Portland Puppet Museum: A unique, entertaining ode to an ancient art
Marionette puppets, like Queen Elizabeth pictured here on the left, take ~250 hours to build. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
Nestled in the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, on a quiet street a few blocks from the river, is a gateway to an ancient form of storytelling. Easily overlooked, the beige shop with red and brown trim is home to scores of puppets — and a man with a gift.
Steven Overton opened the Portland Puppet Museum at the shop on Southeast Umatilla Street in 2011. The building itself has been a Portland fixture since its construction in the 1880s, originally home to Campbell’s Grocery where local ferry commuters purchased supplies.
Today, an array of puppets peer out of the museum’s windows — an imaginative amuse-bouche of what awaits visitors inside. Stepping through the front door immediately broadens your understanding of just how vast and old the art of puppetry is (fun fact: it dates back at least 4,000 years to the Egyptians).
The building has been the home of The Olde World Puppet Theatre Studios since 1992.
Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
A beautifully crafted, roughly 2-ft-tall likeness of Queen Elizabeth wearing an intricate, bejeweled ball gown stands near the entrance. Steven, the puppet’s creator, said a photo of this particular puppet was rumored to have graced the late Elizabeth II’s desk.
Every inch of space is carefully curated to display rotating collections of puppets of every size, shape, and origin. Some 2,700 puppets are housed at the museum, though most are in storage, awaiting their turn in the spotlight. Many are rare, one-of-a-kind items made generations ago; others are TV famous. The space also hosts performances and workshops.
But arguably the most interesting draw to the Portland Puppet Museum is Steven himself. An art school graduate and certified master puppeteer, he’s personally built upwards of 3,000 puppets and has performed live and broadcasted shows for countless audiences. Despite the death of his life and business partner, Martin Richmond, in November, Steven continues to fulfill his mission: to educate, amaze, and bring joy to the community.
Steven Overton demonstrated many different puppet types during our visit.
Gif by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
Stop by sometime. You’ll learn a lot about puppets and meet a local treasure. The museum is open Thursday-Sunday, 2-8 p.m. Admission is by donation.
“American Fast” | Wednesday, Jan. 11-Sunday, Jan. 29 | Times vary | Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland | $5-$60 | Follow a top-ranked college basketball star as she leads her team into the finals and grapples with her faith.
Thursday, Jan. 12
Reel Science: The Arctic | Thursday, Jan. 12 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | OMSI, Empirical Theater, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $7-$8 | Dive deeper into a world few have personally experienced with a lecture and Q+A with conservationists, followed by a 45-minute screening of “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness.”
Friday, Jan. 13
“Moulin Rouge” | Friday, Jan. 13-Sunday, Jan. 15 | Times vary | Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., Portland | $44.75-$169.75 | Rub elbows with Bohemians and aristocrats with this electrical and enchanting musical, come what may.
Saturday, Jan. 14
PlanetCon: A Free Recycling, Reuse and Sustainability Fair | Saturday, Jan. 14 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Portland Community College Rock Creek, 17705 NW Springville Rd., Portland | Free | Drop off items for Metro to recycle or properly dispose of, donate usable items like bikes and eyeglasses, bring broken household things to be repaired, and take home some free winter holiday decor.
Home Team Season Opener! | Saturday, Jan. 14 | 5-10 p.m. | The Hangar at Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland | $20-$35 | The Rose City Rollers are back with two back-to-back games featuring some of Portland’s finest derby athletes.
Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” with the Oregon Symphony | Saturday, Jan. 14-Monday, Jan. 16 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $25-$129 | Nearly 113 years ago, Igor Stravinksy entered a Paris theater as an unknown composer and left as a celebrity after performing this sumptuous score; now, his music will rise again.
