KuklaFest Professional Puppeteers Conference

May 1-2, 2021
​Hosted at Grand Valley State University

Two-Day Zoom Conference
Live Lectures
Demonstrations
​Performances 
Multiple Camera Angles 
Interactive Q&A

​​More Details and Event Registration Coming Soon! 

In 1945, Burr Tillstrom introduced the art of puppetry to OxBow - a painting school and summer retreat nestled in the dunes along Lake Michigan. Over the next 35 years, Burr attracted puppeteers from around the country to meet there.

In 2019, Hystopolis Productions in cooperation with OxBow School of Art and Artists' Residency welcomed puppeteers back to Saugatuck, Michigan for the inaugural KuklaFest, a conference and retreat for artists to share their work and sharpen their skills. The event was a resounding success and many who attended signed up to attend the 2020 conference, before it was canceled due to the pandemic. 

This year we are excited to welcome a broader audience and explore new territory with an all virtual experience. We are pulling in experts to produce a live interactive event. Stay tuned for more details coming soon! 

We are having the 2021 T-shirt designed now. There is a limited time to reserve your spot for your name on the back of the shirt. 

Sponsor the 2021 Official KuklaFest T-shirt

$100.00

Sponsor Now

The Burr Tillstrom Documentary Project

When an unexpected treasure trove of Burr's personal artifacts was graciously donated to the Saugatuck Douglas History Center by David Balas and James Sellman, what started as a simple request to borrow Burr's puppetry sewing box for the conference, quickly grew into a larger project as we began working to digitize the collection.​

Learn More