Museum Of The Moving Image Receives $1 Million Gift From The Jane Henson Foundation

The Jane Henson Foundation has made a generous gift of $1 million to Museum of the Moving Image, it was has announced by Aziz Isham, the Museum's Executive Director.

This announcement follows the dedication of the newly named Jane Henson Amphitheater at the Museum on Sunday, September 22, a day of festivities commemorating the birthday of Jim Henson two days early.

“We are so grateful to have the support of The Jane Henson Foundation and the Henson family, and we are thankful for their exceptionally generous commitment to the Museum, the MoMI community, and Henson fans,” said Isham.

“We appreciate how MoMI shares our father's legacy of creative expression, humor, and delight, and has become a gathering place for fans of his Muppet characters and multifaceted work. Now, with the Jane Henson Amphitheater, we celebrate and acknowledge the role our mother played as one of our father's most important creative collaborators and her vision for a permanent home for Jim Henson's story here at this museum,” said Heather Henson, President of the Jane Henson Foundation.

The gift will go towards supporting the Museum's mission of advancing the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In addition, the funds will be used to sustain and maintain The Jim Henson Exhibition at the Museum and towards developing an international version of the current touring exhibition The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited.

Museum of the Moving Image is home to The Jim Henson Exhibition and the monthly series Jim Henson's World, programmed by Craig Shemin, President of The Jim Henson Legacy. The exhibition opened in 2017 at the Museum in Astoria, Queens; the same year, the touring version made its debut at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. The puppets, props, and costumes featured in the exhibitions are drawn from the 2013 donation by Jim Henson's family to the Museum's collection.

About Museum of the Moving Image

Founded in 1985, MoMI celebrates the history, art, technology, and future of the moving image in all of its forms. Located in Astoria, New York, the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, and creative leaders; and education programs. It houses the nation's most comprehensive collection of moving image artifacts and screens over 500 films annually. Its exhibitions—including the core exhibition Behind the Screen and The Jim Henson Exhibition—are noted for their integration of material objects, interactive experiences, and audiovisual presentations. For more information about MoMI, visit movingimage.org.