The Ballard Institute Masks and Puppets of Ralph Lee

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut will present the grand opening of its new exhibition Myths, Legends, and Spectacle: Masks and Puppets of Ralph Lee on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. The opening will include an in-person exhibition tour that will also be streamed on Ballard Institute’s Facebook Live. All events will take place at the Ballard Institute, located at 1 Royce Circle in Downtown Storrs. The exhibition will be on display through Sunday, May 28, 2023.

For over 60 years, Ralph Lee has created masks and puppets for wide-ranging theater and dance projects and public celebrations that highlight vital elements of the creatures, characters, demons or deities performed. This exhibit features a variety of masks, puppets, and giant figures from Ralph Lee’s robust career as Artistic Director of the Mettawee River Theatre Company, as well as collaborations with dance and theater companies, such as the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, The Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center, and Jean Erdman’s Theater of the Open Eye. The exhibit includes masks and giant figures that appeared in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, co-founded and directed by Ralph Lee for its first 12 years. Throughout his work there are many references to times gone by, as well as expressions of our essential connection with the natural world. Visit bimp.uconn.edu/2022/12/16/ralph-lee for more information.

The Ballard Institute exhibit tour will begin at 5:30 p.m. Come to campus early to also visit the William Benton Museum of Art for the opening of two new exhibitions Raid the Archive: Edwin Way Teale and New Works and Seeing Truth: Art, Science, Museums, and Making Knowledge at 4 p.m. A snow date for both openings will be Jan. 27. To learn more: benton.uconn.edu.