Leslee Asch

Leslee Asch is an Independent Curator & Writer. She worked for Jim Henson and the Jim Henson Company for over twenty years. She began her career as a puppet builder, and went on to serve as Director of Exhibitions for Jim Henson Productions, curating and managing exhibitions world-wide. She also served as Executive Director of the Jim Henson Foundation and Producing Director of the Henson International Festivals of Puppet Theater. She co-curated the five Henson festivals working with numerous New York City theaters, including The Public Theater, La Mama E.T.C., and The New Victory Theater. She remains a Trustee of the Jim Henson Foundation.

She is a recognized expert in the field and has published articles and catalogs on the subject, including for the exhibition she curated for the Katonah Museum of Art, The Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater. She has developed numerous other programs, including a performing arts series that integrated the performing and visual arts, organized while serving as Executive Director of Silvermine Arts Center. As a member of the Flinn Gallery Committee, she continues to curate shows.

She is a member of Author’s Guild, National League of Pen Women, ArtTable, Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County, UNIMA-USA, and Puppeteers of America.

Publications:

• The Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater, Katonah Museum of Art, 2010.
• “The Giraffe That Conquered Paris,” American Theatre, 2005.
• “Open Form,” Arts International, 2001
• Articles have appeared in national and international journals including, Theatre Library Association’s Performing Arts Series, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.