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The Muppets Take Queens: A New Jim Henson Exhibition Opens at MoMI

Show almost any child a photo of Kermit the Frog and the green Muppet will be instantly recognized. Jim Henson: The Exhibition, now permanently housed at the Museum of the Moving Image, is a celebration of the beloved puppet characters and worlds created by Henson, including icons like Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Ernie, Elmo, the casts from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock, as well as a series of Muppet movies and big screen cult favorites Labryinth and The Dark Crystal. The exhibition is the realization of the long-held dream of Queens' Museum of the Moving Image, thanks to the completion of a new gallery.

Jim Henson Kermit the Frog

Jim Henson and his iconic creation Kermit the Frog, in front of a mural by Coulter Watt. Photo by John E. Barrett, courtesy of the Jim Henson Company/Museum of the Moving Image.

On display are nearly 300 artifacts, including restored original puppets of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Big Bird, and The Swedish Chef, in addition to dozens of sketches, storyboards, scripts, photographs, videos, and costumes. There are also interactive stations, where visitors can make their own Muppet, or try their hand at puppeteering onscreen. 

Kermit the Frog Miss Piggy

Grab a selfie with Kermit and Miss Piggy! Photos courtesy of Museum of the Moving Image

Henson's trajectory into the world of puppets began early. He met the love of his life, Jane Nebel (originally from St. Albans, Queens), in a puppetry class at the University of Maryland. The two worked on a television show, Sam and Friends (1955-1961), where puppets would lip-sync songs. They'd marry, move to New York, and work together for the next 30 years (with a little encouragement from co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney) to bring to life the cast of Sesame Street, a cultural phenomenon of a television program,  geared to preschoolers with a knowing wink to adults, that continues to thrive today. 

Henson would later adapt his Sesame Street posse for (slightly) more adult fare with the weekly half hour variety TV show The Muppet Show, (1976-1981), which featured a slew of celebrities, from Julie Andrews to Deborah Harry (Blondie), Johnny Cash, Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, and Christopher Reeve. 

Labryinth

Jim Henson on the set of Labryinth (1986), starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. Image courtesy of The Jim Henosn Company/The Museum of the Moving Image .

In the 1980s, Henson expanded beyond the Muppets to put forth two additional fantasy films, Labryinth, starring David Bowie, and The Dark Crystal. For both, Henson paired up with British illustrator Brian Froud, inspired by the latter's intricate artwork. 

The sense of camraderie, kindness, friendship, and teamwork which permeates Henson's body of work is a testament to Henson's character. In addition to his wife and business partner Jane, Henson brought aboard British puppeteer Frank Oz, who worked alongside Henson starting at age 19 and stayed for 30 years, giving voice to Bert, Cookie Monster, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and other characters in Henson's world (he also gave voice to Yoda from the Star Wars films, a character inspired by Henson's puppets). Henson also brought along Jerry Juhl, who worked with him as a puppeeter on the Sam & Friends show; Juhl was an award-winning writer for many of The Muppets' movies. 

"Kindness, respect for others, collaboration, these kinds of values are especially important to underscore in this day and age," says Carl Goodman, Director of the Museum. MoMI initially hosted a Jim Henson exhibit back in 2011, when the idea to create a permanent Henson exibition came about. It took a village effort made possible through the NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, the Henson family, and a Kickstarter campaign that resulted in more than two-thousand donations. The Jim Henson Exhibition is organized by Barbara Miller, Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions. Wendell Walker is the Director of Production and Design.

Henson once said, "When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there."

Mission accomplished.

Movie Screenings & Workshops 

To kick off the opening weekend of the new exhibition, the Museum of the Moving Image is hosting a series of film screenings. 

The Muppet Movie

The Muppet Movie July 21, 2:30pm, 5pm / July 22, 2pm* / July 23, 2pm

*On July 22 & July 23, there will be a special family program, including a puppet making workshop, in addition to The Muppet Movie screening. 11am-4pm.

The Muppets Take Manhattan July 22, 6pm / July 23, 6pm

The Great Muppet Caper July 22, 4pm / July 23, 4pm

Labryinth July 28, 7pm / July 30, 2pm, 6:30pm

The Dark Crystal July 29, 2pm / July 30, 6:30pm

For more information, visit movingimage.us.

About the Author

Linda Sheridan is the Managing Editor for City Guide. She is a lifelong New Yorker, has written for the New York Daily News, and loves travel, writing, music, and space.

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