Preview: Jim Henson Exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum

San Francisco, CA: Open Color was invited to the Contemporary Jewish Museum to preview The Jim Henson Exhibit: Imagination Unlimited. The morning began with presentations by Bonnie Erickson (creator of Miss Piggy, Statler, and Waldorf, among others, and former Executive Director of the Jim Henson Legacy), Barbara Miller (Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at Museum of the Moving Image where the exhibition originated), Heidi Rabben (CJM Senior Curator), and Chad Coerver (CJM Executive Director). Referenced in the discussion was the Jewish concept of tikkun (Hebrew for “to repair”). While Henson was not Jewish, his work is a heartfelt example of tikkun in action.

The exhibit includes such jewels as the original Kermit puppet, the ballgown and suit worn by Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie respectively in the movie Labyrinth, Miss Piggy’s gloves, and original concept sketches for Sesame Street. Also included are viewing rooms for documentaries, full-length episodes of Henson’s television work, and more.