IMAGINE PUPPETS Exhibit in Fort Lauderdale

ArtServe, a non-profit that supports artists committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, is collaborating with The Miramar Cultural Trust to bring “Imagine Puppets,” a national collection of handmade figures crafted entirely by contemporary African-American artists, to the African-American Research Library & Cultural Center, 2650 N.W. 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale. The exhibit is on display from March 4-30.

The puppets in “Imagine Puppets” represent the post-slavery-era evolution of African-American puppetry. Offering intimate, whimsical and sometimes profound perspectives in modern black culture, the puppets bring attention to the significance of self-preservation through oral tradition. Used to communicate customs, beliefs and history from one ancestral generation to another, puppets have a rich and perpetual purpose in African culture.

In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a free puppet making workshop at the African-American Research Library on Friday, March 20 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Open to all ages, the puppet making workshop is led by youth puppet workshop facilitator Anwar Floyd-Pruitt who opens every workshop with a brief performance and demonstration of how a puppet is made, starting with a fully constructed puppet and deconstructing for participants.