Dream it

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Dream it ~

ArtJoy

A theatrical stage performance featuring a large puppet with a feminine face and long purple hair, surrounded by performers holding large orange flags. The performers are dressed in colorful, whimsical costumes and are engaged in a dance or theatrica

A girl wearing a Santa hat looks at a glowing dragon lantern at a holiday festival during the evening.

People at an outdoor event flying large, colorful butterfly-shaped kites.

Large crowd attending outdoor music festival with a giant orange and yellow bird puppet in the air.

Large puppet of a wolf, illuminated with blue and purple lights, in a dark stage setting.

Woman dressed in a red and white candy-themed costume, holding a candy cane prop, smiling, in front of a brick building with the sign 'N E V A D A' behind her.

Group of people in white outfits participating in a parade, holding colorful flags and banners, with two large puppets on stilts, one resembling a Tiger and the other a lion, and a performer in a red dress with rainbow-colored wings on a sunny day wi

Performance scene with three women in long skirts and dark tops, illuminated by hanging star-shaped lanterns in a dark setting.

An indoor stage set up for a performance inside a decorated church or auditorium with ornate gold and red interior, featuring a pipe organ at the back, a person in a white dress performing, and audience members watching.

Crowd at a festival with people holding a colorful dragon kite and a large puppet head, sunny day with clear sky, some people wearing sunglasses and hats.

A large group of musicians performing on an outdoor stage at night, decorated with colorful banners and props, with a rainbow flag waving in the air.

A woman with colorful clown makeup and dark blue hair lying on a multicolored fabric, smiling with an open mouth, next to a large plush toy of a cartoon wizard with a long nose and a red and purple hat.

Nighttime parade with illuminated lanterns shaped like faces and stars, people dressed in costumes, and a large glowing leaf-shaped lantern, with trees in the background.

Performer singing into microphone at outdoor event with colorful butterfly decoration and crowd under bright sky.

People participating in a night festival parade, carrying colorful dragon and lion lantern sculptures, with onlookers watching along a street under a dark evening sky.

A large illuminated lantern sculpture of a fox with antlers, standing outdoors at dusk.

A man and a young girl holding a large, colorful, bird-shaped kite with dragonfly-like wings, flying it outdoors on a sunny day.

Crowd of people at a pride event holding rainbow flags and banners with city skyline in the background.

People on a bridge holding large butterfly and skull-shaped kite decorations with a clear blue sky in the background.

A flamboyant drag queen with long white hair and elaborate floral headpiece, dressed in a red gown, standing outdoors with other people in the background and a clear blue sky.

Colorful Nativity scene with three large papier-mâché faces representing Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, surrounded by green plants, a water basin, and a clay pot, inside a wooden-paneled room.

People in colorful Christmas costumes and mascot costumes like Peppa Pig and characters from The Grinch and the holiday season, standing outside at night in front of decorated trees with lights, some waving and posing.

Group of five people dressed in colorful, bohemian clothing, holding large butterfly-shaped and insect-themed kites at an outdoor festival or gathering during sunset.

People participating in a parade or festival, holding colorful butterfly and flower puppets, with spectators watching in the background, and a banner advertising a dance theater event.

Person flying a large colorful kite with wings resembling a bird, in an outdoor area during the daytime.

Street scene with large colorful festival puppets on stilts, children in costumes, and people walking around in a fall festival setting.

People flying colorful butterfly and rainbow flags in an outdoor urban area during a sunny day.

A group of protesters on outdoor stairs holding signs and plush animal puppets, advocating for environmental and animal conservation. The protesters have umbrellas and are dressed in costumes, with city buildings and palm trees in the background.

A large puppet with a woman's face and pink headscarf holding a pink sign that says, 'I SAY I AM STRONGER THAN FEAR.' - MALALA YOUSAFZAI, at an outdoor festival.

