Elmhurst Art Museum announces an exciting summer of family-friendly programming featuring an exhibition exploring the visual evolution of the popular PBS KIDS show Donkey Hodie produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures, Designing Donkey Hodie: From Make-Believe to Someplace Else from May 18 to Aug 12, 2024. The museum’s summer season kicks off with the return of the free-to-the-public family art festival Art in Wilder Park from May 4-5, from 10 am to 5 pm in the heart of Elmhurst at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue.
Designing Donkey Hodie: From Make-Believe to Someplace Else draws audiences into the unique and creative visual world of the Emmy®-nominated, live-action puppet series. The exhibit will introduce the origins of Donkey Hodie, a character that debuted on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in the 1960s and has been reimagined for the puppet series today. Attendees can experience the visual development of the series through storyboards, drawings, models, puppets, set pieces, and other props from the show.
Displays, including original concept artwork and props from the series, and hands-on activities offer multiple ways to explore the practical magic behind the imaginative puppet series, from puppet design and building to the art of set and prop design. The exhibit follows efforts by the award-winning production team from Chicago-based Spiffy Pictures and Pittsburgh-based Fred Rogers Productions to create the adventures of Donkey Hodie and her pals.
Inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Donkey Hodie is an imaginative puppet series that follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic and charming go-getter who takes on each day with curiosity and resilience, and her pals Purple Panda, Duck Duck, and Bob Dog. Set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else, the series is designed to empower children ages 3-5 to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, work hard and persevere in the face of failure, be resourceful, and discover they can solve problems on their own—and laugh themselves silly along the way.
Donkey Hodie is produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures. The series is created by Adam Rudman and David Rudman of Spiffy Pictures and developed by Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer of Fred Rogers Productions. Executive producers are Doherty, Adam Rudman, and David Rudman.
Art in Wilder Park, the Chicago suburb’s family-favorite juried art festival now in its 27th year, drew over 11,500 visitors in 2023 and features a variety of artisans selling one-of-a-kind jewelry, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, fiber arts, and mouthwatering treats from local food vendors. In tandem with Designing Donkey Hodie, Art in Wilder Park 2024 will feature newly commissioned public art installation Monsters in Wilder Park: A Kid-Powered Art Show by artist and illustrator Dave Pryor, who designed puppets for Donkey Hodie in addition to working on a variety of popular licenses including "The Wizard of Oz", "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", and "The Simpsons”. Monsters in Wilder Park will feature six large-scale cut-out sculptures inspired by select monster drawings created by over 300 local children.
Presenting an even larger, more inclusive, and accessible event for the whole family this year, Art in Wilder Park will host a variety of activities from the public art installation to a scavenger hunt and hands-on activities in the Kids Court. Art in Wilder Park features 130 exhibitors including local artists, food vendors, a designated Kids Court for family activities, and more. Art in Wilder Park features booths by over 80 Midwest artists, 10 nonprofits, 10 food vendors, 10 Kids Court participants, and 20 other local business partners.
“The Elmhurst Art Museum is excited to expand Art in Wilder Park with more exhibiting artists from across the Midwest and attract new audiences with a new public art installation this year created by more than 300 local children,” said John McKinnon, Executive Director of the Elmhurst Art Museum.
“We are excited for the 27th annual Art in Wilder Park and the sense of community it creates each year with activities for the entire family to enjoy,” said The Honorable Scott Levin, Mayor of Elmhurst. “Each year in growing numbers, Art in Wilder Park welcomes thousands of visitors from Chicagoland and beyond to support their local restaurants, artisans, and businesses, and celebrate the return of the summer season and all it has to offer.”
Further details and a full Art in Wilder Park exhibitor list is available at elmhurstartmuseum.org/event.
About Fred Rogers Productions
Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly rated children’s series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 30 Emmy® Awards among other important honors. The company’s latest series are Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and Alma’s Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano. Fred Rogers Productions strives to inspire a lifelong enthusiasm for learning through its series as well as efforts beyond broadcast including games and interactive offerings, community engagement activities, and much more.
About Spiffy Pictures
Founded by brothers, David Rudman and Adam Rudman, Spiffy Pictures is a creative development and production company specializing in both animated and live-action puppet-based entertainment for kids and families. Known for whimsical humor and music filled shows, the inventive award-winning Chicago-based company has created, produced, written, and directed series for PBS KIDS, Nickelodeon, Disney, MTV, Comedy Central, Sesame Street and Warner Brothers. Spiffy’s current series include PBS KIDS’ Emmy® Award-nominated live-action puppet series Donkey Hodie, a co-production with Fred Rogers Productions, and the long-running Environmental Media Award-winning animated series Nature Cat, as well as the upcoming Carl the Collector with creator and best-selling illustrator and author Zachariah Ohora. Past series include Nick Jr.'s Emmy® Award and Prix Jeunesse-nominated Jack’s Big Music Show; Disney's Emmy® Award-nominated Bunnytown; and Nick Jr.’s Curious Buddies. The company's additional credits include Warner Brothers' Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map and Nick Worldwide's Frankie and Frank.
Art in Wilder Park is produced by the Elmhurst Art Museum in partnership with Elmhurst Park District and RGL Marketing for the Arts, Inc. Presented sponsor Kelly Stetler | Compass. Festival sponsors: Chiro One Wellness Centers, Discover DuPage, Explore Elmhurst, Great American Exteriors, The Home Improvement Network, Mosaic Counseling & Wellness, John Noldan / Guaranteed Rate. Special Event Sponsors: Unlimited Heating & Cooling.
Monsters in Wilder Park is made possible in partnership with Elmhurst Park District and generously supported by the JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund of DuPage Foundation with additional support from Elmhurst Bank/Wintrust, Total Window Treatments, and Production support by DIT Workshops.
Designing Donkey Hodie is sponsored by DuPage Foundation.
About the Elmhurst Art Museum
The Elmhurst Art Museum is located at 150 South Cottage Hill Avenue in Elmhurst (IL), 25 minutes from downtown Chicago by car or public transportation (Metra). On the museum’s campus is the McCormick House, a single-family home designed in 1952 by Mies van der Rohe, one of the great architects of the 20th Century. The McCormick House is one of only three residences designed and built by Mies in the United States – and one of only two open to the public.
The museum’s purpose is to foster community by cultivating a creative space where art is for everyone.
The Museum is open Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Regular admission prices are $18 for Adults (ages 18+), $15 for Seniors, $10 for Students, and $5 for Children. For more information, please call 630.834.0202 or visit elmhurstartmuseum.org.