Raise your hand if Jim Henson and his colorful cast of Muppets were a huge part of your childhood. Ours, too! And even though the beloved creator passed away in 1990, his furry monsters continue to live on in our hearts and televisions. Now, the Museum of the Moving Image wants to celebrate his legacy with a permanent exhibit of items donated by Henson’s family and showcase more than 40 of his original puppets.
In order to raise funds for this conservation mission, the museum launched a Kickstarter campaign, and the great news is that it met its $40,000 goal in just two days! MoMI has now extended their goal to $100,000 to restore even more of the 175 Jim Henson puppets in its collection.
"The Jim Henson Exhibition" is set to open later this year and will feature the director-puppeteer’s work beyond his finished puppets. Nearly 500 objects from Henson’s career will be on display, including puppet prototypes, costumes, character sketches, scripts, early works for television and film in the 1950s and ‘60s, behind-the-scenes footage and interactive experiences. This exhibit will be a walk through memory lane for adults (anyone else remember the awesomeness that was Fraggle Rock?) and children will get to see the work the went into creating some of their favorite characters on TV, including Big Bird, Elmo, the Cookie Monster, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and so many others.
MoMI will also host educational programs, family workshops, and film screenings and will launch a traveling version of the exhibition, The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, in partnership with other museums to bring the Muppet joy to fans around the world.
For more info on MoMI’s Kickstarter campaign or to make a donation, visit kickstarter.com.
Looking for more great museum outings for kids? Then check out our list of the best children's museums and other permanent exhibits for kids in NYC museums.