Kickstarter Campaign Launched To Preserve Museum's Muppets Puppets

NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York City museum is asking fans of Jim Henson's Muppets to help pay for an exhibition featuring original puppets of beloved characters like Elmo, Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog.

The Museum of the Moving Image launched a Kickstarter campaign Tuesday seeking $40,000 to help preserve the puppets for posterity.

The museum owns hundreds of Jim Henson puppets and other objects including costumes and props. Museum staff members are working to conserve them.

Curator Barbara Miller says it made sense to use crowdfunding because the Muppet fan community is so active.

The museum in the Astoria section of Queens is hoping to open the Jim Henson Exhibition this summer.

A traveling exhibition using objects from the collection will open May 20 at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture.

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