The Muppets Are Coming To Grand Rapids With The Jim Henson Exhibition

The Grand Rapids Art Museum has confirmed that the popular traveling exhibit, The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, will be coming to Grand Rapids in 2022.

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The exhibit will open in Grand Rapids on October 1st of 2022 and run through January 15th of 2023. The exhibit began its touring schedule in 2017 and recently wrapped up a three-month run at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn last month.

The exhibit features:

Over 20 puppets, including Kermit the Frog, Grover, Ernie, Bert, Count von Count, Beautiful Day Monster, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Scooter, the Country Trio, Jen, Kira, Aughra, Red Fraggle, Wembley Fraggle, Wilkins and Wontkins as well as the two Pitchman Pumps
Handwritten scripts from Sam and Friends
Set models and storyboards
A life-sized replica of The Muppet Show arches
Jareth and Sarah's ballroom costumes from Labyrinth
Interactive experiences where visitors can design an Anything Muppet and puppeteer for camera

From the GRAM:

The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited will provide West Michigan with a dynamic, immersive museum experience, through the exploration of Jim Henson’s groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on popular culture.

Organized by the Museum of the Moving Image, the exhibition reveals how Henson and his team of designers, writers, technicians, and performers brought to life the enduringly popular worlds of The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and much more. It also includes material from Henson’s experimental film projects and his early work, which highlights his relentless creativity as a performer, filmmaker, and technical innovator.

Imagination Unlimited features a wide range of over 170 historical objects related to Henson’s unparalleled career. On view will be iconic puppets, historic costumes, character sketches, storyboards, photographs, annotated scripts, film and television clips, and behind-the-scenes footage. Interactive gallery experiences will encourage visitors to try their hand at puppeteering on camera, and design an original puppet character on screen.

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