Puppeteers of America encourages local puppet groups known as “guilds.” The guilds are independently run with no financial or administrative connection to Puppeteers of America.
Puppet Guilds are communities of people with a common love and interest in the Art of Puppetry. The Guilds provide opportunities for puppet professionals, enthusiasts and those new to puppetry to meet regularly, enjoy performances, and learn puppet technique.
You can belong to PofA without belonging to a guild, and you can belong to a guild without belonging to PofA.. If you are interested in forming a new guild, or have questions about guilds, please review the Guidelines for Guilds.
For a complete list of guild contact information, contact PofA Guild Chair, Karen Backes backespuppets@gmail.com Or the PofA office.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
States/Provinces: Alaska, Alberta British Columbia (Canada), Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Annett Mateo
Jean Enticknap
British Columbia
Montana
Chartered 1985
Editor & Webmaster: Sylvie Wood
Oregon
Chartered 1980
Newsletter: Columbia Association of Puppeteers
Editor: Candace Dobson
Guild Webmaster: Candace Dobson
Chartered 2009
Newsletter: Willamette Valley Puppeteers
Editor: Doris Hicks
Washington
Chartered 1981
Membership Director: Jean Enticknap
Newsletter: Puppet Intelligencer
Webmaster: Zane Exactly
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
States/Provinces: Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming
Christine Papalexis
Mary Johnson
Arizona
Founded 1959, Chartered 1962
Newsletter: The Punchline
Editor: ~position open~
Guild Webmaster: Kevin Hedgpeth
California
Chartered 1972
Santa Barbara, CA
Founded 1956, Chartered 1957
Newsletter: Puppet Life
Editor: Tara Nitz
Chartered 1961 & 1978
Newsletter: Strings ‘n’ Things
Editor: Lois Harmeyer
Founded 1954, Chartered 1960
Newsletter: SFBAPG
Editor: Michael Nelson
Hawaii
Chartered 1978
Utah
GREAT PLAINS
States/Provinces: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Saskatchewan – Manitoba (Canada), South Dakota
Stan Gulick
Wayne Krefting
Colorado
Chartered 1968
Iowa-Nebraska
Chartered 1979
Minnesota
Founded 1940, Chartered 1962
Newsletter: TC Puppet Monitor
Editor: Paul Eide
Webmaster: Paul Eide
Missouri
Chartered 1983
Newsletter: Newsletter
Editor: Coyote Schaaf
Webmaster: Coyote Schaaf
Founded 1939, Chartered 1963
Newsletter: Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis
Editor: Tom Bonham
SOUTHWEST
States/Provinces: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Richard Strot
~position open~
REGIONAL Webmaster
Bill Woodburn
Texas
Chartered 1956-1979
Newsletter: Puppet News
Editor: Carol Carranza
Chartered 1972
Newsletter: Lone Star Reporter
Editor: Pat Curry
Guild Webmaster: Pat Curry
GREAT LAKES
States/Provinces: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Western Ontario (Canada), Western Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
Christine Thompson
Position open
Illinois
Chartered 1989
Newsletter: Puppetoptics
Editor: Ginger Lozar
Founded 1938, Chartered 1961
Newsletter: The Puppet Patter
Editor: Mel Biske
Guild Webmaster: Jeff Biske
Indiana
Chartered 1982
Newsletter: Indiana Puppetry Guild Newsletter
Editor: Guy Thompson
Michigan
Founded 1946, Chartered 1963
Newsletter: DPG Newsletter
Editor: Nancy Henk
Webmaster: Brad Lowe
Newsletter: Newsletter
Editor: Position open
Ohio
Chartered 1973
Newsletter: C.A.P.G. Puppetgram
Editor: Position Open
Chartered 1940 & 1976
Newsletter: Columbus Puppetry Log
Editor: Janice McDonald
Webmaster: Janice McDonald
Chartered 1975
Newsletter: Swazzle
Editor: Nancy Sander
Webmaster: Vincent J. Polowy
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
Chartered 1983
Newsletter: Puppetcetera
Editor: Sandye Voight
SOUTHEAST
States/Provinces: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee
Visit the Southeast Region website: puppeteers.org/southeast/
Kevin Pittman
Jody Wren
Florida
Chartered 1988
Newsletter: The Central Florida Puppet Guild Journal
Editor: Hannah Miller
Chartered 1976
Newsletter: Suncoast Puppet Platform
Editor: Robert Anthony and Priscilla Lakus
Chartered 1982
Newsletter: The Puppet Post
Editor: Sherry Reardon
Chartered 1965
Newsletter: Puppet-Gram
Editor: ~position open~
Georgia
Chartered 1974
Newsletter: The Atlanta Puppet Press
Editor: Charles Pillsbury
Webmaster: Kevin Pittman
Chartered 1979
Newsletter: The Gluppet Gazette
Editor: Kathy Bolch
Mississippi
Chartered 1985
North and South Carolina
Chartered 1976
Newsletter: Carolina Connection
Editor: Mac and Judy McCord
NORTHEAST
States/Provinces: Connecticut, Eastern Canada, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Upstate NY (does not include NYC), Vermont,
Sharon Murphy Boski
Anna Vargas
Connecticut
Chartered 1975
Newsletter: Nutmeg Puppet News
Editor: Fred Thompson
Webmaster: Christopher Grande
Massachusetts
Chartered 1961
Newsletter: The Control Stick
Editor: John Lechner
Webmaster: Alison Plante
New York
Chartered 1981
Newsletter: Puppetry Guild of Upstate NY
Editor: Jassa Maran-kaiel
MID-ATLANTIC
States/Provinces: Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York City & Long Island, Virginia, Washington DC
Jeff Bragg
-Position Open-
Maryland-D.C.-Virginia
Chartered 1964
Newsletter: D.C. Puppetimes
Editor: Jeff Bragg
Webmaster: Eric Brooks
(formerly the Puppet Arts Center of Virginia)
Chartered 2006
Newsletter: Puppetolio
Editor: Debra Burrell
New Jersey
Chartered 1972 & 2002
Newsletter: The Phoenix
Editor: Steven Hollow
Webmaster: Steven Hollow
New York
Founded 1962, Chartered 1966
Newsletter: PuppetMaster
Editor: Peter Lewis
Chartered 1966
Newsletter: Punchline
Editor: Rob Boehm
Pennsylvania
Newsletter: The GPAPG website blog/discussion forum
Contributing Editor: Martina Plag