November 15, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … CM2-Children’s Museum and the Oregon Symphony team up to celebrate the 100th birthday of America’s favorite bear with two special appearances by Symphony musicians and President Tony Woodcock on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Children’s Museum. CM2-Children’s Museum is located at 4015 S.W. Canyon Road, across from the Oregon Zoo.
The events coincide with the Museum’s month-long exhibit of historic and contemporary teddy bears, which opens Dec. 3 and continues through Jan. 5, and preview the Symphony’s presentation of a special Kids Holiday Concert, “Paddington Bear’s First Christmas Concert,” on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 1 and 3 p.m.
A Symphony Brass Trio will present a performance and “instrument petting zoo” at the Museum on Friday, Dec. 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. After a short performance including holiday selections, children and their parents will be invited to hold and to play the instruments with the help of the Oregon Symphony musicians. All audience members will also have a chance to win tickets to “Paddington Bear’s First Christmas Concert.”
Fans of Paddington Bear can enjoy a sneak preview of the Symphony’s Kids Holiday Concert on Saturday, Dec. 14, when Symphony President Tony Woodcock, the narrator for the concerts, reads the Paddington Bear Christmas story at 2 p.m. during the Museum’s regular storytime. Again, all audience members will have a chance to win tickets for the concert.
The inspiration for the first teddy bear originated with an editorial cartoon that appeared in the Washington Post in 1902. President Teddy Roosevelt, on a hunting trip in Mississippi, refused to shoot a bear cub that had been captured for him. Two New York merchants who saw the cartoon subsequently created “Teddy’s bear,” which was an immediate success. Since then, teddy bears have become beloved companions to generations of children worldwide. They have also marked a number of historic occasions, including mourning bears created to honor the victims of the Titanic in 1912, and a royal bear produced for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1952.
CM2’s teddy bear exhibit will feature teddy bears of all sizes, shapes, colors and designs. The bears, drawn from the collections of Portland Paws’ members, run the gamut from valuable historic bears to storybook bears, advertising bears, character bears, miniatures and bears from around the world. Bears from the Museum’s own collection will be available for hugs and cuddles, arranged in a hands-on play space.
Everyone who purchases tickets to “Paddington Bear’s First Christmas Concert” can receive $1 off CM2 admission from Dec. 3 through Jan. 5, 2003 when they show their Symphony ticket or stub. Parking is free, and the Museum is also accessible via the MAX Blue Line or Tri-Met Bus #63. For more information call the Symphony at 503-228-4294 or CM2-Children’s Museum at 503-223-6500. Further information is available on the Museum’s Web site at www.portlandcm2.org.