Did you know that the University of Connecticut is the only
place in the nation where you can get a masters degree in puppetry? Neither did
I. If you’re in the vicinity and are looking for a quirky side trip, drop into
the Ballard Institute and Museum of
Puppetry. It won’t take long, as the museum is just two rooms with a
connecting corridor.
The lobby fronts the room that holds the permanent
collection, a Puppetry 101 survey. There you will find everything from Balinese
shadow puppets to Howdy Doody, Jiminy Cricket, Lamb Chop, Pinocchio, and
classic Punch and Judy figures. You will also find works from famous
designer/puppeteers such as Frank Oz, Bill Baird, Buffalo Bob Smith and, of
course, Jim Henson. I found the historical and international puppets more
intriguing, but Henson’s works are great fun for the insight they shed on the
spells a great puppeteer can cast. When you actually see iconic figures such as
Kermit the Frog, Fonzie, or Grover, you notice right away that there’s not much
to them aside from some fleece, flannel, and buttons. Puppets are an art form, but the real artistry lies with
the performances that transform humble materials into characters that magically
become “real.” 
The rest of the Ballard is devoted to changing exhibitions.
I saw a display of works from the Puppeteers Collective that were mostly
agitprop figures in the traditions of the San Francisco Mime Theater and Peter
Schumann’s Bread and Puppet Theater. The Ballard is located at 1 Royce Circle
in “downtown” Storrs. There’s not a lot to the town of Storrs, but you will
certainly notice its central core of shops, cafes, and tidy apartment blocks.
Most of the businesses cater to students, so the area is as dead as a
marionette with broken strings when UConn is on break, but you’ll have no
trouble finding a quick bite to eat or a decent cup of coffee. | |
| Rand |
If you can extend your visit, the campus is just across the
street from the Ballard. If you venture up past the pond and fountain, you’ll
come to signs directing you to the university’s William Benton Museum of Art (245 Glenbrook Road #2140). It won’t
overwhelm you with masterpieces, and that’s a good thing as it affords
opportunities to discover artists you might otherwise breeze by on your way to
view works you’ve been conditioned to think you must view to boost your cultural capital. I was quite taken by
works from Ellen Emmet Rand (1875-1941), who was one of the few female artists
of her day to cop major donor work from the rich and powerful. Most of her
work, though, has a way of capturing the inner essence of her subjects—many of
them women.
 |
| McFarlane |
Other personal discoveries included Ministry of Salvation, a sculpture from Alex McFarlane that is a wry
but poignant commentary on the link between religion and power; Barbara
Takenaga’s patterned abstractions painted directly onto rose petals; and Lien
Truong’s “Family Sitting #2,” which invites speculation on the nature of the
nuclear family. There was also a nice (and perhaps sexualized) work from Judy
Chicago, a visit to the gaudy world of Coney Island from Reginald Marsh, and
“Portrait of the Poet Jan Vos” from second-tier 17th century painter
Jan De Bray. I was educated by taking in a harbor scene from Dwight Tryon; he
used to teach at Smith and has a gallery named for him, but I don’t recall
actually having seen his work before.
Storrs seldom shows up as a daytrip for anyone not attending
a basketball game, but you can easily wile away the morning there. That will leave
plenty of time to get to Hartford to do what you may.
 |
| Tryon |
Rob Weir
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