String Fling
String Fling 2023
String Fling may be wrapped up for the year, but you can still donate to help us reach our goal and support the arts in Atlanta. Donate with ease through out String Fling donation portal HERE.
The Center for Puppetry Arts hosted the 24th annual String Fling fundraiser on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 433 Bishop Street NW. Guests enjoyed a magical night full of food, fun, and curious entertainment. Proceeds raised will help the Center provide creative and cultural experience to thousands of children, adults, families, students, and educators through a large spectrum of annual programming. The evening was hosted by Callie and Jeff Dauler of The Upside podcast, and featured entertainment from the Center’s own cast of The Ghastly Dreadfuls.
The Ghastly Dreadfuls
Not familiar with The Ghastly Dreadfuls? Each year, this ensemble of puppeteers, musicians, and dancers rises from the dead to put on a sellout seasonal spectacle of creepy stories, frightful songs, and devilish dances, pulling from folktales and ghost stories from near and far. Celebrating their long history at the Center, this group that has become a favorite of Atlanta audiences led the supporters who joined us for String Fling to kick off the Halloween season in style, and honor their home theater – the Center for Puppetry Arts.
What is String Fling?
String Fling is the annual fundraising event for the Center for Puppetry Arts, raising nearly $250,000 each year to support the Center’s operations, including theatrical productions, museum exhibitions, and arts-infused educational programming.
After 45 years, the Center continues to distinguish itself as a unique treasure in Atlanta with innovative performances, workshops, and exhibitions showcasing local to international artists and featuring timely stories to popular culture favorites. The organization produces 500 fully-staged puppetry performances per year through its Family Series, favorites for school groups, children, and their guardians, and its New Directions Series, for teen to adult cultural consumers. The Center has significant impact in the performing arts, with alumni working at Disney, The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Street, and in theaters on Broadway and around the world, as well as in the film industry.
In addition to 2 permanent galleries that house our Global Collection and the Jim Henson Collection, the museum presents 3-4 rotating exhibitions, and pop-up displays each year. Our educational efforts include online and in-person workshops, teaching artist-led activities, master classes and lectures, outreach programs, field trips, and accessibility initiatives that strive to ensure everyone can enjoy the magic of puppetry. As a pioneer in the field of web-based learning for the past 20 years, the Center develops award-winning curriculum-based interactive online experiences, reaching all 50 states and nearly 90 countries around the world.
Your attendance and support through String Fling help make all of this possible, and keep puppetry alive and thriving! Please consider donating to help us reach our goal!
For more event information, please contact:
Sarah Dylla, Chief Development Officer
2023 Sponsors & Patrons
Producer
Delta
Georgia Power
Love Family Foundation
Mill Creek Residential
Salesforce
Director
Acuity Brands
AT&T
Cadence Bank
Gail and John Chandler
Domain Capital Group, LLC.
Fifth Third Bank
Christopher Hardwick
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Pete the Cat
PNC Bank
Beth and Ross Schiavo
Dana and Aaron Sugar
Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits
John Tester and Joseph Brooks
Kathy Waller and Kenneth Goggins
Warner Bros. Discovery
John and Ellen Yates
Puppeteer
Affairs to Remember
Jeffrey and Vanessa Blake
Judy and Ed Garland
Sydney and Joel Langdon
Lucy and Vir Nanda
Betsy and Louis Oliver
The Realff Family
Dean and Bronson Smith
Marionette
Anonymous
Arnall Golden Gregory
Margo Brinton and Eldon Park
Chateau Elan Winery & Resort
Haddow & Company
Joseph and Janet King
Catherine and Kenny Kraft
Susan Pease Langford
Perkins + Will
Brian and Amy Reed
Arnie and Janet Silverman
Allen W. Yee
Sponsor and Patron list as of 10/3/22
2023 Event Committee
Sydney Langdon, Co-Chair
John Tester, Co-Chair
Iymaani Aytes
Joseph Brooks
Priscilla Carter
Judy Garland
Susan Langford
Catherine Love Kraft
Betsy Oliver
Sundeep Reddy
Tanya Tviet
Kathy Waller
A few highlights from last year – String Fling 2022!
About the Center
Our Mission is to inspire imagination, education, and community through the global art of puppetry.
Our Vision: To be the premier puppetry center in the world through our performances, museum and educational programming. Click below to learn more.