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The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited
Ending December 30, 2023
Few people of the 20th century have had such enduring, wide-reaching, and inter-generational appeal as Jim Henson (1936-1990). His innovations in storytelling revolutionized childrens’ education, and his work from “Fraggle Rock” to “Dark Crystal” had a profound impact on generations of people. And it all started in Maryland.
Jim Henson with puppets from “Fraggle Rock”. © The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Coming to MCHC Spring 2023
From May through December 2023, the Maryland Center for History and Culture is hosting the traveling show The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited. Developed by Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), this 5,000-square-foot, Muppet-filled multimedia exhibition is full of hundreds of objects, including puppets, character sketches, storyboards, scripts, costumes, and film and television clips.
Bringing Henson Home to Maryland
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. 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.
MCHC is proud to call Jim Henson a Marylander, and we are proud to help bring Jim Henson home to Maryland.
Tickets go on sale Spring 2023.
JOIN THE MCHC MUPPET MIX! SUPPORT THIS EXHIBITION
SUPPORT FOR THIS EXHIBITION IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY
LifeBridge Health
Maryland Public Television
FEATURED ITEMS
Jim Henson on the set of "The Cube", a one-hour film that aired in 1969 as part of the NBC Experiment in Television series. © The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Jim Henson takes flight in his 1965 Oscar-nominated short film "Time Piece", a surreal, symbolic, and satirical look at the human experience. ©The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Jim and Jane Henson on the set during the filming of a Wilkins Coffee commercial in 1960. The nine-second commercials were so successful that more than 200 were eventually produced. Photo by Del Ankers, © The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Jim Henson on the set of Time Piece, the short film he directed (and starred in) which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1965. © The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Richard Hunt (left), Jim Henson (center), and Frank Oz (right) performing Ernie and Bert, on the set of "Sesame Street", 1970s. © 2018, Sesame Workshop. Courtesy Sesame Workshop / MoMI.
Jim Henson and Kathryn Mullen performing the puppets Jen and Kira on the set of "The Dark Crystal" in 1981. Photograph by Murray Close. © The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Jim Henson, David Bowie, and Jennifer Connelly on the set of "Labyrinth" (1986). Photo by John Brown. © The Jim Henson Company. Courtesy The Jim Henson Company / MoMI.
Shop This Exhibition
Magnetic Personalities Puppet - Edgar Allan Poe
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Since 1844, we have collected, preserved, and interpreted Maryland's diverse history, art, and culture. Visit and see it at the Maryland Center for History and Culture.
