A Most Sensational, Inspirational, Celebrational, Muppetational Show

Exhibit Explores Henson’s UMD Student Work

Who was Jim Henson before the Muppets exploded in popularity? What were his artistic passions? And how does the artwork he created before his 1960 graduation connect to his later artistic vision?

“Inspired! Jim Henson at Maryland,” a yearlong exhibit on display through May at the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library (MSPAL), aims to answer those questions.

“I had this idea to see if we can go back to that time and see what was coming,” says Vincent Novara, curator for Special Collections in Performing Arts at MSPAL.

Here are a few of the images and pieces that suggest how Henson’s time at Maryland shaped his future—and, probably, your own childhood.