15 Foot Puppet On Display at Governor's Island

International community art project, Beyond the Wall, is debuting a 15-foot tall puppet in Nolan Park on Governor's Island this Sunday, July 30th, at 2:00 p.m. as a part of Public Works Department's "Sanctuary City" residency.

Beyond the Wall is sponsoring a two-day bi-national art festival in Nogales, Arizona/Sonora this November 24th-25th in association with the Morley Avenue Committee, Voices from the Border, and Colectivo Taco de Perro. The 15-foot tall puppets will appear as the centerpiece of the festival, bringing the crowd together at the border wall in a moment of cultural unity. For more information, visit www.PuppetsAtTheBorder.com.

Beyond the Wall at Sanctuary City is presented with thanks to Anne Cubberly and Public Works Department, and with support from the Governor's Island Trust, Fractured Atlas, Materials for the Arts and through the generosity of private donors. To make a tax-deductible contribution to Beyond the Wall, please visit: www.puppetsattheborder.com/donate.

Beyond the Wall is led by Jess Kaufman and Ana Díaz Barriga. Jess Kaufman is a theater and performance artist from New York City whose work has been performed in London and New York, with upcoming performances in Glasgow. Her performance credits include Dear Edwina at the DR2 and the first national tour of 'SWonderful: The New Gershwin Musical. Ana Díaz Barriga is a puppeteer and theater artist from Mexico City, who has performed in Italy, UK, the Czech Republic and Mexico. Díaz Barriga's puppetry training includes work with Gyre & Gymble, Yael Rasooly and Improbable. Kaufman and Díaz Barriga met while studying at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (London) on the MA Advanced Theatre Practice course.

Public Works Department develops interactive storytelling and installation using the tools of theater and creative technology to allow for unusual perspectives on our cities. Voices from the Border is an activists' organization conceived at the 2017 Women's March that's mission is to counteract harmful borderland narratives by fostering positive portrayals of life at the border and of the people who live there. The Morley Avenue Committee is a group of local entrepreneurs and community members in Nogales, Arizona invested in revitalizing the downtown Nogales business district around historic Morley Avenue. Colectivo Taco de Perro is an artist's group that encourages and supports the work of young urban artists in Nogales, Sonora.