AMHERST, N.Y. — Life rarely unfolds as you expect, but there’s something to be said for commitment to craft. Things have changed for art teacher and viral puppeteer Adam Kreutinger as a brain cancer diagnosis has put obstacle after obstacle in his way. His commitment is still driving Adam and everything his family has built in the space of art, education and play.

"My goal in life is to really make puppetry seen as more of an art form," said Kreutinger in his classroom in early 2024.

It's been a long road and a high bar, but Kreutinger has taken every blow from life and continued on that journey.

"One thing I realize is that most people don't see puppets as artwork," he said. "So I thought about what's the best way to let people see puppets as artwork. So what I decided to do was show puppetry through multiple mediums."

The show is encapsulating 15 years of work despite countless obstacles now ranging from his world-famous puppetry to paintings, drawings and even his latest book with simple puppets to help act it out.

"So the idea is to have something that's a little more formal of a script so the kids can actually, like, literally play," Kreutinger said. "I mean, I love it when they come up with their own stories, but I feel like sometimes having a little bit of a template gives them something to start with."

The spark of creativity and education struck early, but a stint on 'Worst Cooks in America' took it to another level compliments of an Anne Burrell doppelgänger.

"I think it was one of my favorite moments. I don't think it was one of hers, honestly, because we started the other thing," Kreutinger said.

That was swiftly followed by disaster.

"The hardest thing was I was diagnosed with the cancer a week after coming back from this. Especially that summer, I really tried to crank out as much as I could, knowing what was potentially coming," said Kreutinger.

His partner in every aspect, Maria has seen that drive every step of the way.

"This is Adam's second craniotomy," Kreutinger's wife said, pointing to a drawing in a section of the gallery. "So he had the surgery on this the 14th. He had it on Valentine's Day and this was completed two days after. That's how Adam kind of sees everything and no matter what happens to him, no matter what's going to happen, he is going to find a way. God willing, he's going to figure it out. And that's like, what is the best part about Adam."

Through all that, several procedures and medical episodes can't keep him from inspiring.

"Being able to see everything and being able to have Adam see everything and see all of the people all over the world that he has inspired, that's just magical," she added.

So to find out this gallery at Daemen University that was supposed to be two weeks being extended to almost three months? No surprise.

"It just shows how great and influential his work has been to, you know, many people local and also, outside of Western New York," said gallery director Brian Hammer.

"What a beautiful legacy," Maria said. "You know, no matter what happens, knowing that Adam was able to be here."

"I really hope that people look up things that I've done and say, 'if he can do it, I can do it too,' " said Kreutinger.