As part of the 2017 Spring Puppet Forum Series, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present a discussion with graphic designer and author Bruce Kennett titled W.A. Dwiggins: Puppetry and Graphic Design on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 7 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater, located at 1 Royce Circle in Storrs Center.

While William Addison Dwiggins (1880-1956) has long been recognized in American puppetry as a singularly innovative early 20th-century modernist, he had an equally, if not more, influential career as an illustrator, type designer, calligrapher, and book designer—activities he joined together when he invented the term “graphic design” in 1922. Join Bruce Kennett, author of a forthcoming monograph on Dwiggins, in a fascinating and enlightening discussion of this unique polymath of visual design.

Graphic designer, photographer, and teacher Bruce Kennett has lectured and written about W. A. Dwiggins since 1980. Bruce designs books and exhibition graphics, and makes large photomurals, for clients ranging from the Folger Shakespeare Library to L.L. Bean. His comprehensive biography of Dwiggins will be published this summer.

Admission to this event is free (donations greatly appreciated!), and refreshments will be served. Come early, and experience our puppet exhibitions, as well as the video resources in our library nook. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. Parking in the Storrs Center Garage is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8. Forums will be broadcast via Facebook Live. Call 860-486-8580 for more information.

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