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2026 Stephen L Barstow Art and Design Lecture

Headshot of Brenda Baumgarten in front of a soft pink backdrop, along with three cover photos of films she has work on; Wildwood, The Little Prince, and Missing Link
Details:

Brenda Baumgarten
Animator for Laika and Stop-mo Puppet Co.

Brenda Baumgarten is a stop-motion puppet fabricator with 25 years of experience solving complex technical challenges in silicone fabrication and materials innovation. She spent eight years at world-renowned Laika Studios, where she contributed to multiple feature films including Missing Link (2019) and the much-anticipated Wildwood, which is releasing to cinemas this Fall.

As Character Project Manager, she played a major role in revolutionizing the studio's puppet-building process through innovative fabrication techniques. She was part of the team that won a 2019 VES Award for Best Animated Character in an Animated Feature Film for their work on Missing Link.

Prior to Laika, she served as Character Fabrication Supervisor on The Little Prince (2015), which grossed nearly $100 million worldwide. The film celebrated a handcrafted aesthetic with its paper-based puppets, demonstrating the creative possibilities of unconventional materials.

Brenda currently operates Stop-mo Puppet Co. just outside Portland, Oregon, where she continues to explore innovative approaches to puppet fabrication and is developing her own original project.

Brenda will present a public lecture on Thursday March 26 at 6:30pm in Opperman Auditorium at CMU.

Free and open to the public

Date: -
Time: -
Location: Opperman Auditorium
Opperman Auditorium, 250 E Preston Rd
Mount Pleasant, MI , USA
Admission: Free and open to the public
Sponsor: College of the Arts and Media Department of Art & Design
Contact: Department of Art and Design artanddesign@cmich.edu 989-774-3025