Sunday, Jan. 15
The Feminine Gothic: Victorian and American Horror | Sunday, Jan. 15-Sunday, Feb. 19 | 5-7 p.m. | Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington St., Portland | $245 | Discover how four horror novels from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries can crack open the door to discussions of sociology, repression, trauma, and more.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
West Linn City Council has appointed23-year-oldRory Bialostosky as interim mayor after former Mayor Jules Walters resigned last month. Bialostosky was West Linn’s youngest-ever city councilor when he was elected at 21; he’s now the city’s youngest mayor and will fill the role until a special election in May. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Opening
Monster Tea House, a bubble tea shop offering whimsical, themed drinks in Southeast Portland, is opening a new location this week in Lake Oswego. A soft opening celebration will take place this Saturday and Sunday(Jan. 14-15) at 333 S. State St. featuring special deals and giveaways. 🧋
Sports
Soccer fans, you’ll soon be hearing from Portland Timbers legendary midfielder Diego Valeri and former Timbers broadcaster Jake Zivin. The pair will be regular play-by-play voices for MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, which is available for subscription starting Wednesday, Feb. 1. ⚽ (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Terry Porter, a two-time NBA All-Star and Portland Trail Blazers guard from 1985 to 1995, has returned to Rip City to serve as an alumni ambassador. Porter will work to build relationships with other former Blazers, appear on pre, half, and postgame shows, and attend local events, among other duties. 🏀 (NBA)
Award
Two honeys from Portland-based Jacobsen Salt Co. are Good Food Awards finalists. The awards, organized by the nonprofit Good Food Foundation, recognize “the contributions of American craft food producers in creating a tasty, authentic, and responsible food system.” Winners will be announced at a public event on Friday, April 21. 🍯
The Willamette River is in the running for “Best Urban Kayaking Spot” in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2023. Show the river that bisects Rose City some love by voting for itevery day until 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 6; winning waterways will be revealed on Friday, Feb. 17. 🛶
Job
Imagine spending the summer in a fairy tale land, complete with a castle, moat, and cobblestone streets… while earning money. Beloved Oregon theme park Enchanted Forestis looking for seasonal champions — er, employees — to help keep the pretzel cheese flowing and the visitors merry. Apply now; opening day is Friday, March 24. 🏰
In the market for a new job? Join the 6AM City team. We’re hiring a Sales Executive to lead our advertising relationships. This exec would have the opportunity to sell into 25 cities across the country, identifying and securing new advertising partnerships, and growing existing client relationships — all while earning a competitive salary with unlimited PTO. Learn more + apply.
Learn
If one of your New Year’s resolutions includes learning a new language — now’s your time to shine. Babbel is offering 55% off subscriptions for a limited time. How does it work?Short, 10-minute lessons(designed by real language teachers) will make you conversational in as little as three weeks of consistent practice. First step: Pick a language. 🌏 *
Finance
This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement — and its free tool can match you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area who can help you work towards financial freedom. Try it for yourself. 💸 *
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OUTDOORS
A helping hand for hummingbirds 🐦
How to help hummingbirds survive winter weather
A female Anna’s hummingbird surveys the menu. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
The Anna’s hummingbird is Oregon’s only overwintering hummingbird species, but when temperatures dramatically plummeted last month, one plucky individualsought out warmth in a Portland home. Its story had a happy ending, but others aren’t always so lucky.
Here are some tips from the Portland Audubon Society to help these beautiful, tiny birds survive a cold snap:
Anna’s hummingbirds conserve energy by lowering their body temperatures by half (a behavior called “torpor”). If you see a hummer sitting motionless, don’t panic — it’s just enjoying a mini-hibernation.
As a result of their fast metabolisms, a hummingbird can starve within hours. In winter, they eat insects and sap from holes in trees drilled by woodpeckers. While they don’t need it to survive, you can help supplement their diet by hanging a feeder full of sugar water.
Hand warmers, string lights, foam, or even a thick sock can be placed around feeders (we like this one) — filled with a mix of four parts water to one part white sugar — to keep them from freezing.
Editor’s pick: A hummingbird feeder hangs outside the window next to my desk and, as I typed today’s story about the Portlander who recently helped an unexpected house guest, I was serenaded by my own neighborhood hummers. I love listening to their squeaks as they dive-bomb one another for access to the feeder — and my cat loves watching them (and squeaking at them), too. But I suspect for other, more nefarious purposes.
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Editorial:Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
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