Opening ceremony held for The Jim Henson Exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY

Following the 2014 donation of hundreds of puppets and props by the Henson family to the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, the opening of the permanent Jim Henson Exhibition gallery there was celebrated with a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 20, 2017. The event was attended by representatives of the City of New York Mayor’s Office and City Council, the Museum staff and board, the Henson family, the Jim Henson Legacy board, and dozens of colleagues and friends. Since the public opening two days later, tens of thousands of visitors have explored the exhibition and have connected with Jim Henson’s story of creativity and innovation at the museum.

Jim Henson’s World screenings and events relating to the collections at Museum of the Moving Image, curated by Legacy President Craig Shemin, highlight the range of Jim’s work and celebrate his creative collaborators. Since 2017, there have been dozens of screenings, tributes, panel discussions, reunions, trivia games, and book signings. In 2020, numerous online events were launched, attended remotely by audiences around the world. The museum’s education department has conducted tours of the Henson exhibit for thousands of school children, hosted related teacher training workshops, and has organized events for adults ranging from Puppetry for Television workshops to Dark Crystal fan Live Action Role Playing games.

Learn more here: http://www.movingimage.us/

The main entrance of The Jim Henson Exhibition at Museum of the Moving Image. Photo by Thanassi Karageorgiou.

Inside The Jim Henson Exhibition at Museum of the Moving Image. Photo by Thanassi Karageorgiou.

Craig Shemin and Cheryl Henson at the opening ceremony of The Jim Henson Exhibition at Museum of the Moving Image. Photo by Thanassi Karageorgiou.

Craig Shemin and composer Paul Williams answer audience questions at “An Afternoon with Paul Williams.” Photo by Stephanie D’Abruzzo

Vocal music director Paul Rudolph, composer Christopher Cerf, and singer Ivy Austin play a Sesame Street tune at an event celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. Photo by Stephanie D’Abruzzo