about the author
About The AUTHOR
As Creative Director of Character Design, Louis Henry Mitchell directs and oversees all aspects of character art for Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street. From designing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons and floats to directing Sesame Street Muppet photo shoots, Louis has been a fulltime member of Sesame Workshop since the year 2000.
Most notably, Louis designed the character Julia, the first Sesame Street character on the autism spectrum. Julia was first designed exclusively as an illustrated character for an autism outreach book. Louis then expanded his design and art directed the Jim Henson Company in building the actual Muppet, and, ultimately, her family. He continues to be the chief Sesame Street Muppet designer along with his other duties as creative director of character design for this great mission-based company.
Louis began his artistic career at 17 years old working for Neal Adams, one of the top comic book and sequential artists in the world at that time. Louis continued his career through illustrating children’s books, designing characters and toys as well as teaching and lecturing internationally. Among the skills he uses to accomplish his work are drawing, painting, and sculpting. In addition, he creates and art directs in traditional and digital media.
Louis became a special character designer artist at MTV Animation on the program.
“Daria”. Within two seasons of this work he single-handedly won the company the opportunity to launch their own commercial production advertising company, winning bids over two major animation companies which included Will Vinton of “The California Raisins” fame.
In the summer of 2019, Louis volunteered to travel to The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass, to finish the installation of a show entitled, “Woodstock To The Moon”. It celebrated events and institutions that were celebrating 50 years of their individual histories. Sesame Street was part of this exhibit and after Louis completed his part of the installation the museum offered him the chance to deliver a lecture at the museum. This lecture was so successful, the museum claiming it was among the very best they’d ever had, that they ultimately offered Louis a place on their official Board of Trustees, which he happily accepted and actively serves on today.
Within this time, Louis submitted a proposal to teach Character Design at The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City, hoping to begin a year after submitting it. SVA was so enamored with the proposal they accepted it for the same year it was proposed and contracted Louis for a tenure of nearly a half decade.
Louis’ travels have included India and Jamaica for Sesame Workshop and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Bali, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australiafor Lindblad Expeditions where he encouraged audiences and continues to present to organizations such as Google and ABC Television.
Louis attended The School of Visual Arts, and The Art Students League, and resides in Rego Park, New York.
SPEAKING, INTERVIEWS, ARTICLES
- SESAME STREET: 50 YEARS OF SUNNY DAYS: Featured speaker for ABC TV Special.
- SOMEBODY COME AND PLAY: Performing Arts Library Behind The Scenes Sesame Street’s 45th Anniversary Exhibit
- NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM: Drawing Life Interview
- NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM 2019: Featured speaker “Muppets On Parade.”
- LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
- POP CULTURE RETRO INTERVIEW
- VOXCON 2019: Featured speaker.
- VOXCON 2020: Featured speaker.
- THE BARRETTA BROTHERS PODCAST
- SHEEN CENTER: “Art, Faith and the Journey to Sesame Street”; Featured interviewee
- HBO: Sesame Street and Autism- See Amazing in All Children.
- PROVIDENCE CHILDRENS MUSEUM 2018: Featured speaker, presenter and art workshop teacher for young children.
- ASIFA EAST: Featured interview.
- MASTERMEDIA INTERNATIONAL: Interview with Dan Rupple.
- PUPPET TEARS: Featured Interview.
- NEW YORK POST: “Space Cadets” Featured Artist.
- NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS 2022: Featured “Artist-In-Residence” and lecturer for a seven-day expedition to the Galapagos Islands
- SHEEN CENTER 2022: “DREAM BIG: An Evening with Louis Henry Mitchell: Solo Speaker
- GOOGLE 2020 and 2021 UX CONFERENCE: Keynote speaker and Masterclass instructor (Private event exclusively for staff).
- ROPES AND GRAY LAW FIRM: 2018 Featured speaker (Private event exclusively for staff).
- FUTURE NOW: Keynote speaker 2018 (Private event exclusively for students) and perpetual Mentor.
- SHEEN CENTER 2017: “Autism and Hope: Animating Faith: Panel Speaker
- MASTERMEDIA Forum 2016: “Telling Stories that Matter: Panel speaker.
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COMMUNICATION ARTS MAGAZINE: Written interview.
https://bit.ly/3x5eBnn -
CARNEGY-MELON UNIVERSITY: 100th Anniversary featured speaker.
https://www.drama.cmu.edu/2014/11/18/passionate-puppet-design/ - MUPPET MINDSET: Featured Interviews. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXcvkIZBsw4
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NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY: Somebody Come and Play. Sesame Street at 40 years old.Featured.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXcvkIZBsw4