Page 29 - Security Today, June 2017

Protecting the Puppets Atlanta’s beloved center for puppetry arts undergoes upgrade to electronic locks
BLy Dawn Nye
ocated in Midtown Atlanta, the Center for Puppetry Arts is the United States’ largest non-profit organiza- tion dedicated to the art form of puppetry. This popu- lar destination—which welcomes more than 150,000 visitors from all over the world each year—is home to
some of puppetry’s most recognizable figures including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and many more. In fact, beloved puppeteer Jim Henson, accompanied by Kermit, cut the ceremonial ribbon when the Center opened to the public in 1978. The award-winning center, which focuses on performance, education, and the Worlds of Pup- petry Museum, has become a leading voice in the field of puppetry and serves as host for numerous conferences and festivals.
Center for Education
The Center for Puppetry Arts is housed in the former Spring Street Elementary School, part of which was built in 1918. A capital cam- paign has provided for a multi-phase improvement plan that included the construction of two new galleries (Phase I) and renovations of the existing building (Phase II).
The newly constructed galleries include the Jim Henson Gallery and the Global Gallery. The Jim Henson Gallery features approxi-
mately 75 artifacts highlighting Henson’s career including puppets from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and Labyrinth among others. The 75 items on display are rotated from more than 500 puppets and objects donated by the Henson family. The Global Gallery is a visual representation of how puppetry has crossed cul- tural lines and includes more than 175 puppets and artifacts from the 3,000-piece Global Collection representing five continents.
The center commissioned Atlanta’s Operational Security Systems (OSS) to provide security including access control for both phases of the construction project. The challenge, said OSS president Jim Cole- man, included many key components:
• Provide an access control solution that would be affordable for the non-profit.
• Replace the use of the standard keys.
• Be technologically advanced and future-proof.
• Work seamlessly between the new construction and the existing,
older facility.
All about Access
Liz Lees, arts producer at the Center for Puppetry said that the ac- cess control system would have to accommodate the Center’s 50-plus
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