Sunday, April 3, 2022 | 10–10:30am
ADMISSION: This online program is free
Before he brought to life to some of our most beloved Muppet characters, legendary puppeteer and close Jim Henson collaborator Frank Oz got his start in the Bay Area. The child of resistance fighters and puppeteers, Oz moved to Oakland following World War II and apprenticed at Fairyland, the longest-running live puppet theater in the country. Discover how, in true Bay Area tradition, Oz created a ragtag troupe of characters who find community in one another, create their own status quo, and express themselves through art and performance.
The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited celebrates the legacy of Jim Henson (1936–1990), trailblazing puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker. Featuring more than 150 objects drawn from the beloved worlds of Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and more, the exhibition highlights Henson’s groundbreaking work for film and television, his indelible mark on popular culture, and the profound social impact of his work. It also includes material from Henson’s experimental film projects and his early work, presenting him as a restlessly creative performer and technical innovator. Discover how Henson and his team of builders, performers, and writers created an unparalleled body of work, sharing characters and stories that represent diverse backgrounds and abilities. These stories continue to delight audiences and inspire people of all ages to look beyond differences and cultivate a more compassionate, inclusive world.
The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited is a traveling exhibition organized by Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria, New York) in cooperation with The Jim Henson Company, The Muppets Studio, and Sesame Workshop.
Major support for the presentation of The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited at The Contemporary Jewish Museum is generously provided by The Jane Henson Foundation.
Family programs at The Contemporary Jewish Museum are made possible by major support from Bank of America.
Public Programs at The CJM are made possible thanks to generous support from Grants for the Arts and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund.
Header image: Oz in 1977 with Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy. Photograph: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy.
Exhibition image: Jim Henson and his iconic creation Kermit the Frog, in front of a mural by Coulter Watt. Kermit the Frog © Disney/Muppets. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company/Museum of the Moving Image. Photo: John E. Barrett.