MICHELLE PUHL-PRICE

@oompuppets

In this era of chaos and challenge, it’s time to reach for our imaginations! We get to step into worlds of color, textures and the playful voices found in Michelle Puhl-Price's wonderful puppets. Each one, made from fleece fabrics and found objects, has been created to tell a story and this craftswoman loves using her creativity and ingenuity to bring our imagination to life.

Puppetry has been a life-long ambition for Michelle. As a child, she was drawn to Sesame Street’s Jim Henson and his Muppets. As she got older, she dreamt of become a puppet maker for Jim. She became an art teacher instead, until the dream was rekindled by her own young children. Michelle started making her own puppets for her children, nieces, and nephews, using various patterns, fabrics, and feathers. The family interest in her work spread to friends and colleagues. Her company “Outta Our Minds” was formed in 2012 and her puppets began to be a welcome presence at local crafts fairs around the Washington, D.C. region. Her amazing collection includes paper and fabric finger puppets, functional puppets and large multi-media hand puppets.

Please join me as I visit Michelle at the Takoma Park Folk Festival Craft Show (outdoors at the Takoma Park Community Center on September 12th from noon to 6:30 pm). You can help me decide which puppet to take home!