DETROIT, MI.- Some very important puppets (VIPS) went on view, when the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) unveiled a new permanent gallery featuring hand, shadow, and string puppets from the museum’s Paul McPharlin Puppetry Collection. The collection comprises more than 800 puppets, and the array of puppets on view will change every six months. Rare 18th-century American and Italian hand puppets and iconic string marionettes, including the original Howdy Doody—used in the 1940s during the early years of broadcast television—are included in this opening exhibition in the new puppet gallery. “Our puppets have long been a favorite with the public and we are pleased to have a selection of them on view in time for the holidays,” said Graham W. J. Beal, DIA director. The first exhibition features three different sets of puppets: rare, early 18th-century Venetian puppets such as Capitano, a military captain, and Pa