Mesa goes ‘Gonzo’ over Jim Henson exhibit
Nadiia Petryk
Everyone who ever watched “The Muppet Show” or “Sesame Street” will have a great time at the “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” exhibition, which is hosted by the Arizona Museum for Youth in downtown Mesa.In fact, Mesa is the only stop in the Southwest for this traveling exhibit.
On display are many interesting and exciting artifacts.
There are first sloppy sketches and the actual puppets and props for some famous and beloved characters from “Sesame Street,” “The Muppet Show,” “The Dark Crystal,” and “Fraggle Rock.”
Some of the items represent a lesser-known side of Jim Henson’s career, from his experimental film making to his TV commercials.
The exhibit also includes paintings, cartoons, storyboards, rare photographs and video interviews, which helps to illustrate Jim’s life and visual thinking process.
Visitors got the complete picture and impression of knowing Jim Henson on Saturday night, Jan. 26, when creator and performer of Gonzo the Great, Dave Goelz, a long time Henson friend and co-worker, came to the exhibit to give a tour and share his memories.
With a great sense of humor, he recreated the fun and passionate atmosphere of the Muppet workshop.
Even though Dave was viewing the exhibit for the first time, he had many jokes and touching stories about every room of the show.
The audience really went crazy, when out of a fancy wooden box the real live Gonzo the Great appeared and conducted a press conference.
He answered questions from many different kinds of people.
He answered questions from professional puppeteers, loyal fans and local students.
“I love this exhibition, I think it reflects the history of the company and Jim’s body of work,” Gonzo said when asked about this representation of Jim Henson’s legacy.
The “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” exhibition will go on until March 9 so anyone interested still has a chance to attend.
The ticket price is very affordable at $7 and free for A.M.Y members.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
It is located on the corner of Robson and 1st Street in downtown Mesa.
