ArtJoy "Giant Puppets Save The World"
Lead Giant Puppet Maven
Hand Puppet Shows with Toni Tone and CelloJoe
Stilt walking dance leaders!
High Sierra Music Festival Parade
Compton the Compost Pile Teaches Kids About Compost at the San Francisco Zoo!
Interactive Giant Puppet Art at Eclipse Gathering
ArtJoy brings the COLOR, MAGIC, JOY, and ART!
ArtJoy Stilt walker flying giant silk butterfly puppet
ArtJoy sunflower theme with stilt walker, giant puppets, hand-painted silk
ArtJoy.org
ArtJoy stilt walkers and champagne skirt hostess at a Sonoma vineyard
Smiling hearts!
ArtJoy.org stilt walkers in designer gowns
Artjoy champagne skirt floral theme with cocktails
Stilt walking giant puppeteer for Easter
Artjoy entertainment at a street fair
Contortionists add wow moments to events!
Face Painters Making Magic
Stilt walking and flying a giant puppet in our epic original costuming
Easter Bunny joy with stilt walker, and giant puppets!
Our goddesses brings champagne skirt magic to event!
Balloon twisters bring joy!
Our stilt walker teaches kids how to fly a giant hummingbird puppet! ArtJoy.org
Giant puppets at a Spring Celebration
Dogody, the giant dog in a parade! ArtJoy.org
High Sierra Music Festival Parade Team! ArtJoy.org
Rainbow Sunflower Queens spreading so much Joy with ArtJoy.org!
Talking a walk through the Berkeley Book Fair with a giant hummingbird!
A tiny version of our bubble station at a community street fair.
Wow your audience with a stilt walker that can fly a giant bird puppet!
Bubble performance and a giant puppets delight at the Montclair Beer, Wine, and Music Festival!
A version of our bubble show at the Montclair Beer, Wine, and Music Fest!
An example of our large Bubble Pool Zone!
Compton the Compost Pile pretends to swallow a child at the end of his show!
Giant Bubble Peformance Art with Interactive Bubble Station
Stilt walking funky gorilla does a halftime dance!
Giant puppet installation at San Francisco Street Fair
Giant puppeteering and stilt walking with art installation at San Francisco Sunday Streets
Kids flying a bird puppet at the Oregon Country Fair
Happy Sappy the Clown with Frogmeister!
Happy Sappy the Clown Puppeteering with Pi the Purple Dragon and Frogmeister!
Giant puppets crowd surf at Daybreaker San Francisco Sunrise Boat Party!
The caterpillar puppet on display, ready for play!
Evening crowd surfing caterpillar performance during Trey Anastasio Band
Giant silk flag installation in Dolores Park
Hummingbird puppet in crowd at major music event
Toni flying giant silk flag for crowd at MakerFair during musical performance
Giant Wise Fool Puppet in crowd at major music event
Giant puppet installation for families at the Oregon Country Fair
Fisheye view of giant puppets over audience
Giant butterfly puppet at Daybreaker Lake Merritt event sponsored by AAA
Giant puppet installation open for play at the Oregon Country Fair
Doing a hand puppet show at a birthday party
DJ booth view of puppets in dancing crowd.
Sunflowers puppeteer the butterfly!
Johnnie Bubble, our giant bubble guy!
ArtJoy Champagne skirt hostess at sunflower butterfly rainbow themed event!
1920’s Flapper Girl Stilt Walker
Carnival stilt walker!
Balloon twisters and stilt walker at a family friendly event
Balloon twisting magic!
Flying a giant butterfly puppet for families!
Giant puppets soaring high!
Bringing smiles at all heights!
Overview
ArtJoy (aka Giant Puppets Save the World) creates immersive, larger-than-life entertainment with giant puppets, stilt walkers, face painters, storytellers, circus arts, champagne skirt hosts, silk flag performers, giant bubbles, and interactive props. Costumes and pieces are artist-crafted with high-end, designer-quality detail, and all giant puppets are handmade by founder Toni “Tone” Mikulka.
Available as installations, roaming experiences, workshops, or stage shows, ArtJoy delivers engaging, interactive entertainment for all ages.
Featured at Bioneers, High Sierra Music Festival, Oregon Country Fair, SF Sunday Streets, corporate events, festivals, and more.
Reviews
6 reviews
Ying L.
March 10, 2018Interactive and Entertaining Puppet show
We did a puppet show with Toni and Joey in Jan for our holiday theme celebration. It was great!!! She responded promptly to my questions and she's flexible to work with my curriculum, time, and the way we want it to be. She has her own equipment and she came to set up earlier. During the show, she interacted with our children and her partner Joey played great music to involve the children into the stories. We had a wonderful experience with her, highly recommended!
Hired as: Puppet Show
ArtJoy "Giant Puppets Save The World"
Thanks so much Ying! We love performing you for your students and teachers and hope to see you again soon. :)
Brian G.
December 15, 2017One of California's Premiere Roaming Performers!
I've worked in the event space for years, as a host and promoter, and I have been incredibly impressed by Toni's work. Not only does she bring a fully artistic vision, but she also brings some of the most INCREDIBLE puppets, giant silk flags, and so much more. I kid you not, they are often the highlight of the event and the most instragammed art of my events. Work with Toni and you won't regret it!
