It’s fitting that The Jim Henson Exhibition would find its permanent home in Astoria, housed within the borders of a city where he had left such an indelible mark.
The long-awaited exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image is a fitting and loving tribute to the creative genius, collecting a diverse array of artifacts from some of the iconic Muppets to old footage to drawings, sketches and models. For fans, this is a treasure trove of goodies celebrating the life of Henson, who passed away too young in 1990 at 53.
The exhibit begins with a large video screen showing clips from Henson’s vast array of works, and then you’re ushered in and greeted by Kermit, sitting there next to the microphone headband Henson wore while performing. The surrounding space offers a glimpse into Henson’s younger days, including comics and artwork he drew in high school.
From there, you’ll go chronologically, with a look at his early “Sam and Friends” series, which ran in the 1950s and ’60s, his trippy experimental films like “Cyclia” and “Time Piece” and his work in commercials.
Around every corner you encounter another old friend, from Rowlf, to Big Bird, Elmo and other “Sesame Street” stars. Much space is dedicated to “The Muppet Show,” with a giant screen simultaneously screening all 120 episodes of the series, with the Muppets of the elderly hecklers Statler and Waldorf forced to watch them in a permanent purgatory.
The videos playing around the exhibition are engrossing, such as the 1975 pitch reel for “The Muppet Show.” There are also intricate set models — make sure to look under the piece from “The Muppets Take Manhattan” where they included the legs of the puppeteers below the set.
The Immersive Works section features series like “Fraggle Rock” (with many of the puppets as well as the tiny Doozers) and his films “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.” For “The Dark Crystal” there is a giant Skeksis puppet and you can see David Bowie’s costume from “Labyrinth.”
In perhaps the most tender moment from “The Muppet Movie,” Gonzo sings “Part heaven, part space, or I have I found my place? / You can just visit, but I plan to stay. / I’m going to go back there some day.”
With The Jim Henson Exhibition, the beloved entertainer has found his place, and I’m going to go back there some day.
If you go: The Jim Henson Exhibition is now open at the Museum of the Moving Image. For a full schedule of times and ticket information, go to movingimage.us.
