(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Art House Productions and Puppet Heap are thrilled to announce a collaboration in the Art House Gallery. From January 20-29, 2025, Puppet Heap will present a pop-up exhibit at 345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ, featuring The Heap and other Puppet Heap characters.

Puppet Heap is a unique design and production studio based in Hoboken, specializing in storytelling through the creation of iconic characters for various media, including film, television, advertising, theater, and new media. Founded by artist, designer, filmmaker, and professor Paul Andrejco, the company began in the early ‘90s beneath a burgeoning “heap” of puppets in his small Hoboken apartment. Now, just a few blocks away, Puppet Heap is home to teams of talented artists, designers, writers, and producers who create character-based narratives for clients around the world, including The Walt Disney Company, Sesame Workshop, and Nickelodeon.

Puppet Heap is also honored to be entrusted with the care, maintenance, and creative support for Disney’s The Muppets Studio since 2006.

Puppet Heap takes pride in local roots, and you may have spotted our Heap walking the streets of Hoboken last year. Whether it's designing new characters or maintaining beloved classics, Puppet Heap continues to bring great stories to life.

“Art House Productions is very excited to collaborate with Puppet Heap on this pop-up gallery. Puppet Heap is a blend of visual and performing arts, with their beautifully crafted puppets and captivating stories told through various characters. We can’t wait to introduce Puppet Heap to the Jersey City community,” says Sunjay Venkatraman, Art House Productions Marketing Director.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Art House Productions to bring our puppets to Jersey City,” says Cindy Campos Alves, Business Development & Marketing Director. “The community here has such a rich arts culture, and we’re excited to share The Heap and other characters with them. This exhibit celebrates the creative process behind our work, and while The Heap will be in hibernation during the exhibit, he will come alive in March for both the screening of our short films and a live Heap performance on March 27. These events, part of our ongoing collaboration with Art House, will provide a fantastic opportunity to connect with the audience in real-time. It’s an honor to be part of this incredible arts hub, and we can’t wait to see the reactions to our puppetry and storytelling!”

This pop-up exhibit will be on display in the Art House Gallery and visible to the public from Marin Boulevard. Featured in this exhibit is The Heap, ​​the brainchild of Hoboken artist Paul Andrejco, that was 30 years in the making. As described in an NJ.com article, The Heap is an eccentric old man who is the guide and storyteller for the puppets of the mythical town of Spudbottom. In a feature with TapInto, Andrejco has said “The Heap is a reflection of the fact that we all carry a lot of stuff with us and as we get older it just keeps building."

Following this exhibit will be a spring program in the Art House Productions theater in March of 2025, featuring a performance by The Heap, short films created by Puppet Heap, and a talk-back with artist Paul Andrejco.

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES - Art House Productions is dedicated to providing an inclusive experience for all. Accessibility features include: Wheelchair-accessible seating; ASL interpretation upon request (2 weeks' notice required); Audio description for blind and low-vision patrons upon request (2 weeks' notice required); Service animals welcome; and Fully accessible restrooms. For specific accommodations, contact us at 201-579-0532 or email Meredith Burns at Meredith@arthouseproductions.org. They are there to help ensure your visit is comfortable and enjoyable.

Art House Productions is a nonprofit organization committed to developing and presenting performing and visual arts in Jersey City, NJ. Art House offers theater, visual art exhibitions, arts festivals, and adult and youth art classes.

Art House Productions is generously supported by The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund, Jersey City Arts Council, Princeton Area Community Foundation, SILVERMAN, KRE, CoolVines, SVOG, New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs. A full list of funders is available on their website.