Top Stories Montgomery

By Ashley Hamilton
Correspondent

The Bucks County Jail has been taken over by a new set of inmates. This gang has been around for decades, and their influence spans the globe as they indoctrinate generation after generation. Their ringleader: Kermit the Frog.

The James A. Michener Art Museum, located at the site of the former prison, is currently hosting “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” an exciting tribute to the man behind the frog. Presented by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and The Jim Henson Legacy, this exhibition is the first to appear in the new Syd and Sharon Martin Wing at the museum.

This remarkable exhibit appeals to a wide audience, from the mature students of Henson’s experimental films to the youngest fans of “Sesame Street.” I visited the exhibition on a busy weekend, and part of the experience was watching patrons of all ages respond positively to the artwork.

Perhaps my favorite moment was watching a toddler pull his parents away from a framed storyboard to point eagerly at Bert and Ernie, who were obviously far more important. I even caught myself smiling and humming “Rubber Ducky, you’re the one” before quickly checking to make sure no one had heard me.

A children’s resource room features a variety of activities for youngsters to interact with their favorite characters. The “Pine Street Puppet Theater,” named for the museum’s location, encouraged children to play with hand puppets while a camera showed their performance on a nearby television screen.

I found myself taking advantage of a tiny empty chair to watch kids coloring characters and drawing basic storyboards while I listened to the “Fraggle Rock” theme song through an available set of headphones. The resource room, while requiring adult supervision, provides a suitable break for small children unused to museums, and the sounds of children playing lend a lighthearted atmosphere appropriate for an exhibit on the man who brought us “Sesame Street.”

Several forms of media and a variety of art forms are used to introduce patrons to Henson’s large body of work. In addition to puppets, the exhibition features a number of drawings and storyboards that illustrate the development of characters and shorts such as the “Sesame Street” counting film “The King of Eight.”

Some of Henson’s non-puppet work is touched on as well; visitors can see silkscreen posters Henson made for campus events while studying at the University of Maryland, and a section of the exhibit is devoted to “Time Piece,” an experimental short film that Henson wrote, produced, directed and starred in.

A look at Jim Henson would be incomplete without an opportunity to experience his work the way it was intended to be viewed: onscreen. The exhibition seamlessly incorporates a number of flat screen televisions showing clips from Henson’s commercials, short films and television series such as “The Muppet Show” and “Fraggle Rock.”

Though I grew up with “Sesame Street” and the Muppets, I was largely ignorant of Henson’s other works, so I found it particularly interesting to watch some of the commercials for which Henson created characters who would later make regular appearances on his television shows.

Cookie Monster, for example, originated as a fanged monster known as the Wheeler Stealer in unaired 1966 commercials for snack foods. He made several other appearances, with slight variations, before eventually losing his teeth and gaining his signature blue color for “Sesame Street.” Through pictures and film, visitors can follow the development of Cookie Monster and his friends from conceptual sketches to the characters the world has come to love.

Jim Henson’s work has touched countless individuals all over the world. His work has been translated into numerous languages and his characters have appeared in more than 100 countries. Perhaps nothing convinced me of Henson’s ability to transcend cultures as much as one small caption mentioning that on Jan. 8, 1989, “Fraggle Rock” became the first American television series broadcast in the Soviet Union.

“Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” will remain at the James A. Michener Art Museum through Nov. 29. This exhibition is a rare treat for anyone who has ever been a child, and I wholeheartedly recommend this “most sensational inspirational celebrational Muppetational” collection.

IF YOU GO

“Jim Henson’s Fantastic World”

continues at the James A.

Michener Art Museum,

138 South Pine St.,

Doylestown, PA 18901,

through Nov. 29.

Museum admission: $5 – $10;

children under 6, free.

Info: 215-340-9800 or

www.michenerartmuseum.org.