ONLINE SYMPOSIUM:
Illustration, Puppetry, and American Popular Culture:
The Art and Legacy of Tony Sarg

A SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZED BY THE ROCKWELL CENTER FOR AMERICAN VISUAL STUDIES
AND THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS

Symposium Information

Zoom Webinar (online)
Friday, October 20, 2023 – 7pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, October 21, 2023 – 10am to 3:30pm

The recording of the Symposium will be available after October 27, 2023.

Watch the Symposium

Description

Organized by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and the American Theater for Puppetry Arts in Austerlitz, New York, this interdisciplinary online symposium brings together artists, puppeteers, designers and scholars from across the humanities to explore the life, art and work of Tony Sarg (1880-1942), the charismatic illustrator, designer, puppeteer, and entrepreneur whose prolific career sheds light on the creative imagination and the ability of artists to inspire a collective sense of wonder and joy.

On Friday, October 20, participants are invited to take an interactive virtual tour of the exhibition with co-curators Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and Lenore D. Miller, and with Darin E. Johnson, founding CEO and artistic director of American Theater for Puppetry Arts. On Saturday, October 21, a series of virtual talks and panel discussions will shed light on the many aspects of Sarg’s career—from his work as an illustrator and champion of the puppetry arts in America to his founding designs for Macy’s parade balloons and holiday windows, involvement with two World’s Fairs, commercial whimsy and architectural projects, and legendary Nantucket Sea Monster Hoax. Sarg’s artistic legacy will also be explored by contemporary artists and performers who have also made their mark by combining artistry and skill with showmanship, canny innovation, and a keen desire to engage with the public.

The online symposium will be available on the Zoom platform and is open to the general public.

Symposium Schedule

Friday, October 20, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks

7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Tony Sarg: Genius at Play: A Virtual Exhibition Tour

Join co-curators Stephanie Haboush Plunkett and Lenore D. Miller, and lender and catalogue essayist Darin E. Johnson, for an interactive virtual exhibition tour spanning the breadth of Sarg’s expansive career—from his youthful experiments with watercolor and published illustrations to his pioneering work in puppetry, whimsical art for commerce, and groundbreaking designs for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Darin will bring along  a puppet from his collection to demonstrate the complexities of marionette design and manipulation. Questions and comments are welcome throughout the program.

Saturday, October 21, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Sarg, Showmanship, and the Art of Puppetry

This panel discussion will explore Sarg’s contributions to American art and culture, especially in the field of puppetry, reflecting upon the multi-faceted nature of puppet, mask, and object performance, and the combination of showmanship, canny innovation, and ability to capture the public imagination that has characterized American entrepreneurship over time.

Commentators include John Bell, Ph.D., Director, Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry; Kevin Frisch, Puppeteer and Artistic Director of Frisch Marionettes; Dmitri Carter, Carter Family Marionettes, Director of the Northwest Puppet Center; Darin E. Johnson, Founding Director of the American Theater for Puppetry Arts.

Saturday, October 21, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tony Sarg’s Nantucket

Tony Sarg, his wife Bertha, and their daughter Mary began visiting Nantucket in 1920, and they quickly became a part of the island’s summer scene. Sarg participated avidly in the island’s just-emerging art colony, and its landmarks, history, and folklore found their way into the art and commercial designs that were sold in his store. Michael R. Harrison, Chief Curator of the Nantucket Historical Association, will discuss notable Sarg collections from the NHA, and George Korn, collector and exhibition advisor, will discuss the artist’s adventures and legendary 1937 Nantucket Sea Monster Hoax.

Saturday, October 21, 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

The Turning Page: Sarg’s Illustrations for The Marshall Adventures of Henry and Me

Sarg’s whimsical drawing style, gift for visual storytelling, and ability to capture the comedic moments made him an apt and able artist for popular periodicals and books for all ages. In addition to the many children’s books that he wrote and illustrated, Sarg also created drawings for humor books for adults by noted authors Irvin S. Cobb, Belle K. Maniates, and William Allen White. Katherine Walker Schlageck, White’s granddaughter and Associate Curator of Education at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art in Kansas, will discuss Sarg’s illustrations for The Martial Adventures of Henry and Me, a World War I era book based on the letters that White sent home to his family. In the summer of 1917, White, editor of the Emporia Gazette, and Henry J. Allen, owner of the Wichita Beacon and later governor of Kansas, traveled to Europe as inspectors of Red Cross activities. Sarg’s illustrations and the creative team behind the book’s story will be explored. Schlageck first encountered Sarg’s work when she served as Assistant Curator at the Nantucket Historical Association in the mid-1980s.

Saturday, October 21, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Balloons Over Broadway: Sarg and the Macy’s Parade

Join illustrator and author Melissa Sweet for this lively look inside the creation of Balloons Over Broadway, her popular children’s book celebrating Sarg’s invention of his now iconic “upside down marionettes” for Macy’s holiday extravaganza. Like Sarg, Melissa loved to figure out how to make things move as a child, and in addition to sharing insights on the project, she’ll offer creative ideas and activities for educators and families that advance learning across subject areas.  Louis Henry Mitchell, Sesame Workshop’s Creative Director of Character Development, will discuss what it takes to design Macy’s balloons today, including his own Super Grover and Big Bird. The history of Macy’s legendary parade and Sarg’s foundational role will be explored by Christopher Hoskins, co-author with Robert Grippo of Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Saturday, October 21, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Legacy of Tony Sarg: Contemporary Creators Speak

A prolific explorer of multiple facets of applied art and design, Sarg was an astute entrepreneur who made his mark on American popular culture by combining artistry and skill with showmanship, canny innovation, and a keen desire to engage with the public. This panel of contemporary visionary artists, producers, and performers will discuss the many ways in which they engage, delight, and inspire audiences today.

Among the presenters are Carl Sprague, a Sarg fan, puppeteer, and a designer, art director, and illustrator working for film and stage as well as special site-specific projects. Career highlights include Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tennenbaums, The French Dispatch, and Asteroid City, as well as La La Land, 12 Years a Slave, Amistad, and many others. He worked with the Museum as designer of Tony Sarg: Genius at Play. Ronnie Burkett has been credited with creating some of the world’s most elaborate and provocative puppetry. Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes was formed in 1986 and has stimulated an unprecedented adult audience for puppet theater, continuously playing to great critical and public acclaim on Canada’s major stages, and as a guest company on numerous international tours abroad. Kevin Kidney, Art director, illustrator, writer, show designer, sculptor, and puppeteer.