More than half a century since Jim Henson created the Muppet who would eventually become Kermit the Frog, the Oscar-nominated puppeteer’s work is enjoyed by the young and old alike in more than 100 countries and in dozens of languages. “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World”—an exhibition from The Jim Henson Legacy and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)—offers a rare peek into the imagination and creative genius of this multitalented innovator and creator of Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Miss Piggy and other beloved characters.

“Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” makes its debut this July in Washington, where Henson began his remarkable career in 1954 as a University of Maryland student with WRC-TV. The exhibit opens July 12 at the Smithsonian’s International Gallery. It will remain on view through Oct. 5 and then continue its 12-stop national tour through 2011. The full tour itinerary is available at www.sites.si.edu.

“Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” features 100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards that illustrate Henson’s talent as a storyteller and visionary. Among the variety of exhibition objects are puppets, television and movie props, photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work and original video productions, including highlights from Henson’s early career and experimental films.

“It’s such a treat to get to know Jim Henson through his doodles and drawings, his puppets and his fantastic performances,” said Karen Falk, curator of the exhibition and archivist at The Jim Henson Company. “I’m delighted to be able to share this inspiring and entertaining experience with people across the country. Seeing his original work firsthand opens a window into his visual thinking and provides both an appreciation of Jim as an artist and a reason to laugh out loud.”

From the very beginning, Henson expressed his ideas with incredible bursts of invention, through a variety of visual forms, clever dialogue, songs, comic bits and animation. All of his work reveals a highly sophisticated and nuanced thought process, evident in the decades-long metamorphosis of a small group of captivating characters from simple doodles to cartoons to puppets to films. What began as a one-man enterprise eventually grew into an international phenomenon. As time passed, the simple hand puppets Henson created for his first television show, “Sam and Friends,” evolved into increasingly more sophisticated characters—from the Muppets of “The Muppet Show,” “Sesame Street” and “Fraggle Rock” fame to the larger-than-life fantasy creatures of “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.”

“Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” is organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and SITES, in cooperation with the Henson Family; The Jim Henson Company; The Muppets Studio, LLC; and Sesame Workshop. The Biography Channel is the national tour sponsor and Washington, D.C. media sponsor. Additional support has been provided by The Jane Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson.

The Biography Channel is a 24-hour digital cable network dedicated to presenting stories about the world’s most interesting people as well as new original series, short features and documentaries. For more information, visit www.biography.com.

Established in 1992, The Jim Henson Legacy was founded by Jane Henson, colleagues and friends in response to the extraordinary interest in Henson’s life and prolific body of work.  The nonprofit organization is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Henson’s contributions to the worlds of puppetry, television and motion pictures, special effects and media technology. Web site: www.jimhensonlegacy.org.

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