Current Exhibitions

Taking Care: Puppets and Their Collectors

Since its beginnings in 1987, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry's collections have grown thanks to the generous contributions from many puppet collectors. Taking Care: Puppets and Their Collectors, curated by Dr. Jungmin Song, will showcase some of the highlights of the collections including 1930s marionettes, Sicilian pupi, Chinese shadow figures, African rod puppets, overhead projector innovations, and Frank Ballard musicals, along with backstories explaining how this global array of puppets came to the Ballard Institute. Taking Care will explore puppet collecting as a vital cultural activity, delving into the various reasons donors dedicate themselves to the preservation of puppetry's heritage. The exhibition will be on display through June 16, 2024.

puppet display

The World of Puppetry: From The Collections of the Ballard Institute

This is a permanent exhibit from the Ballard Institute’s collection that includes puppets from all over the world to show the global scope of the artform. It moves geographically from right to left moving from Asia, to Europe, and ending with puppets from the US.

The Kinetic Life of the Puppet: Photography of Richard Termine

On display in the back hallway gallery, this exhibit highlights the work of UConn Puppet Arts alumnus Richard Termine, a Brooklyn-based photographer and puppeteer who is renowned for his performing arts photography for Sesame StreetThe New York Times, Lincoln Center, Cirque du Soleil, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Jim Henson Foundation.

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