PUPPETS OF NEW YORK: DOWNTOWN AT THE CLEMENTE Spotlights Legendary Downtown Puppetry Artists
The exhibition, on view through September 30, 2021, highlights Basil Twist, Ralph Lee, Theodora Skipitares, Nehprii Amenii, and more.
by Alexa Criscitiello Aug. 23, 2021
Puppets of New York: Downtown at the Clemente is now on view at The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, highlighting the work of 12 downtown NYC artists who explore the theatrical possibilities of puppet theater.
Co-curated by Leslee Asch, the producing director of all five Henson Foundation International Festivals of Puppet Theater, and Monxo Lopez of the Museum of the City of New York, the exhibition runs through September 30, 2021 and is complemented by a companion exhibition uptown at the Museum of the City of New York.
"Puppetry is the perfect union of the theater and the visual arts. Over the years, many important contemporary visual and theater artists have been drawn to the power of puppetry," Asch said. "The artists highlighted in the exhibition continue to push the limits of this dynamic and varied artform, creating new possibilities for how New Yorkers encounter and experience puppet theater."
The exhibition features work by 12 notable names in New York's puppet theater community, including Nehprii Amenii, Ping Chong, Vít Hořejš, Dan Hurlin, Maiko Kikuchi, Ralph Lee, Mabou Mines, Federico Restrepo, Michael Romanyshyn/Vincento Amato/Great Small Works, Theodora Skipitares, Hanne Tierney and Basil Twist. These artists have been regularly shown in leading theaters for New York puppetry, including The Public Theater, La MaMa, and HERE Arts Center. The Clemente Center is a particularly fitting location for the exhibition, as puppetry found a home at its Los Kabayitos theater from its early beginnings. The Clemente has continued to host puppet theater including the International Puppet Fringe Festival.