Forest Lawn Museum(Glendale) is hosting a retrospective exhibition titled “Bob Baker Marionette Theater: 60 Years of Joy & Wonder” through March 19, 2023. The theater and its founder left an indelible mark on puppetry, the local community and American popular culture. Examining the beauty and history of this beloved Los Angeles institution, the exhibition features approximately 100 artifacts, including handcrafted marionettes, original concept art, archival photographs, an animatronic band and more.

Bob Baker, who died in 2014 at age 90, began creating puppets in the 1930s and opened his permanent marionette theater in 1963. The exhibition looks at his early years as a puppeteering prodigy, follows his career and the development of the theater and concludes by examining his enduring legacy and recent creations from the Bob Baker Puppet Workshop.

Exhibition highlights include a visually stunning history of “Something to Crow About,” a whimsical farm-themed story and one of the theater’s most popular and longest-running shows. In addition, colorful set designs, character sketches, marionettes and archival photographs from early performances illustrate how the multisensory puppet show became a favorite for generations of children and adults alike.

In other news, Forest Lawn held its 63rd annual Veterans Day celebration November 11. Offered as a hybrid event, visitors could attend in person outside the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn’s Hollywood Hills location or watch via Facebook Live.

Program highlights included a keynote speech by Dr. Brenda Threatt of the U.S. Coast Guard; musical performances by the Los Angeles Police Concert Band and John Broadous Chorale; a military flyover by the Condor Squadron; color guard gun salute by the Los Angeles Police Department; and family-friendly arts and crafts, face painting, a visit from Uncle Sam and patriotic treats.

Finally, Forest Lawn recently unveiled The Woodlands at Covina Hills, a cremation garden featuring more than 3,000 cremation property spaces. The development offers a selection of cremation estates and niche property with capacities ranging from two to eight urns; more than 1,000 cremation rocks comprising 48 different sizes, shapes and color combinations; native California landscaping among meandering paths; a bronze statue by T.K. Liang, and floral glass-and-steel sculptures by British artist Jenny Pickford; bubbling fountains; and inspirational poetic phrases on a 10-foot artistic backdrop featuring colorful blown-glass flowers set into steel frames. forestlawn.com