Center for Puppetry Arts

Please take a moment to read this article by our Executive Director, Beth Schiavo, highlighting the vital need for community support for Atlanta’s non-profits and the important role these organizations play in shaping the city’s cultural and economic landscape.

Please help us welcome Tim Sweeney as the Center’s new Executive Producer! Tim has been a part of the Center since 1999 when he first joined as puppeteer. Since then, he has appeared on stage at the Center in over 50 productions. Tim has also served as the Program Director for?Xperimental Puppetry Theatre?from 2014-2019 and has directed 12 productions at the Center including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?(2015-2024),?Peter Pan?(2018), and two productions of?Charlotte’s Web?(2017, 2023). He also served as Assistant Director on?Ruth and the Green Book?(2024),?Duke Ellington’s Cat?(2023),?Old MacDonald’s Farm?(2016), and?Mother Goose?(2014). In addition to his work at the Center, he has appeared in several touring productions for the company Swazzle in the Los Angeles area and puppeteered in independent films such as Raymond Carr’s?Wild is the Wind. We are thrilled to have Tim leading our Production Team! Welcome, Tim!

When you’re surrounded by puppets everyday, you think you are used to seeing the icons. But even we get ?? starstruck! ?? Last night we were so lucky to host a SOLD OUT house for Mallory Lewis, daughter of Shari Lewis, and her new show filled with humor, reflections and footage from her mother’s career, and of course Lamb Chop! Mallory generously chose the Center for Puppetry Arts as a permanent home for a set of her mother’s puppets that were performed on Lamb Chop’s Play Along: Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy, and Charlie Horse. And we are thrilled to have this new donation to the collection on view in our Love Family Atrium for the next month before the crew gets officially incorporated into our permanent galleries. Come by and help us welcome Lamb Chop and friends to their new home next time you are in Midtown! ?? ?? ??

Center for Puppetry Arts Founder and Strategic Advisor, Vincent Anthony, was named one of the 2025 Atlanta 500 Leaders by Atlanta Magazine! We are honored by Vincent's inclusion as one of the Arts Legends among so many other incredible leaders in Atlanta's vibrant art community. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eSENbM9P

String Fling is the Center for Puppetry Arts' annual major fundraiser and we need YOU to help us reach our goal and keep the puppets in the air! Supporters have a fabulous time at what we like to believe is the most creative gala in town. And this year is a ? triple whammy: ?? We are honoring our longtime Artistic Director Jon Ludwig's retirement with a special award at the event. ?? Our popular Call to Auction online event is being combined with String Fling and is moving to March 26-29 – keep your eyes peeled for great shopping for a cause! ?? And we are excited to have a host of Special Guests from the puppetry community join us for the celebration….check out our event website for more info. Become a ? String Fling ? supporter today and you help fund the arts AND secure your spot for magical evening event on March 29! Patron sponsorships start at $750 and include exciting benefits. Individual tickets open February 28! ??? Get your tickets now and learn more: https://lnkd.in/e3kYAc5j

We are thrilled to celebrate Atlanta’s own Raymond Carr with the opening of the fourth installment of Puppetry NOW. Get tickets now for the exhibition opening reception and film screening on January 16. ??? https://lnkd.in/eRC7fAzC

We are lucky to have a strong and dedicated String Fling Committee this year for the Center for Puppetry Arts' ? 25th Anniversary String Fling ? benefit gala. Chairs Joe Brooks and Joseph King are leading the charge for this gala to raise $250,000 to support the Center’s operations, including theatrical productions, museum exhibitions, and important growth of arts-infused educational programming. Mark your calendars for Saturday evening March 29, 2025 - and go ahead and lock in your attendance! ??? Tickets are NOW available at corporate and individual sponsor levels. Your final 2024 calendar year-end charitable donations will go to a great cause with String Fling! Support now and learn more about the event and 2025 honorees: https://lnkd.in/e3kYAc5j Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from the full committee - Mike Hostinsky, Shelley Hoffmann, Janet King, Sophie Merven, Iymaani Aytes, and (not pictured) Sherrod DeGrippo, Catherine Kraft, Priscilla Carter, and Sherri Wright.

The Center for Puppetry Arts is lucky to have companies that support the arts like Warner Bros. Discovery in our court! Last Sunday, over 300 families from Warner Bros. Discovery's Atlanta community joined us for a holiday Family Outing to see Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and enjoy an afternoon together. Sydney Langdon and her two helpers gave a great intro! Rudolph is on stage for just a few more days ?? - make sure to get your viewing in by December 29! ??? https://lnkd.in/gVNniJ9J

We are thrilled to announce we have been selected to participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Program, which helps organizations like ours invest in essential digital infrastructure. Through the program, we will plan for improvement and optimization of our ticketing system, which will impact everything from guest experiences to our marketing and development efforts to the website! ?? ??? ????

Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, Inc. understands that experiences with the arts and culture are an essential part of a healthy mind and body. This week we were excited to have invited over 300 Kaiser Permanente members to a fun and festive holiday outing at the Center for Puppetry Arts as part of their Thriving After 60 program. Attendees saw a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer performance, wandered the museum, built their own puppet in our Create-A-Puppet Workshop, and gathered together for some fun holiday crafts. ?? ?? Don’t miss your chance to get out on the town and do something creative! See Rudolph this year - on stage at the Center through December 29! Tickets ??? here: https://lnkd.in/gVNniJ9J