With its commitment to “art for everyone,” the Elmhurst Art Museum proudly presents Designing Donkey Hodie: From Make-Believe to Someplace Else, a family-friendly exhibition exploring the visual evolution of the popular PBS KIDS show Donkey Hodie produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures. Accompanying the exhibition is an exciting calendar of vibrant and accessible programs for children of all ages, including a puppet workshop with the show’s Emmy® nominated cast, and a look behind-the-scenes of the imaginative live-action puppet series. On the museum campus, visitors are invited to explore the outdoor public art installation Monsters in Wilder Park: A Kid-Powered Art Show by artist and illustrator Dave Pryor, who also designs for Donkey Hodie, inspired by select monster drawings created by over 300 local children. Designing Donkey Hodie: From Make-Believe to Someplace Else takes place at the Elmhurst Art Museum from May 18 to Aug 12, 2024.
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 1968 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 the journey to create the adventures of Donkey Hodie and her pals by the award-winning production team from Chicago-based Spiffy Pictures and Pittsburgh-based Fred Rogers Productions.
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 young children to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives, work hard and persevere in the face of failure, be resourceful, 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 Ellen Doherty, Adam Rudman, and David Rudman.
“This exhibit with the Elmhurst Art Museum is a wonderful way for families to learn about how Donkey Hodie came to be," said Doherty. "Sharing how the series is made reflects how Fred Rogers would 'pull back the curtain' on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, highlighting the people and processes involved in the show."
"Designing the characters of Donkey Hodie was a true collaborative effort between Spiffy, Dave Pryor and Fred Rogers Productions," said David Rudman. "Our approach was to not think of the characters as puppets but rather to make them look like animated characters who have come to life. Dave is a brilliant artist whose extensive animation background made him the perfect fit for this.” Rudman continued, “And our incredibly talented production designer, Justin Vandenberg, has been instrumental in establishing the distinctive look of the world of Donkey Hodie. His attention to detail and craftsmanship is bar none, as he and his team design and hand-build every prop and set piece to bring the unique feel of the show to life.”
MONSTERS IN WILDER PARK
In tandem with Designing Donkey Hodie, the museum will feature a 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 large-scale cut-out sculptures inspired by monster drawings created by over 300 local children for the festival.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Art in Wilder Park
Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, 10am – 5pm
Free
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. The event will host a variety of activities for the whole family from the Monsters in Wilder Park public art installation to a scavenger hunt and a life-sized costumed Donkey Hodie in the Kids Court.
Designing Donkey Hodie Opening Reception
Friday, May 17
5-7pm family activities, 6-9pm evening reception
$23
For the opening of Designing Donkey Hodie: From Make Believe to Someplace Else, the Elmhurst Art Museum hosts an evening of fun for all ages. Family activities from 5-7pm will include a life-sized costumed Donkey Hodie as well as themed food, drink, décor, and entertainment to celebrate the exhibition opening and kids show made by local creatives. After 7pm, the reception features light bites, music, and members of Donkey Hodie’s creative team.
Sponsored by WTTW.
Family Day: Monster Creations with special guest Dave Pryor
Saturday, June 15, 1-4pm
Included with museum admission
Inspired by featured exhibition Monsters in Wilder Park: A Kid-Powered Art Show, artist Dave Pryor leads a workshop exploring the world of monster creation. Visitors can view and celebrate all drawings submitted for the exhibition on view in Wilder Park, then create their own unique monster through a hands-on art making activity.
Family Day: Donkey Hodie cast appearance with puppet demo and Family Day workshop
Saturday, July 20, 1-4pm
Included with museum admission
Donkey Hodie and her pals Purple Panda and Bob Dog visit the museum to present a behind-the-scenes puppet demonstration. Following this live-action puppet demonstration will be a meet-and-greet for families and hands-on activities to guide them to make their own unique puppets. This imaginative process will be explored through character creation, sketching a puppet's likeness, and bringing it to life with mixed media supplies.
Family Day: Creative Storytelling
Saturday, August 3, 1-4pm
Included with museum admission
The Elmhurst Art Museum invites visitors to dive into the art of make-believe worlds and creative characters. Works in Designing Donkey Hodie: From Make-Believe to Someplace Else serve as inspiration to dream up another land and create a world that tells a unique story using the creative processes found within the exhibition.
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.
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 the City of Elmhurst Public Ar Chicago Event Graphics, Elmhurst Bank/Wintrust, Kelly Stetler|Compass, Total Window Treatments, and Production support by DIT Workshops.
Designing Donkey Hodie is sponsored by DuPage Foundation with additional support from Explore Elmhurst, and Lakeside Bank.
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.