5.13.10

TYLER, TX (May 13, 2010) – Elephants! Puppets! And music, oh my! Children and their families may enjoy an extraordinary weekend of unique performances offered in anticipation of the upcoming Tyler Museum of Art exhibition called Babar’s Museum of Art. Experience the excitement of an original puppet show, performed by members of the Tyler Civic Theatre’s London Troupe on Saturday. Then on Sunday, take a trip to the Caldwell Zoo, where you can join the elephants at the African Overlook for a special concert arranged and performed by members of the Tyler Youth Orchestra.

TCT’s Original Interactive Puppet Show • Saturday, May 22 • 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Presented from the Tyler Civic Theatre’s lovely outdoor terrace will be two performances of a puppet show viewers will never forget! Written and directed by the TCT’s Felicity Enas, the puppet show tells the story of how Babar the Elephant and his wife Celeste transformed an old, abandoned train station into an art museum. Participants will enjoy this clever and hilarious performance, which will be offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Tyler Civic Theatre is located in Tyler at 400 Rose Park Drive, next to the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Both performances are free!

Music for the Elephants • Sunday, May 23 • 2 p.m.

Visitors will enjoy the scenic beauty of the Caldwell Zoo’s African Overlook while listening to live music arranged and performed by members of the Tyler Youth Orchestra. The performance begins at 2 p.m. and will feature songs like “Baby Elephant Walk,” and “L’histoire de Babar.” Zoo admission fees apply. The Caldwell Zoo is located at 2203 Martin Luther King Drive in Tyler.

Passport to Summer Fun & Learning Opportunities

Visitors to these and all Babar-related events may pick up a copy of the Passport, which will serve as a guide to all local events that have been developed and hosted by the TMA and its 12 partner organizations. The Passport works like a roadmap to summer fun and unique learning opportunities that have been designed to develop art themes and related information from the exhibition Babar’s Museum of Art, which will be on view at the TMA June 6–August 22. At each event, Passport holders will receive “stamps” (stickers) for their Passports. Those who collect enough stamps may enter to win a grand prize drawing. Complete details on the Passport, Babar’s Museum of Art, events and special programming may be found by logging on to www.tylermuseum.org.

For more information about “Music for the Elephants,” and the Tyler Civic Theatre’s interactive puppet show, call the TMA at 903.595.1001 or log on to www.tylermuseum.org.

The Tyler Museum of Art, accredited by the American Association of Museums, is located at 1300 S. Mahon Ave., adjacent to the Tyler Junior College campus off East Fifth Street. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. (The Museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.) Lunch is available in the Museum Café from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and the TMA Gift Shop is open during Museum hours. For more information, call (903) 595-1001 or visit www.tylermuseum.org.