famous Eastern European folk characters of the Wise Men of Chelm to animate the stories of Jewish holidays. Also new this year, the exhibition will include Jane Henson’s masterful Nativity Story, a large-scale Christmas crèche created with puppets by Jane Henson, co-founder of The Jim Henson Company and wife of Jim Henson. Popular in Christian art for centuries, nativity scenes helped people feel more immersed in the story of Jesus’ birth. Henson’s Nativity Story brings the scene to life through puppetry. Few of Jane Henson’s works are on display in museums or public collections, making the Center’s exhibit a unique opportunity to see her craft. Puppetry has been used for centuries in regions and cultures across the world, carrying religious stories, translating religion and lessons to the public, and passing folk traditions from generation to generation. There is no better setting to feel the unity, joy, and shared humanity of the holiday season than a trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts.

November 9 - December 29, 2024

$16.50

Potential Energy: Chicago Puppets Up Close

2025 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

Chicago Cultural Center, Michigan Ave. Galleries
78 E Washington Ave
Chicago, IL
chicagopuppetfest.org/event/potential-energy-chicago-puppets-up-close/

Chicago is home to a rich and growing ecology of puppet artists whose work bridges disciplines and communities of makers. This sampling of puppets by local artists challenges expectations about puppetry and inspires the public to tell their own stories. Take the rare chance to look closely at sculptural works usually only seen in motion at a distance. Celebrate material and formal invention, trace networks of collaboration, and discover some of the exciting questions and possibilities that are animating Chicago puppet artists today.

December 21, 2024 - April 6, 2025
10 am -4:45 pm

FREE

Puppetry NOW special exhibition featuring Raymond Carr

Raymond Carr

Center for Puppetry Arts
1404 Spring St NW
Atlanta, GA
puppet.org/programs/puppetry-now-special-exhibition-featuring-raymond-carr/

The Center for Puppetry Arts is excited to announce the return of Puppetry NOW for its fourth year. Puppetry NOW is a Center initiative that spotlights the work of contemporary artists and puppeteers of color. Experience puppetry, props, and behind-the-scenes photos from the work of Raymond Carr’s production company, Ninja Puppet Productions, as well as iconic, international puppets that Raymond has worked with over his impressive 20-year career. Featured pieces include The AFLAC Duck, The Hotdogs from Jim Henson’s improv puppetry show Puppet Up, a puppet version of Mike Rowe from Discovery Channel‘s Six Degrees with Mike Row, puppet recreations of the Adult Swim animated show Smiling Friends, and other projects from Nick Jr, The Jim Henson Company, Adult Swim, Hulu, HBO MAX, Walking with Dinosaurs the Arena Spectacular, Disney Plus, and more.

January 24 - April 27, 2025

$16 for non-members / Free for members

Original Set and Puppets from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Heinz History Center

Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA
heinzhistorycenter.org/whats-on/history-center/exhibits/mister-rogers-neighborhood/
412-322-5058

Every day is a beautiful day in the neighborhood at the History Center’s Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood exhibition. Travel to the “Neighborhood of Make Believe” to see iconic artifacts up-close from the beloved children’s television show that was filmed right here in Pittsburgh. From the living room set that Mister Rogers walked through to begin each show to King Friday XIII’s Castle and Mr. McFeely’s “Speedy Delivery” tricycle, the long-term exhibit houses the largest collection of original items from the television set on public view. Also on view is a life-like figure of Mister Rogers, wearing his iconic sweater, necktie, khakis, and sneakers.

Monday-Sunday 10am-5pm

Included with Museum Admission

Jim Henson's World: Recorded Events - ONLINE

Online
tinyurl.com/2z6f6pxu

Explore the variety of Jim Henson's World visual and audio programs in MoMI's archives, whether recorded in-person at the Museum or during one of their many online events. Recordings include Q&A with Craig Shemin and Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Creating the World of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Fraggle Rock Rocks On!, Preserving Jim Henson's Legacy: Perspectives on Four Collections, and Crafting the Creatures and Characters of Jim Henson's World.

