Sellwood museum open, offers puppet-making kits

At last, the Portland Puppet Museum has reopened. Learn more about this unique East Portland cultural and entertainment attraction …

Ready to again welcome visitors the Portland Puppet Museum, with plenty of with sanitation supplies on hand, are proprietors photo Marty Richmond and Steve Overton and friends.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Their displays are ready, including an exclusive second-story exhibition spaces for unique doll houses, but it looks as of Sellwood’s Portland Puppet Museum but it looked as if the couldn’t reopen to the public until Multnomah County moved into COVID-19 coronavirus “Phase 2” restrictions.

That’s what partner Steve Overton told East Portland News in mid-August. “But, with social distancing and sanitizing protocols, Portland’s “palace of puppets” has reopened it’s door.

These puppet parts are destined to become entertaining performers, once finished at home by kids and adults.

While they waited to open their in-person exhibit to visitors – featuring puppets and scenes created by world-famous puppet makers from the Portland – Overton said they’ve been busy putting together new puppet-making kits for kids and adults to enjoy.

“Because we couldn’t do in-person workshops, as we typically offered during the summer, we created at-home puppet kits – complete with heads and body parts, costume material, jewels, and all the things needed to operate either a marionette, or rod puppet,” Overton explained.

A wide variety of kits are available, permitting the budding puppeteer to make the character if their dreams.

The teaching of how to do it is done online, with step-by-step videos, illustrating just how to put the puppet together and perform with it.

Also, when visiting the museum, check out their new upstairs “gift shop”. In addition to puppets they’ve created, there’s memorabilia from movies they’ve produced, puppet costume fabrics and trims from around the world, and unique puppets created by other builders.

The Portland Puppet Museum, located at 906 SE Umatilla Street. 97202, is open Thursday to Sunday from 2 – 8 pm. Masks (provided if you forgot yours) and social distancing are required. Find out more at their website: CLICK HERE.

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