Heather Henson

Heather Henson is a contemporary puppet artist whose work promotes harmony and healing for the planet through artistic spectacle and discussion. Heather graduated with a degree from Rhode Island School of Design and studied at the California Institute of the Arts. Heather founded IBEX Puppetry in 2000, a multi-platform production company dedicated to promoting the fine art of puppetry in all of its mediums, honoring her work as well as puppetry artists nationally and internationally.

Heather is best known for her Environmental Spectacles: original performances designed to provide a transformative experience for the audience through the use of non-traditional storytelling. Heather blends the disciplines of puppetry, dance, and kiting with evocative sound and light effects to create immersive, interactive presentations that engage all of the senses and awaken the soul.

For the past several years, Heather’s storytelling has been heavily impacted by her sense of kinship with the endangered species of the world, particularly the Whooping Cranes. First moved by the plight of the Florida wetlands and their inhabitants, she designed the UNIMA Citation of Excellence-winning stage show Panther and Crane. More recently, inspired by the healing partnerships formed between cranes and teams of humans at The International Crane Foundation, she has brought animals and elemental forces of the planet out to frolic and fly among human audiences with her Endangered Species Parade, Celebration of Flight, FLIGHT: A Crane’s Story, and newest educational spectacle production Ajijaack.