The O'Neill Puppetry Conference was established by key founding members Jane Henson, George Latshaw, Richard Termine, Bobbie Nidzgorski, Bart P. Roccoberton Jr., and Jim and Margo Rose in 1990. 

The mission of the conference is to encourage puppet artists to create and communicate through the visual and kinetic form of the puppet, push beyond their personal boundaries and develop new works for puppet theater, while reinforcing strong dramatic structure. Participants collaborate with renowned guest directors, puppet artists and playwrights to develop innovative productions conceived by guest artists, as well as presentations initiated by the conference participants.

For eight days each summer, puppet artists have the opportunity to explore various performance styles through workshops and rehearsals, master classes, and individual critique sessions. The Conference culminates with two public performances, featuring works which explore the extraordinary range and power of the puppet.

Past conference participants have gone on to work in such puppetry venues as The Henson International Festival of Puppet Theatre (New York City), HERE Arts Center (New York City), The Puppet Showplace (Brookline, Massachusetts), The Sandglass Theatre (Vermont) The Center for Puppetry Arts (Atlanta), Zeum (San Francisco) and on television shows including "Sesame Street," "Between the Lions," "Bear in the Big Blue House," and "Crank Yankers."

The O'Neill Puppetry Conference is sponsored by the Rose Endowment for Puppetry established by Jane Henson and dedicated to the legacies of Bil Baird, Jim Henson, Rufus and Margo Rose, Don Sahlin, Martin Stevens, Burr Tillstrom and Brad Williams and to the spirit with which they shared their artistry and themselves.