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Museum of Moving Image looking to raise $40K to finish Muppets exhibit

April 12, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan

Calling all Muppets fans.

The Museum of the Moving Image is looking to raise $40,000 to restore Jim Henson’s famous puppets before opening a permanent exhibit dedicated to his work. Once open, the exhibit will feature more than 40 original “Muppets” including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, costumes, props, and sketches, all of which were donated by Henson’s family in 2013.

The City gave the museum $2.75 million in funding to build a 2,200 square foot permanent gallery dedicated to the Jim Henson exhibit in 2013, but the Museum has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the final funds it needs to restore the puppets before they can be displayed.

“Over the course of a singular career, Henson created stories and characters for television and film that have delighted and inspired generations of fans around the world,” explains the Kickstarter page. “The Jim Henson Exhibition will share the full story of Henson’s unique talent, and the deeply collaborative creative process behind his work.”

The campaign launched on Tuesday with a goal of raising $40,000 by May 11, offering a variety of prizes for different donation levels, including museum membership, invitations to the opening exhibition, and various Muppets memorabilia, for donations ranging from $5 to $10,000. The fundraiser had raised over $27,500 from more than 175 donors by Wednesday morning.

Construction of the gallery is complete, but the additional funds are needed to restore the puppets, the Kickstarter page explains.

“Your contributions will ensure that hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world will be inspired by the creative process behind Jim Henson’s work, and be able to get up close and personal with such beloved puppet characters as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Elmo, Big Bird, the Fraggles, and many more,” it reads.

For more information and to donate visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/899731242/the-jim-henson-exhibition-at-museum-of-the-moving.