![]() ![]() ![]() Later rooms offer glimpses of Henson’s creations for other work, including fun creatures from his cable TV series Fraggle Rock and such films as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, as well as less familiar projects. (There were no kids around when I walked through, so I gave it a shot: It’s a deceptively tricky skill!) Gallery devoted to Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock. In space devoted to the Muppet workshop, visitors get up close to the elements that make a Muppet - the googly eyes, foam, fabric and other material - offering a tangible understanding of the magical process that turned ordinary, inanimate objects into lively, idiosyncratic TV stars.Īrtifacts are safely encased behind Plexiglass, of course, but various displays invite visitors to interact, most memorably in the Sesame Street room where a mock TV set, cameras, screens and puppets allow kids to try their hand (literally) at operating the puppets without appearing in the camera shot. The Creature Shop, where the Muppets were made. ![]() The ads are delightfully weird and indicative of the 1960s, and one can easily trace the developing humor, speed, invention and playful sense of the absurd - so useful to Madison Avenue at the time - that were to become hallmarks of the Henson style. ![]() What’s special about the new Henson Collection gallery is that it not only showcases some of the artist’s most familiar creations, but also shines light on other fascinating aspects of his 35-year career.Įspecially illuminating are screens showing his pre- Sesame Street work in television advertising. Henson was the mastermind behind the Muppets, but he created much more than The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. In 2007, Henson’s family donated more than 500 puppets and artifacts to the center, and its holdings are the largest and most significant in the world. It is also more dynamic than the old one, offering a variety of experiences, interactive displays and plenty of videos of puppets in performance. The new museum is bright, fun and welcoming. The urban alley-scene diorama at the entrance featured a trashcan that transformed into a menacing nine-foot phoenix, complete with flame-like lighting and screeching metallic sounds, which, though impressive, could be terrifying for small children, as likely to induce a lifetime fear of puppetry than delight. Visitors on their way to a puppet show could easily miss the peripheral and uninviting entrance, and the exhibit space was small, overly-stuffed, jumbled and maze-like. The old museum had its charms, but it felt somewhat cloistered. A much-expanded and rethought iteration of its original museum, the $14-million, 15,000-square-foot exhibit space comprises two parts: the Jim Henson Collection, a series of galleries featuring more than 75 artifacts, including some of the most familiar and beloved Muppet creations, and the Global Collection, which displays 175 puppets from around the world. The Center for Puppetry Arts recently opened its colorful new Worlds of Puppetry Museum. Kermit the Frog, one of Jim Henson’s most beloved creations, greets visitors. ![]()
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