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Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden
Ramona Quimby is the beloved young heroine of Beverly Cleary's whimsical books about growing up in Northeast Portland. She has been immortalized in the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden for Children in Portland's Grant Park (which is four blocks from the real Klickitat Street).
Portland artist Lee Hunt sculpted the statues of the three Cleary characters in clay, and then had them cast in bronze. Fountains are under Ramona's and Ribsy's feet, perfect for kids to splash in during warm weather. Around the concrete fountain slab are granite plaques engraved with the titles of the Cleary books that take place in Portland. These include all the Henry Huggins books, Ribsy, Otis Spofford and all the books involving Ramona and her older sister Beezus.
The dedication of the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden on October 13, 1995 was a great celebration! Over 1000 people came on a beautiful afternoon to see local actors in the roles of Henry, Ribsy and Ramona, unveil the three sculptures. Beverly Cleary spoke about growing up in the neighborhood and shared her memories of Grant Park and Grant High School in the 1930s.
The sculpture garden is just south of the playground in Grant Park on N.E. 33rd Ave., between Knott Street and Broadway, adjacent to Grant High School. You can't see it from 33rd; you must actually come into the park to find the statues. The Portland Parks Department will turn on the water when weather and conditions permit.
Lee Hunt has also sculpted two terracotta busts of Ramona that are now in the Gresham Regional Library, 10 miles east of Grant Park. In one of the busts, Ramona's smiling smugly; in the other, she's mad! They were gifts of the Gresham Grade School Teachers Association, and Mrs. Cleary attended the dedication ceremony at the Gresham Regional Library on February 24, 1996. If you can, come visit these great new statues.
Do you want to write Beverly Cleary? You may write her (sorry, no e-mail) at:
Beverly Cleary
c/o Morrow Junior Books
1350 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
Other Beverly Cleary websites:
- The World of Bevery Cleary from HarperCollins Children's Books
- Beverly Cleary for teachers by Inez Ramsey of James Madison University
