Baker Artist Portfolios

Alex and Olmsted (Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas) is an internationally acclaimed puppet theater and filmmaking company based in Baltimore, Maryland. They have toured original shows in Italy, South Korea, Denmark, and Canada, and were featured on the German television show “Die Puppenstars” (“The Puppet Stars”). They have also performed at numerous theaters within the United States including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Symphony Space and HERE Arts in New York City, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, The Detroit Institute of Arts, the Puppeteers of America Festival, and the Creative Alliance in Baltimore. Alex and Olmsted was awarded 3 Jim Henson Foundation grants; the 2020 State Independent Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council; the international UNIMA-USA award for excellence in the art of puppetry; A&O was selected by the Mid Atlantic Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts for the Mid Atlantic Tours; recognized by the New York Times, and named an official selection of the Maryland Film Festival, Paris Art Film, and others. Alex and Olmsted is a resident company at Baltimore Theatre Project. In addition to their work in live performance, Vernon maintains and repairs the automata on exhibit at the American Visionary Art Museum and Olmsted serves as President of the National Capital Puppetry Guild.