Happenings

On the island of Java, the theater tradition of wayang kulit, which employs flat, elaborately painted, carved, and perforated leather shadow puppets to relate cultural tales, has been practiced for centuries. An exhibition devoted to the art of this ancient tradition, entitled Dancing Shadows, Epic Tales: Wayang Kulit of Indonesia, is on view at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe through March 14, 2010. The installation features a full gamelan ensemble as well as a full set of more than 200 gold- and bronze-leafed, Surakarta-style shadow puppets from the museum's permanent collection.