EXHIBITIONS

EXHIBITIONS

ART EXHIBITION

Theodora Skipitares: Performing Objects

Four Decades of Abundant Ingenuity
Curated by Nina Felshin and Designed by Matt Sorensen

From spectacular giant goddesses to poetic miniature tableaux, the puppets and performing objects of Theodora Skipitares have been enchanting audiences internationally for years. This retrospective exhibition, presented throughout the The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center, features highlights from her productions, ranging from Micropolis in 1982 to Footnotes, earlier this year at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club. Marie Curie, Pinocchio, Benjamin Banneker, and Helen of Troy, all together now.

Abrazo Interno
Opening: August 12, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
August 12–16: Daily, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
August 17–29: Daily, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Closing: August 30, 4:00 PM
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

Scattered Happy Memories of Puppet Friends by a 93-Year-Old

Curated and designed by Matt Sorensen

Nancy Staub created and directed the Puppet Playhouse in New Orleans, Louisiana for over 10 years. She organized the 1980 World Puppetry Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC, where she acted as an Associate Producer of Theatre for Young Audiences for a few years.  She co-founded the Center for Puppetry Arts Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, along with its founder/director Vincent Anthony. She considers it her most important legacy. She was a consultant for the inception of the Jim Henson Foundation and the first Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater in NYC.   She served on several boards and committees of Puppeteers of America and UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette) of which she is proud to be a Membre d’honneur.  Nancy has written over 50 published articles in journals and books including WEPA (World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts)  of which she served as one of the original editors.

Matt Sorensen is a puppeteer, theatre artist, educator, filmmaker, and exhibition curator & designer based in Connecticut and New York. They are currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in Dramatic Arts at University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program, where they also earned their MFA in 2022. Matt is looking forward to serving as the Interim Artistic Director of UConn’s Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry in the 2026/27 academic year. Their company, Puppet Bucket Productions, has designed and fabricated puppets for theater and film around the world.

LES Gallery
Opening: August 12, 4:30 PM– 9:00 PM
August 12–16: Daily, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
August 17–29: Daily, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Closing: August 30, 4:00 PM

ART EXHIBITION

Teatro SEA's World Puppet Collection

An exhibition honoring the richness and diversity of puppetry from around the globe. The showcase brings together a carefully curated selection of pieces that span various styles, geographical origins, historical eras, and materials. From ancestral techniques to contemporary expressions, this exhibition offers viewers an insightful look into the anthropological and artistic value of the puppet as a cultural bridge. An absolute must-see event in the history of visual theater.

Tamayo Gallery
Opening: August 12, 4:30 PM– 9:00 PM
August 12–16: Daily, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
August 17–29: Daily, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Closing: August 30, 4:00 PM

ART EXHIBITION

Teatro SEA's Pinocchios Around The World

An exhibition exploring the cultural impact and artistic metamorphosis of one of the most iconic characters in world literature. The showcase brings together a diverse collection of Pinocchio-inspired pieces originating from various countries, eras, and artisan traditions. Through a wide array of materials and manufacturing techniques, the exhibition analyzes how Carlo Collodi’s classic has been globally adopted and reinterpreted, cementing its place as a transcultural symbol of identity, childhood, and the art of puppetry.

SEA’s Gallery (2nd Floor)
Opening: August 12, 4:30 PM– 9:00 PM
August 12–16: Daily, 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
August 17–29: Daily, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Closing: August 30, 4:00 PM

INSTALLATION

The Freak Family Roadshow

Jo Cunningham   |  USA  

The Freak Family Roadshow is a traveling sculptural art installation of a gorilla mother, an alien father and their strange hybrid baby. The family is trapped in an eternal time loop and confined to a canned-ham-style 1950s era trailer. The characters are inspired by underground comics created by the artist’s father in the eighties. Outside the trailer there is a lurid sideshow banner and an animatronic paper-mache carnival barker promising an experience “that will make you grateful for your normal life.” But, once inside the fully-restored vintage trailer, the viewer will be surprised to find a relatively familiar domestic scene. The exhibit was created by self-taught sculptor, Jo Cunningham, using paper-mache, tire innertubes, encaustic wax and found objects. 

La Plaza
Opening: August 12, 9:00 PM– 10:30 PM
August 13–15: Daily, 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Closing: August 16, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM