Surrounded by Art: Rabbit, Bird & Bear Fine Art & Gifts

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The name for her art gallery in Bayfield came, says Michelle LeBeau, courtesy of her grandson, who was 13 at the time she was creating her shop. 

“When I asked him what he thought we should name the shop, he immediately said, ‘Rabbit, Bird and Bear’ after three of the artists (his favorites) that we work with.” Those three are Rabbett Before Horses Strickland, the late Leah Yellowbird and her grandson’s dad, a knife-maker under the name Spirit Bear.

Michelle already knew many regional artists when she retired from heading the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) in Duluth. Retirement, she discovered, was not quite what she thought it would be. “When I retired from AICHO I got bored really quickly,” she chuckles. She cast about for a new career … and realized she already had

contacts for a group of creative people who she wanted to help succeed. It was a step closer to becoming an art gallery owner.

“I had spent the last 13 years working for a non-profit organization where I worked with a team to develop and curate art galleries as well as starting a gift shop. After retirement, I was meeting with one of the artists who lived in Red Cliff, and he suggested I open a gift shop in Bayfield. Since I couldn’t find a space in Bayfield, I opened a ‘pop-up’ gift shop in Ehlers General Store in Cornucopia in May of 2023. … We had a really fun summer there and lots of good connections with local people. … The shop was very successful, but was seasonal.”

Michelle later opened a gallery in Duluth under the same name, and in January of 2024, leased a location in Bayfield and opened there in February 2024. She closed the Duluth shop this year to concentrate on the Bayfield location, which is in the heart of where many of her featured artists live. The artist who suggested the Bayfield local was Rabbett, one of her grandson’s favorites, who had been pondering his own studio in town, but was pleased to work with Michelle instead.

Rabbit, Bird & Bear showcases regional artists, but also features the books of regional authors and the products of the regional harvest. “We carry wild rice and jams and jellies and maple syrup and a variety of foods and a good selection of books,” Michelle says.

Among the pleasures of a shop in Bayfield, she says, is working with the Bayfield Chamber & Visitor Bureau and with the community of business owners.

“Bayfield chamber is one of the best chambers I’ve worked with in terms of promotion … getting travelers to come up and see what there is even in the off season.”

For that reason, Michelle can keep the shop open, though with reduced hours, through the winter. 

Michelle tries to make sure what she offers does not compete with her neighbors’ stores. “That was important to me. When you come into my gallery, you’re not going to see the same items down the street. It’s filled with art that I, myself, would put in my house.”

Proximity to the artists in her shop offers wonderful opportunities, she notes, like special presentations. In September, actor, jewelry maker and ledger art painter Michael Horse gave a talk to launch an exhibit of his work. The shop also currently has work by mural and beadwork and jewelry artist Rita VanderVenter.

In addition to scheduled events, Michelle says gallery browsers shouldn’t be surprised if the artists whose work is on the wall walk into the shop. They often are more than willing to answer questions and have conversations. Children especially, she has found, ask the best questions about art.

“Even if people don’t buy,” says Michelle, “we’ve set it up so it’s a very friendly place.”

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