Welcome to
The Puppetry Institute!
Making the world a cooler place... One Puppet at a time!
Subscribe to our Social Media for daily updates on student projects, new puppets, and events! Email us to book your own class or event!
Online Classes!
At The Puppetry Institute, Art class is in session; any time, anywhere, and for any age!
Make time at home more magical, by creating your own puppets, costumes, and works of art! We'll deliver a personalized art kit to your door, with everything you need to make your creation come to life! Work along with our easy-to-follow online videos, and get all of your questions answered with live Q&A sessions. If you can dream it, you can do it!
Classes are available for all ages and skill-sets! Open up a sock-puppet kit for an awesome afternoon with the little ones! Give a child or teen the experience and skills to design their own puppets, cosplay, fursuits, digital art and beyond, while teaching VAPA and STEAM applicable lessons! Or learn a new skill yourself, and bring a colorful new friend to your next online meeting!
TPI is an Ocean Grove Charter School Vendor, and a 501 C3 non-profit project of Children Are Our Future. Best of all, a portion of all paid classes go into a scholarship fund for low-income and at-risk youth.
Make the world a little cooler - one puppet at a time!
The Puppetry Institute is a non-profit art school located in Capitola, California.
We teach personalized classes for all ages on an extensive range of visual and preforming arts. We will guide you through creating your dream project - and through the process teach art, design, and engineering!
Take home both your own hand-made creations, and new life-long creative skill-sets.
Create puppets, theater effects, costumes, props, animations or movies!
Whatever your idea, we work with you on your own time frame and make it a reality.
Located at - 1855 41st Ave, Capitola, CA 95010
Contact Ricki - (831) 601 9822 or The.Puppetry.Institute@gmail.com
Social-Distancing related Rules and Updates
Happy summer, we hope you have been staying safe and creative during closures!
We will be open for limited classes by appointment, with heightened safety rules. Space is limited, so book ASAP!
More information about online classes and content will be available on our Social Distance page!
We are not currently open to the public, but we can offer tours by appointment.
...or feel free to gawk at us through the glass at our newest creations!
Check out what we do!
Making a Better World
The Puppetry Institute is a non-profit organization that believes the arts should be available to all! TPI works along-side CASA and Jacob's Heart to bring the healing powers of art and puppets to those who need it most.
One third of all class fees sponsor
scholarships for low-income students.
Contact us to see if you may qualify!
Support us on Patreon
to help fund students in need!
Personalized Classes
Have you ever said to yourself "I wish I could make that"?
Create it at TPI, and gain skills that will last your whole life!
Our workshop is set up for a wide range of both digital and practical projects! Whether your jam is puppet-shows, creature costumes, props from your favorite movie, or animating your own youtube video, you can learn it here!
We are also open for family or group crafting events!
Contact us
with your idea and hours and availability -
and we will custom-create a class just for you!
Podcast and Live Shows
Doctor Mecurio's Mythical Marvels!
Based off of TPI's own original podcast, each of these incredible, realistic creature puppets has been hand-made at actual monster size! Have your suspension of disbelief blown away by pettable dragons, splashing river monsters, or a yeti that can hug whole families at once!
Contact the doctor himself to bring living dragons to your next event or party, with his troupe of dragoneers. Then, follow the adventures of the crew on our steam-punk adventure podcast.