“We really hope this exhibition helps bring people back together again. His work is transcendent - it transcends all generations and ethnicities and walks of life. Katie Caljean, the MCHC’s president and CEO, believes Henson “just had a knack for communicating in a way to make us all feel connected. “He had a vulnerability and a relatability.” “He’s shy, retiring, but he wants to make things happen,” Miller said of Kermit. Perhaps that appeal was manifested itself best in the green form of Kermit, the soft-spoken, ‘everyman’ amphibian whom Henson considered his alter ego of sorts. And that had an appeal to kids and to others.” ‘The Muppet Show’ showed that puppets weren’t just children’s stories but they told all kinds of stories, and you can find that in all of his work. “He was never just a puppeteer but a visual storyteller,” she said. Most importantly, Henson was attracted to good storytelling and character conceptualization, said Miller. He looked like a hippie, but he really wasn’t on the inside.” “He was attracted to the concepts of togetherness and love and that ethos of the ‘60s. “He was looking at the youth culture, but at the same time he wasn’t anti-establishment or into drugs,” she said. Miller acknowledged that Henson was a product of his era and generation. He was a leader, but he inspired camaraderie within his team.” Also, Jim really knew how to pick a team. “Those puppets are so human and relatable and appealing to people of all ages, and this exhibition shows how it all came together. “Everyone can tell you so much about Kermit the Frog - how did manage that?” Miller said at the media preview. “This exhibition explores Henson’s unique contributions to the moving image, and how he 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.”īarbara Miller, the exhibition’s curator and deputy director for curatorial affairs at the Museum of the Moving Image, said it’s difficult to pinpoint the multi-generational allure of Henson’s oeuvre. “With his gently subversive humor, restless curiosity, and innovative approach to puppetry, Henson built the Muppets into an enduring international brand, contributed beloved puppet characters to Sesame Street, and made movies that applied his vivid imagination to stories for the big screen,” the MCHC posted on its website. Henson received his big broadcasting start at local TV stations.Īfter the airing of “Sesame Street” in late 1969, Henson became a household name and industry powerhouse, hailed for ushering in a new era of media entertainment and educational programming. He developed early prototypes for the Muppets while a student at Hyattsville’s Northwestern High School and attending the University of Maryland, College Park, of which he graduated in 1960. Although a native of Greenville, Mississippi, Henson - who died in in 1990 at age 53 - moved to Hyattsville in Prince George’s County when he was 9 and considered Maryland his home. The exhibition also examines Henson’s local roots. Spanning more than 5,000 square feet, the exhibition - which has traveled to 10 other venues across the nation, including the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco - features sketches, scripts and storyboards, costumes, puppets and interactive activities exploring performance, art, engineering, film and TV, and more. The exhibition - originally curated by New York’s Museum of the Moving Image - brings to life Henson’s groundbreaking, visionary contributions to entertainment and education through such works as “Sesame Street,” “The Muppet Show,” “Fraggle Rock,” “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal.” in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, from May 26 to Dec. The exhibition will be on view at the MCHC (formerly the Maryland Historical Society), at 610 Park Ave. He was very generous, and if he chose you to work for him, he trusted and valued you.”Ī Brooklyn, New York, resident, Erickson, 81, was on hand during a recent media preview for “The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited” at the Maryland Center for History and Culture. Jim was a very positive person who wanted to do a lot of good in the world. Thanks to Jim, it was a great collaborative spirit. “The truth is we all worked very hard together as a group. “People come up and say, ‘You really made me happy and gave me a lot of joy,’” said Erickson, whose most famous creation is Miss Piggy, the temperamental-yet- treife diva of Muppets fame.
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