GOMA Opens World-First Jim Henson Exhibition with 70 Years of Puppetry
In September, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane unveiled "Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company," marking the first exhibition to celebrate 70 years of the company's legacy. Running until 18 April 2027, this showcase is curated by Amanda Slack-Smith, Karen Falk, and Nicole Goldman, and is divided into three sections: 'The Method, the Making and the Magic,' 'The Puppets, the Puppeteers and the Performance,' and 'The Daring, the Digital and New Directions.' Notable exhibits include characters from Sesame Street, sets from Fraggle Rock, and David Bowie's costume from Labyrinth. The exhibition also highlights Muppet craftsmanship, featuring Don Sahlin's contributions and Kermit's history. Jane Henson owned 40% of the company and founded initiatives to promote puppetry education.
Key facts
- Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company opened at GOMA in Brisbane in September and runs until 18 April 2027.
- It is the first exhibition to bring this much of the Jim Henson Company's 70-year history together and the first time so much material has left North America.
- Amanda Slack-Smith curated the show with archivist Karen Falk and executive vice president of branding Nicole Goldman.
- The exhibition has three chapters: 'The Method, the Making and the Magic', 'The Puppets, the Puppeteers and the Performance', and 'The Daring, the Digital and New Directions'.
- Don Sahlin, hired in 1962 to build Rowlf, developed the seam-hiding 'Jim stitch' and was called by Jim Henson 'the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets'.
- David Bowie's costume from Labyrinth's Magic Dance sequence is on loan from the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
- Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock sets travelled to Brisbane from the Calgary Film Centre, including a walk-through backstage corridor with puppeteers' graffiti.
- The Henson and Jane Henson Foundations fund the only US puppetry degree program, at the University of Connecticut, and residencies at the University of Maryland.
Entities
Artists
- Jim Henson
- Amanda Slack-Smith
- Karen Falk
- Nicole Goldman
- Don Sahlin
- Jane Henson
- Burr Tillstrom
- Bob Baker
- George Pal
- Jerry Juhl
- David Bowie
- Brian Henson
- John Tartaglia
- Nathania Gilson
- Angus McGonagle
- Maurice Sendak
- Susie Tofte
- Sarah Ward
Institutions
- Jim Henson Company
- Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
- Australian Cinémathèque
- Jim Henson Archives
- Sesame Street
- Christie's
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Disney
- Calgary Film Centre
- Moscow State Puppet Theatre
- Puppeteers of America
- University of Connecticut
- University of Maryland
- Jim Henson Foundation
- Jane Henson Foundation
- SAG-AFTRA
- It's Nice That
- Gallery of Modern Art
- Goma
- Jim Henson's Creature Shop
- Walt Disney Company
- The Guardian
- The Jim Henson Company
- Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
- Australian Cinematheque
- ScreenHub
- ArtsHub
- Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
- The Muppet Show
- Fraggle Rock
- The Dark Crystal
- Labyrinth
- Farscape
- Where the Wild Things Are
- Creature Shop
- ABC radio Gold Coast
- Screen International
- Alliance of Women Film Journalists
- Concrete Playground
- Variety Australia
- Goethe-Institut Australien
- Australian Centre for the Moving Image
- SBS
- SBS Movies
- Flicks
- Lumina
- Senses of Cinema
- Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
- Junkee
- FilmInk
- Broadsheet
- Televised Revolution
- Metro Magazine
- Screen Education
- City of Gold Coast
Locations
- Brisbane
- Australia
- New York
- United States
- Canada
- Calgary
- Moscow
- Russia
- Europe
- Queensland
- Roma
- Los Angeles
- South Brisbane