1997_Jim Rowland: Atlanta and Beyond

James (Jimmy) Mason Rowland was board in the northeast mountains of Georgia in Toccoa. By the age of eight, Jimmy had already developed a fascination with dolls and puppets and began to make simple dolls and puppets on his own. His attendance at a puppet performance given by Vagabond Marionettes (Center founder, Vince Anthony’s company) in a local library heightened his interest This experience led him to create his own puppet company by 12.

He was performing in Piedmont Park by age 13. While in High School, Georgia State University asked him to design and execute a puppet version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream. He had many other opportunities as a young man that lead to a very successful puppetry career. He went on to work with Bob Brown, Kermit Love, George Balanchine, Busch Gardens, Kings Entertainment, Hanna Barbera, and many more notable figures and companies. This exhibition, organized in memoriam, was dedicated to highlighting Rowland’s incredible body of work and his contributions to the field of puppetry.

Curated by: Paul Malerba