This past year has been filled with puppetry happenings hosted by the Boson Area Guild of Puppetry, here are some highlights!
Our March guild meeting at Puppet Showplace Theater featured a workshop demonstration on making giant parade puppets, by our own Kurt Staven. Kurt used PVC pipes and a backpack to create a huge walking puppet, with foam pool noodles for arms and a paper mache head (see below).
Also in March we celebrated the World Day of Puppetry with a special workshop. Sarah Nolen presented the Paper Shaper Workshop, sharing how to make simple puppet heads with a sheet of paper.
Our summer guild meeting was a field trip to visit Behind the Mask Studio and Workshop in Somerville, MA. Eric Bornstein gave us a tour of his studio, and talked about the many amazing masks he’s created over the years.
Over the summer, our guild members participated in the annual Wakefield Independence Day Parade, with giant puppets designed by Leslie MacWeeney and Honey Goodenough. It was lots of fun and we hope to do it again!
In September we took another trip to visit the Fantastical Puppetarium, the studio of artists Natalie Lessard, Ken Beauchemin, and Rob Luger in New Hampshire. They have an amazing creative space where they host workshops and events, and we hope to go back soon!
In November, we hosted a talk by author, psychologist, and ventriloquist Susan Linn, who has had an amazing career working with puppets and children in educational and therapeutic settings.
We’re looking forward to more exciting events in the coming year! If you’re not yet a member of the Boston Area Guild of Puppetry, visit this page to learn more!