Free

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Library

Avalon Theater
1500 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN
https://hobt.org/puppet-library/

Heart of the Beast is installing the twin cities first Puppet and Mask Lending Library at our very own Avalon Theater. The lending library will be a collection of puppets and masks on display, many of which will be available for check out like a book from a library, at no cost to the public. These puppets and masks can be utilized for protests, community events, school plays, personal celebrations and more. During library hours, the public can come for a visit or check out a puppet. Some of our puppets in the library will require puppeteers and/or transportation. For these puppets there will be a fee attached to pay our contracted puppeteers for their time transporting and performing at your event. When you visit the library we will indicate which puppets and masks require puppeteers. Puppeteers and transportation are always available for all puppets for an additional cost. You will be able to visit the puppet library during its hours of operation. The puppet library will be open every other Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, on the first and third Saturday of the month. You can check our online calendar to confirm it’s open. During your visit you can check out a puppet with a volunteer or staff person working at the front desk. You will get a mini lesson in how to wear and operate the puppet or mask that you are borrowing. Puppets can be checked out for a maximum of two weeks at a time. If you want to return your puppet before then you can make arrangements with us.

Portland Puppet Museum

906 SE Umatilla Street
Portland, OR
puppetmuseum.com
503-233-7723

Our downstairs exhibit area is once again open by order of the State of Oregon. Our new exhibit is "Around the World with Puppets" and is open Thursday to Sunday from 2 pm to 8 pm. This display features Puppets from all around the world - some in their Holiday finest, others in their traditional garb, but all of them playing together in Peace, Love, Hope and Harmony. We have Puppets on display from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, the Far East, the Middle East, the Near East, and everywhere on the globe from which we have puppets. We even have a rare, newly-donated Water Puppet from Vietnam.

ONGOING
Thursday - Sunday 2pm-8pm

Vent Haven Museum

The World's Only Museum Dedicated to Ventriloquism

Vent Haven Museum
33 West Maple Avenue
Fort Mitchell, KY
venthaven.org

Vent Haven's founder, W.S. Berger, spent more than 40 years amassing a personal collection of everything related to ventriloquism: dummies, puppets, photos, scripts, memorabilia, playbills, posters, recordings, and on and on and on! In 1973 his massive collection was officially opened to the public and since then has more than doubled in size as its name and reputation have spread worldwide. Housing more than 1,100 dummies used by ventriloquists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, Vent Haven's uniqueness draws tourists from literally around the world.

Open by appointment only. visit the website for more information.

$15

Bil Baird's World of Puppets

Charles H. MacNider Art Museum

Photo by: Monica Leo

Charles H. MacNider Art Museum
303 Second Street SE
Mason City, IA
macniderart.org/exhibitions/permanet-collection/bil-bairds-world-of-puppets/

The MacNider Collection of Baird puppets is the largest holding of the late puppeteer’s work to be found anywhere. Displays feature puppets, marionettes, and other materials created and collected by the Mason City High School graduate and world-famous puppet master.

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm
Tuesday, Thursday: 9 am – 8 pm
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays.

Gus White's Punch and Judy

The Mel Birnkrant Collection

Mouse Heaven Website
melbirnkrant.com/collection/page10.html

Mel Birnkrant takes you on a virtual tour through images and text of his collection of Gus White's famed Punch and Judy puppets.

Free - online

World of Puppetry Museum

Brigham City Fine Arts Center

World of Puppetry Museum, Brigham City Fine Arts Center
58 S 100 W
Brigham City, UT
bcfineartscenter.org/world_of_puppetry_museum.html
435-723-0740

Come see an eye-catching array of over 150 puppets from around the world (15 different countries) as we celebrate creativity and the ingenuity of people from a variety of world cultures. Also included are puppets that represent our own American favorites from movies and stories. Latest additions are Bross marionettes from Germany and an exciting display of Mexican puppets . . . Viva los titeres!!!
We feature a puppet show, hands-on exhibits, puppet craft time and several informal wide mouth puppet folk tales. We work with visitors' schedules for the other activities. You can call to schedule in advance, or show up at the door. Puppet tours and workshops available by appointment.

Open twice monthly
1st and 3rd Saturday of the month
1-4pm
The puppet show is at 2pm

Free (donations are welcome)

The Bread and Puppet Museum

Bread and Puppet Theater

The Bread and Puppet Museum
753 Heights Road
Glover, VT
breadandpuppet.org/museum
802-525-3031

The Bread and Puppet Museum is a massive accumulation of the puppets, masks, paintings and graphics of the Bread and Puppet Theater, housed in a 150-year-old barn in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, 25 miles south of the Canadian border. It is one of the largest collections of some of the biggest puppets and masks in the world. It was created in 1974 when Bread and Puppet Theater moved to this former dairy farm after a residency at Goddard College, and before that close to a decade in New York City. The museum is full to the brim; its population density is an expression not only of the accumulations of time but of the urgencies which inspired the making of so much stuff: the poverty of the poor, the arrogance of the war-mongers, the despair of the victims, and maybe even stronger than that, the glory of this whole god-given world. And naturally, all this will decay in due course.
Grouped according to theme, color, or size, the puppets recreate dramatic scenes from bygone shows and form striking compositions with hand-printed banners and paper-mache reliefs. Over the years, the collection has expanded to fill two floors in the barn and now spills out into the woodshed, the Cheap Art bus across the road, and onto the walls of the Paper-Mache Cathedral behind the barn.

The museum is open June 1 to November 1, daily 10 am to 6:00 pm, and is also open before and after evening performances. There is a museum tour every Saturday at 6:00pm and Sunday at 1:00 pm during July and August. During the cold months, it is officially closed, but may be opened by appointment or chance.

Admission is free; donations are welcome

The (Aurora) Valentinetti Puppet Museum

Evergreen Children's Theatre

The (Aurora) Valentinetti Puppet Museum
280 Fourth Street
Bremerton, WA
ectandpuppets.org
360-479-6226

Celebrating its 21st year (2019), the Museum, a division of Evergreen Children’s Theatre, has a unique history in the NW and Puget Sound area. Situated in the center of Puget Sound, the Museum collections have been supported by local and international donors and collectors. Two large gifts from China and a third from Japan augment a collection nearing 2,000 items all received as gifts. The curator arranges changing exhibits throughout the year. Museum holdings are especially strong in Asian, American-Northwest, and Europe with current strengths in China, India, Indonesia, Burma (Myanmar), University of Washington, Mexico, and England. Nearly 30 countries are represented.
The Museum celebrates our namesake, Aurora Valentinetti’s designation as the University of Washington’s #Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award winner for 2018 presented by the #UWAA. This recognizes her 50-year teaching career and the influence she has made on generations of puppeteers.

Thursday-Friday 10:00am-4:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm-4:00pm

The Helstien Collection

Fowler Museum at UCLA

Fowler Museum at UCLA
308 Charles E Young Dr N
Los Angeles, CA
fowler.ucla.edu/research
310-825-4361

Since the early tenth century BCE, historians, grammarians, priests, and poets have celebrated the art of puppetry in India. Deeply rooted in the Hindu tradition, shadow puppetry is a form of folk theater that is transmitted orally and performed by itinerant puppeteers and musicians who travel the vast countryside. Today, it is a fast-disappearing art, and its demise threatens the traditional tales, stories of local village life, and reworkings of the great Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. This collection provides access to the field research materials of the late Dr. Melvyn Helstein, professor of theater arts at UCLA, who collected nearly six hundred puppets for the Museum’s collections. Materials include interviews with puppet makers from South India, transcriptions of plays, slides capturing the drama of these nighttime performances, several volumes of diapositives, and pen-and-ink illustrations of puppets.

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - 12pm-5pm
Thursday - 12pm-8pm

Free