An exhibition celebrating the life and work of one of Bermuda’s most accomplished creatives is on track to attracting close to 600 students and 60 teachers.

The Art of Michael K Frith: From Pencil to Puppet, on display at the Bermuda National Gallery, opened in October.

The public schoolteachers took part in a series of professional development days hosted by the gallery organised in collaboration with Shannon Rose Robinson, Roshanda Caines and Denise Hill from the Ministry of Education.

Sessions were attended by teachers across subjects from dance to music, visual arts and English.

More than 20 guidance counsellors also took part, learning about the power of puppetry directly from Mr Frith and his wife Kathryn Mullen who, together with aid worker Johnie McGlade, founded No Strings Productions, a non-profit organisation producing short puppet films for audiences in at-risk populations.

Ms Mullen said: “I was thrilled to see the genuine interest the teachers had in the idea of using puppetry in the classroom.

“I believe in puppets as a powerful teaching tool and feel strongly that anyone who really tries it will be converted for ever. I was.”

Mr Frith spent a decade at Random House, where he worked as editor-in-chief and art director for the Dr Seuss I Can Read All By Myself Beginner Books.

He spent a further two decades at Jim Henson Productions where, as vice-president and director of creative services, he helped to shape many of Henson’s most popular television shows, including The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, designing characters, sets, props, movie posters, toys and books.

Travis Chambray, an English language arts teacher at Sandys Secondary Middle School, said the exhibition was “worthy of any American or European counterpart”.

He added: “In a remote country such as Bermuda, it is easy for us to forget the pleasure of walking through an excellently curated exhibition, a privilege that so many others take for granted.

“I enjoyed being able to relax, learn, socialise and reflect all at once. Such is the effect of a gallery where every piece has been considered for its audience.

“The students may benefit from knowing that art, its creation and creators are not something which exist abstractly in faraway places, but right here at home.”

Twenty school tours of the show have provided arts exposure for more than 300 students, and close to 300 more are scheduled to visit between now and the end of March.

Mikaela Joy Kawaley-Lathan, BNG’s officer of community engagement, programming and learning, said: “As an art gallery, many teachers assume that only art classes can come for field trips. In reality, we’ve had a range of classes come, each finding something in the gallery to link to their curriculum.”

Crystal Caesar, the Minister of Education, who toured the exhibition shortly after its opening, added: “This exhibition provides an incredible opportunity for local students to learn and be inspired through the exploration of a Bermudian artist who has achieved great success on a global scale.

“Beyond the Muppets and the Fraggles, Frith's non-profit No Strings Productions, which makes life-saving educational puppet films for at-risk populations in developing countries, highlights the power of puppets to educate and heal.”

The gallery, with support from the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club, is offering free transportation for schools until April. Schools can register for both transport and tours at www.bng.bm/school-tours.