Hired as: Arts & Crafts Party, Arts/Entertainment Speaker, Clown, Costumed Character, Human Statue, Puppet Show, Set Designer, Stilt Walker
ArtJoy "Giant Puppets Save The World"
Thank you so much for the kind words Brian! It is a pleasure to bring so much joy and creativity to your events and projects. Looking forward to doing more in the future!
Mustafa K.
September 28, 2017Super fun and immersive artwork!
I love booking Giant Puppets Save the World for the large-scale events that I produce! The crowd always loves what they bring to the experience (large puppet characters, bird puppets, huge flags, and more). The team is super easy to work with and always professional!
Hired as: Circus Entertainment, Costumed Character, Live Artwork, Puppet Show, Traveling Circus
Regina
April 20, 2020Awesome Show
This was a very interactive show for children with lots of student participation! It was amazing how they engaged the children the entire time. I have been booking shows for many years and this is definitely an original and a must book! They captured my students from the moment the started to the very end and I have a wide range of students. So if you are looking for something for your 5-10 year olds, Giant Puppets Save the World is your go-to performance. Joey even taught the kids how to beatbox- so all summer long all I would hear was "cats and boots!" A very talented duo with great chemistry!
I can not wait to have them come back again this year and do it again for my students!
Hired as: Children’s Party Entertainment, Children’s Theatre
ArtJoy "Giant Puppets Save The World"
Thank you so much for your review! We loved performing for your community of kids (and young hearted adults!)!
Kelly C.
April 1, 2019Great addition to the party
Toni was fabulous, entertaining and lovely. Awesome face painting and interactive singing!
Hired as: Children’s Party Entertainment
Booking information
Price range: $195 and up!
Languages: English, Spanish
Gig length: 15 - 300 minutes
Insurance: $1,000,000 - Specialty Performance Insurance
What to expect
Imagine being at a conference or festival and seeing a large giant flying butterfly or silk bird float above your head. Imagine being a five year old and running with a group of your friends while holding the wings of a giant hummingbird through a field or public park. Imagine being in the audience of a musical performance and seeing a gorgeous dancer on stage moving gracefully with a giant puppet. Imagine a group of stilt walkers coming through the crowd all holding giant puppets made by a local Bay Area artist. Now, imagine that you are a part of the magic! Co-creating in a parade of fifty people marching through a major event inspiring such joy.
About
Giant Puppets Save the World brings educational entertainment, skill development and community building into a nexus of bustling creativity. From corporate team building events creating large works of art together or engaging in a parade with our live band, giant puppet installations and arts and crafts engagement, or large scale assemblies featuring live music, stilt walkers and giant puppets weaving narrative stories, or simply facepainting fun and hand puppet shows at your next preschool picnic, we create magical memories for those once-in-a-lifetime moments of epic joy!
Giant Puppets Save the World is led by artist, Toni “Tone” Mikulka. She has spent the last ten years of her life making art for live performance. Her art skills include: giant puppets, painting enormous silk backdrops and flags, stilt walking, doing puppet shows for kids, singing and performing in various productions around the world, including San Leandro Cherry Festival, San Francisco Sunday Streets, Bread and Puppet Theater, Bioneers, High Sierra Music Festival, Oregon Country Fair, Symbiosis Festival, and many corporate events and conferences with Google, Meta, Genentech, Nike, Daybreaker, and more!
She makes her giant puppets, props, and handpainted silk flaps, using silk, bamboo, reed, papier mache, and recylced materials with nontoxic processes. Multi-puppeteer puppets encourage teamwork, collaboration, and communication. A symbolic virtue of how Giant Puppets Save the World, by encouraging us to work together to create something greater than ourselves.
When not in use, the puppets are beautiful free standing pieces and can be positioned in a variety of ways as display or decor. Toni also creates custom dyed fabrics and backdrops or wedding photobooths or events, as well as table centerpieces, sculptural works, and community art projects for engaging experiences at ceremonial and celebratory events.
Inquire for a special booking discount for first time clients!
Additional booking notes
The puppets range in size from 5' wide and 5' tall to 12' tall, 3' wide and 8' long. It is best to have a stage area free and clear of mic stands and drum kits before they go on for a more exaggerated theatrical performance. However, they work just as well in tight quarters. We have been on stage with several large acts, including Elephant Revival and the String Cheese Incident.
The look excellent when lit up, and many of them have an option for evening lighting. They are largely silent and need no amplification.
Services offered
Past booked events
June 2021
18
Friday
Nonprofit Event
10:30am - 11:15am
•
Walnut Creek, CA
November 2020
07
Saturday
Children’s Birthday Party
1:00pm - 2:00pm
•
San Rafael, CA
March 2020
12
Thursday
School Assembly
3:30pm - 4:15pm
•
Oakland, CA
March 2019
31
Sunday
Children's Birthday Party
4:00pm - 5:00pm
•
Santa Rosa, CA
June 2018
10
Sunday
Children's Birthday Party
2:00pm - 2:45pm
•
Napa, CA
April 2018
27
Friday
Talent Competition
6:30pm - 7:00pm
•
San Lorenzo, CA
Influences and inspiration
Jim Henson, Bread and Puppet Theater, The Lion King (Broadway Musical), Wise Fool Puppet Intervention, Heart of the Beast Theater, Beats Antique, Phish, Michael Franti, the Summer of Love, The Beatles, and everything from the Oregon Country Fair.
Setup requirements
We bring all equipment needed.