Earlier this year the New Art Center in Newtonville, MA had a wonderful little exhibit: Extraordinary: Puppetry, Storytelling, & Spirit. The exhibit featured puppets, marionettes and characters created from a variety of materials. It was an interactive exhibit that allowed visitors to manipulate several of the puppets and invited children (of all ages I assume) to create and play with hand puppets and put on your very own puppet show.
Here are some pictures from the exhibit.
First up: Puppets from Bread & Puppet in Vermont (did that sound redundant?)
Bread and Puppet
Next, paper dolls on rods in a slide theatre. These were fun because you could move the dolls and create your own story.
Slide Puppets
Jeff Sias’s “Victor Contained” is a puppet theatre contained in a vintage RCA television.
Victor Contained: TV Puppet Theatre
Here are marionettes by Donald Saaf and Julia Zanes. The marionettes are part of the Bluebird Theatre.
Bluebird Theatre Marionettes
More Bluebird Theatre Marionettes
Next are amazing puppets made by Ashley Bryan. Bryan crafts his puppets from detritus he picks up on walks along the beach. These puppets are homely and magical at the same time.
"Odion" First of Twin
"Oinwokhu" Second of Twin
"Natambu" Man of Destiny
"Babutu" Peacemaker
And last, Tolu Bommalata shadow puppets from India
Shadow Puppets from India
Tolu Bommalata Shadow Puppet
This was a fun exhibit because it brought out the child in everyone.
Do you remember the first puppet you ever made? I think mine was either made from a sock or a brown paper bag.
What is your favorite shadow puppet to make with your hands?
