To me, puppet making is an art form that allows me to create objects that communicate meaning not only through form and appearance but also through movement. I love building something that’s meant to be manipulated and finding ways to add simple mechanisms that allow us to animate what appears to be inanimate. No matter how simple the movement is,  with the pull of a cord or turn of a crank, an object suddenly becomes liberated and lifelike. It's almost always unexpected and you don’t have to be a kid to see how magical that is or to experience that fleeting moment of joy. 

With that in mind, I want this workshop to serve as an introduction to my style of puppet making. The approach will be a little experimental but basically, we get to spend time playing with some of my favorite materials, tools and building techniques. I’ll also show you how to add a simple hinge, lever or pull-cord to what you're making so you can begin to build moving characters, quirky props, puppets or kinetic sculptures of your own. Projects are meant to be simple with an emphasis on discovering and learning something new but can serve all skill levels! Basically, we get to hang out and make cool stuff. - Melissa