Julia Blair

media release: Julia Blair’s love affair with puppetry began before she was even aware of it. While she was filled with ineffable awe in Mr. Roger’s land of Make Believe, or giggling at one of Jim Henson’s muppet jokes, she learned what kindling emotional power a constructed world can have. After graduating from Lawrence University with a BFA in music performance, followed by years of composing music for recordings and film scores, touring with bands such as Dusk, Tenement and under her own name, Julia remembered the love for puppetry that she had forgotten. She started with cloth hand puppets and simple set design. Eventually, under the tutelage of master puppeteer Myrek Trejtnar in Prague, CZ, she learned the art of wood carving, marionette making, and automata construction. Most recently, Julia has completed the puppet design and art direction for several video commissions from the Wormfarm Institute.