Many people praise the virtues of being citizens of the world, but what does it really mean? For Heather Nisbett-Loewenstein, founder/artistic director and lead puppeteer for StoneLion Puppet Theatre, being a citizen of the world is a responsibility that she does not take lightly. Whether it’s spending time with the poor in Cambodia or being brought in to specifically share her art with students and families in Dubai, Loewenstein understands the need to travel.
I asked her about her need to travel. As an artist, she says, she gets bogged down and seeks ways to take her art form beyond the metropolitan community. “In turn, what I bring back helps with the art I produce here,” she says. In 2012, she made three major trips. “It reinvigorates me. It’s a treat to have a more global viewpoint. I get to mark 20 years of creativity in 2013 as artistic director of StoneLion. Most of the world would struggle with this, especially if they were a minority, female or of a different lifestyle.”
This March and April, Loewenstein and her team will be in various locations here, working on Puppets for the Planet Festival. The locations are varied such as the Tony Aguirre Community Center, 2050 W. Pennway, or Stocksdale Park in Liberty. The construction culminates in the Mother’s Day for Mother Early Giant Puppet Pageant May 12 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. “Our smaller festivals during March and April are aimed at reaching a culturally diverse group. We want to get families involved in the arts,” she says.
During 2013, Loewenstein expects to return to the United Arab Emirates in July and possibly Nairobi, Kenya. “Traveling makes you think about what you have and what you are given. The places I have visited are amazing. We have to think about what sort of footprint we want to leave.”
Of course, like many of us in our personal and professional lives, StoneLion has gone through several reinventions. “Arts education teaches people in ways that are hard to graph, but as I travel, I can see that civilized cultures crave art.” StoneLion attended the International Puppet Festival in July and the Sharjah Water Festival in December, both in Dubai.
Loewenstein’s traveling companions were Tim Cormack and Ashley Wheat. Cormack traveled with Loewenstein to the water festival. “I had never been out of the country so it was a great opportunity to have a new experience. We got to see different performers and how they perceive their art. We saw amazing puppetry and sets; we saw tricks that we will have to incorporate. Some of the sets were collapsible and we liked that idea. Traveling gives us an appreciation of others and hopefully they find an appreciation in what we do.”
Wheat went to the International Puppet Festival. New to the puppetry community, Wheat wondered how StoneLion would measure up and she was pleasantly surprised. “I learned that puppetry as an art form needs to continue. Heather makes sure her stories have a message. When we were in Dubai, people approached her to create plays on safety or protecting the environment. I was proud to be with her and know that our work is valued.”
