In a scene that surely would have pleased Jim Henson, a group of children sang the ‘‘Sesame Street’’ theme song Friday to announce an exhibition of ‘‘The Muppet’’ creator’s work in his native Mississippi.
Henson, a Greenville native who developed an astounding imagination while exploring the wilderness near his childhood home in Leland, is the focus of an exhibition at the Mississippi Museum of Art.
A news conference Friday at the museum in Jackson opened with a group of children from Galloway Elementary School singing the ‘‘Sesame Street’’ song. Henson was the driving force behind the successful children’s program.
Museum director Betsy Bradley told the gathering, which included reporters, children and the young-at-heart, the show begins today and runs through March 14.
‘‘Jim Henson’s Fantastic World’’ will include 130 objects, from puppets to preliminary sketches and movie props, she said.
‘‘Prepare to be delighted, impressed and amazed,’’ she said. And ‘‘see how he made the magic that has uplifted and thrilled us for so many years.’’
Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) on Friday announced the opening of an exhibit highlighting MPB’s contributions to puppetry at the Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA). Located in the museum’s Closer Look Gallery, MPB’s Mississippi Puppetry Connection runs in conjunction with the exhibit, “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” until March 14.
Mississippi Puppetry Connection celebrates puppetry in Mississippi, emphasizing MPB’s 40 years of educational television puppet shows for children. Since MPB hit the television airwaves in 1970, the network has produced a long line of quality children’s puppet series including “The Clyde Frog Show,” “The Measuring Show” starring Mississippi’s own Miss America 1959 Mary Ann Mobley, “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” “The Write Channel,” “Pennywise,” “The Magic Place,” “Funnybones,” “GeoScout,” “Media Mania,” and “Ticktock Minutes.”
“MPB shares the values of preserving, promoting, and celebrating our state’s diverse visual culture with the Mississippi Museum of Art. What a natural partnership! Mississippi has a unique heritage, especially in the artistic realm, and it’s imperative to expose and educate all ages about such contributions. We’re honored to collaborate with the museum to showcase the creative world of puppetry with the citizens of Mississippi,” said Dr. Judy Lewis, MPB Executive Director.
The installation features actual puppets, production photos, interactive displays, and video pieces. Featured puppets include Clyde Frog, the main character from the 1970s shows “The Clyde Frog Show” and “About Safety,” R.B. Bugg from the late 1970s “The Write Channel,” and Dr. Ticktock from the 1990s national Emmy® Award-winning “Ticktock Minutes.”
After Mississippi, the Henson exhibit will travel to 12 other sites across the country.
Henson, a prolific puppeteer, filmmaker and producer, died in 1990, but left a legacy that lives on in the hearts of children. He’s the creator of such memorable characters as Kermit the Frog and Big Bird.
‘‘It’s such a treat to get to know Jim Henson through his doodles and drawings, his puppets and his fantastic performances,’’ Karen Falk, curator of the exhibition and archivist and Jim Henson Company, said in a news release.
The exhibition is being put on as part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Jim Henson Legacy. It’s sponsored by Mississippi native and Netscape founder Jim Barksdale and his wife, Donna.
Local News
Art museum announces Jim Henson exhibit
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