A green ceramic head bust with closed eyes, adorned with small white shells on the top, resting on a surface surrounded by colorful fabrics and objects at an outdoor event.

A woman dressed in colorful clothing and a feathered hat, standing on stilts inside a greenhouse, holding a vibrant yellow and red flag with abstract patterns, surrounded by potted plants.

People participating in a pride parade, holding rainbow flags and puppet balloons, with colorful rainbow banners, in an outdoor urban plaza setting.

People participating in an outdoor event or parade holding large, colorful butterfly-shaped kites in the air, with a crowd and modern buildings in the background.

People at a park with colorful rainbow flags during a sunny day, some sitting on the grass, some walking or talking, with trees and houses in the background.

A woman and a young girl enjoying an outdoor event, with the woman holding a large blue butterfly-shaped kite and the girl reaching out to touch it, in front of a modern building with people walking around.

HSMF_Crowd Butterfly_photo by Ryan Salm.jpeg

Matt Wong Photo - toni-joey (440 of 548).jpeg

Group of people walking outdoors, each holding colorful dragon-shaped flags on sticks, in a natural landscape with trees and a clear sky.

About Us

Hello!

Artjoy creates immersive, participatory art experiences that invite people to make, build, and imagine together.

From intimate studio workshops in silk painting, pottery, and hands-on craft to monumental public spectacles featuring giant puppets, parades, and large-scale installations, Artjoy works at every scale of creativity—from the tabletop to the street.

Founded by artist and director Toni Mikulka-Chang, Artjoy is rooted in the belief that art is not something you only observe—it is something you enter, touch, and help create. Our projects bring people together across ages, backgrounds, and experience levels to collaborate, build, and experience what’s possible when imagination becomes physical.

We work with:

Communities and schools
Festivals and public events
Organizations and companies
Artists, educators, and culture-makers

Whether you’re painting silk, shaping clay, building a giant puppet, or helping bring a large-scale installation to life, Artjoy is about participation, presence, and shared creation.

Artjoy is immersive art, made together.

Meet our Founder

Toni Mikulka-Chang

A woman posing with a colorful furry monster puppet on a theater stage framed by ornate curtains and decorations.

A woman holding a large colorful dragonfly-shaped kite indoors against a plain white wall and wooden floor.

Toni Mikulka-Chang is a multidisciplinary artist, puppeteer, and community arts producer dedicated to hands-on creativity and immersive, participatory art. She began working with puppets at age five and has been making pottery since she was fifteen.

She studied art at the State University of New York and trained in giant puppetry and stilt walking through an apprenticeship with Bread and Puppet Theater, later working with organizations including the Seattle Solstice Parade, Fremont Arts Council, and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. After moving to California, she spent five years as a resident puppeteer and art teacher at a children’s museum, specializing in early childhood education.

In 2010, she founded Giant Puppets Save the World, which has since grown into ArtJoy.org — a creative studio and platform bringing immersive art to people of all ages, from workshops to large-scale public performances. ArtJoy is based in Nevada City, California and serves Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.

Featured Art From ArtJoy

She Rose Tour

Our favorite visionary songstress, Marya Stark, brought out our Phoenix Rose Birds and Heart Puppet to perform for the She Rose Tour with an amazing cast of dancers and musicians.
Glowing Sacred Geometry Star Props

Our glowing star props dotted the stage to create a magical element of the night sky for these dancers during Marya Stark’s performance of “Stargazer” in Santa Cruz this year.
Giant Puppet Parades

This giant puppets of water represents what happens when we poison our waters with pollutants and is a call to action for water protectors. The Buddha head dress in front represents peace, release of suffering, meditation and equality. Both puppets are made from papíer maché.
Star Tetrahedron Lanterns

Our beautiful glowing star tetrahedron lanterns were performed in the She Rose show for Marya Stark’s song Stargazer. They are made of bamboo, paper, silk, wood glue, kite swivel parts, and fairy lights. They spin freely.