Puppets of New York

August 13, 2021 - April 3, 2022

Lamb Chop at the Rockefeller Center observation deck

1220 Fifth Ave at 103rd St., Open Sat & Sun 10–6, Mon, Thur, & Fri 10–5

Puppets of New York explores the extraordinary, surprising, and diverse history of New York City’s quirkiest residents. Puppets traveled with migrant communities from across the globe as they made their way to the city. Like other New Yorkers, they both enriched the metropolis and were transformed by it, as they encountered the heady mix of other puppetry traditions, practices, and languages that also made New York City home. From Punch and Judy to Oscar the Grouch; from Lamb Chop to The Lion King; from Lunar New Year to the Thanksgiving Day parade, the marionettes, shadow figures, and rod and hand puppets of New York have regaled our stages, studios, and streets. They have been broadcast all across the globe, and over time have reshaped the puppetry traditions of many cultures.

Jim Henson and Julie Taymor, Basil Twist and Theodora Skipitares, Ralph Lee and Pura Belpré, Great Small Works and Teatro SEA are just some the influential puppeteers featured in Puppets of New York, an exhibition poised to bring joy and awe, live performances and panels, workshops and movies to people of all ages.

Puppets of New York is part of a multi-sited collaboration between The Museum of the City of New York, The International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC, Teatro SEA, and The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, which includes the exhibition Puppets of New York: Downtown at The Clemente (August 11 – September 30), at 107 Suffolk Street.

Lamb Chop at the Rockefeller Center observation deck, photographed by Asya Gorovits

Press Highlights

Masters of NYC puppetry celebrated at new exhibit | NY1 (AUG. 12, 2021)

Oscar the Grouch, Lamb Chop and Howdy Doody are all characters that have enchanted kids of all ages for generations. They are also all puppets, made famous in New York City.

"Puppets are a part of New York as much as our average New Yorker, on the street, on the stages and part of Broadway,” said Whitney Donhauser, director and president of the Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem.

Who’s Pulling the Strings? A celebration of the puppets that have always lived among us. | Vulture (AUG. 5, 2021)

A new show at the Museum of the City of New York captures this heritage. Launched in collaboration with the International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC (which starts on August 11 at the Clemente Center), Puppets of New York will offer a historical look at the development of puppetry in the city as both a marker of and an instigator for cultural change.

Puppets of New York | The New Yorker

Oscar the Grouch, whose distinctive voice was inspired by a Bronx cabdriver, may be the quintessential New York puppet. In this raucous treat of an exhibition, at the Museum of the City of New York, he and his garbage can appear in an iteration from 1970, as well as in an early sketch by Jim Henson (in which the Muppets creator is seen considering the color pink for the shaggy curmudgeon).

A Puppet Festival Returns to New York, All Grown Up | The New York Times (AUG. 10, 2021)

Opening with five days of in-person performances, the International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC also includes streaming productions and an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.

'Puppets of New York' Exhibit | WNYC (DEC. 20, 2021)

The Museum of the City of New York's new exhibit, Puppets of New York, explores the diverse history of New York City’s quirkiest residents. From Punch and Judy to Oscar the Grouch; from Lamb Chop to The Lion King; from Lunar New Year to the Thanksgiving Day parade, the marionettes, shadow figures, and rod and hand puppets of New York have made appearances on our stages, studios, and streets. Curator Dr. Monxo López joins us to talk about the exhibition, alongside a surprise puppet appearance!

Puppets Of New York: Gallery Showcases History And Lasting Power Of Art Form | CBS New York (AUG. 12, 2021)

Lamb Chop greets visitors to the Puppets of New York gallery. Perpetually six years old, the puppet star was created in the 1950s by Parkchester native Shari Lewis.

“She knew how to dance, she knew how to sing, she knew magic, it was like an incredible package of a woman,” museum curator Monxo Lopez told Carlin. “And she knew business really, really well.”

Supporters

Puppets of New York is made possible in part by Mrs. William T. Comfort, Cheryl Henson, Caroline A. Wamsler and DeWayne Phillips, the Lemberg Foundation, Inc., Kathy and Othon Prounis, and Eve Klein and Robert O. Owens.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Museum gratefully acknowledges The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s support for exhibition curator Dr. Monxo López’s fellowship. Puppets of New York is his capstone project.