Named in honor of our original Resident Artist, the Paul Vincent Davis Fund supports puppeteers in creating new works through our New Works Incubator, Creative Residency for Black Puppeteers, and other artist support programs.

Paul Vincent Davis, an acclaimed puppeteer — and Puppet Showplace’s first Artist in Residence — whose artistry, mentorship, and advocacy helped shape American puppet theater for generations, passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on Monday, August 4, at his home in West Roxbury, MA.

Paul’s artistry, mentorship, and advocacy helped shape American puppet theater for generations. Paul earned numerous professional acknowledgements, including five Citations of Excellence, the highest honor for American puppetry, from UNIMA-USA.

Paul met his partner in life and puppetry, Mary Churchill, just two years after she founded Puppet Showplace Theater. The two of them lived above Puppet Showplace for decades, and together, they formed the foundation of one of the United States’s most enduring homes for puppetry, establishing Puppet Showplace as both a beloved neighborhood destination for generations of families, and a nationally recognized center for the art form.

"One of the things that I loved about puppetry, was the number of puppeteers I met and talked to and shared with."
— Paul Vincent Davis

Paul Vincent Davis Fund

Supporting puppeteers in creating new works