Media Contacts
Beth Blenz-Clucas
(503) 293-9498
Lindsey McBride
(503) 238-9508 |
When you open the large wooden doors to enter The Monkey & The Rat’s original Old Town location, you enter a different world. Soft daylight streams in the mottled glass window panes of the old Merchant Hotel building location (131 NW Second Street in Portland, Oregon) as your eyes land on one intriguing object after another. First, you might notice the imposing Thai spirit house, a museum quality, 8 foot tall, colorfully hand-painted structure typically found guarding homes all over Thailand. It sets the spiritual stage for the many other Thai and east Asian treasures in the store. With products as various as vividly colored silk scarves, intricate wood carvings, children’s percussive toys, antique furnishings, rugs, textiles and delightful clothing and jewelry, The Monkey & The Rat offers a seemingly endless choice of quality goods for the home and personal enjoyment, all in a delightful setting where shopping is comfortable and relaxed.
The Portland Old Town location, between the Saturday Market and the Chinese Classical Garden, is a favorite spot for locals and for travelers who stop by whenever they are in town. Over the past six years, it has truly become a destination retailer and a trailblazing hotspot for the Old Town revival.
In 2006, store owner Christopher Yarrow (the “Rat” to his former partner’s “Monkey”) decided to reach out to another Portland community and open a second location, a cozy spot in the burgeoning Alberta Arts District (2217 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Oregon). Throngs of people of all ages enjoy international music, crafty vendors and contemporary artists’ personal displays every month at the street’s Last Thursday celebrations.
Christopher, who has a background in art and art history, travels extensively every year to choose each item for his stores. “We have anecdotes and histories for all of the objects,” he recently told a reporter. “We like sharing our experiences about when we bought a certain piece – a vignette from our travels that connects the buyer to the source and the people who make them.”
Christopher looks for sustainable, fairly traded items on his expeditions, and the result is an artful, often one-of-a-kind mix of products in both stores. Some of the items are rare and irreplaceable, while most offerings are affordable and perfect for everyday use. “We want to make sure every customer finds something unique and wonderful, or simply to have a mini-vacation when they visit. Many customers get the "travel bug" when they see what has traveled this far, thus far.”
The Monkey & The Rat is the frequent host of community events, many of which raise funds for local non-profit organizations, including SOAP (Student Opera at PSU), Green Empowerment, Operation Respect, Ethos, the Oregon Food Bank, CACO (Cambodian American Community of Oregon), PHLUSH (Public Higiene Lets us Stay Human) and Village Focus International. The Monkey & The Rat has raised and donated about $10,000 in funds over the past six years to these and other local organizations.
Every once in awhile, Christopher’s father Peter (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame) drops by The Monkey & The Rat and launches a jam session. Peter’s little-known talent is his ability to choose the perfect handmade earring or necklace for a happy customer. He has a self-proclaimed “black belt” in shopping.u
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