Bear Unveiling: Brother Bradham Bear

Join St. John’s lodge No. 3 A.F. & A.M. for the unveiling of the newest Bear Town Bear Statue, Brother Bradham Bear, at St. John’s Masonic Lodge at 516 Hancock Street in downtown New Bern on June 14th at 11 am. The new Bear was designed and painted by local artist Ashley McDaniel. This event is free and open to the public.

Brother Bradham Bear is the newest Bear Town Bear, featuring a standing bear in the traditional vestments of a Freemason, including a hat, collar, ring and apron. It is named after famous Pepsi creator Caleb Bradham, who was a member of St. John’s Lodge No. 3., a Past Master and Past Secretary. Built in 1801, the Lodge building, located on Hancock Street, is the oldest Masonic Lodge in New Bern, and one of the oldest structures in continuous use in New Bern. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Buildings Survey. Tours of the historic Blue Lodge room will be available that day.

The Bear Town Bears project was founded in 2010 for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the City of New Bern. Founded by Swiss immigrants from Berne, Switzerland, they adopted the name and symbol of their home city for the new town. Fifty bears were created by local artists and sponsored by local businesses to celebrate the founding of the city. Today the bears are enjoyed by residents, tourists, and community members across New Bern. To date there are more than 100 bears, with more added each year.

Ashley McDaniel is a local artist and art teacher at New Bern High School. She creates work in a variety of mediums, including painting, digital media, and small-scale carvings. Much of her work is uses motifs from history and art history, drawing on styles such as art deco, art nouveau, and others. Brother Bradham Bear is her third Bear Town Bear.