James Hildebrandt
Set Designer & Puppeteer
James Hildebrandt is a multidisciplinary artist and arts educator. He tells stories using puppetry, painting, drawing and metal sculpture. His practice grows through collaboration within his local community in Humboldt County, California. For the past 5 years, commissioned by Yurok Tribal Courts and the Arcata Playhouse, James has been the lead artist with a small team of local artists that develop a performance that unites shadow puppetry and traditional stories. This takes place during a two week residency at rural elementary schools in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. In July of 2025, He was awarded a residency by the Morris Graves Foundation where he developed a series of drawings for metal sculpture and a shadowplay reflecting on his experience while immersed in nature.