Leo Reichert enjoys welcoming people to his business Cabin Antiques on Highway 61 in Grand Marais. He also wanted to welcome people to Grand Marais with some cheerful artwork. He recruited his friend, Lisa Stauffer who normally works in pastels but took on the challenge of painting bright poppies on Leo’s larger than life canvas. To see more of Stauffer’s artwork, on traditional canvas, visit her website lisastauffer.com.[/caption%5D
Motorists coming down the hill into Grand Marais have likely noticed a bright new splash of color at Cabin Antiques on the highway. The plain white garage door has been transformed into a canvas, a beautiful painting of bright orange poppies.
Cabin Antiques owner Leo Reichert is happy to share the story behind the cheerful artwork, courtesy of his friend Lisa Stauffer. Reichert said Stauffer, an award-winning artist who has had her work displayed at the Johnson Heritage Post and other venues, normally paints in soft pastels— and on more normal-sized canvas. “We kind of twisted her arm to do this,” said Reichert.
Reichert said he and his wife Liz spend part of the year in Arizona and they travel through small towns throughout the United States, seeking out items for their antique store. He noted that they see a lot of art in small towns like Grand Marais. “It gives the impression that people have pride in their community,” said Reichert.
Reichert wanted to promote that civic pride and reinforce the importance of art by decorating his garage door in a very special way. The Reicherts have grown poppies in their tidy yard for years, so when they considered a special painting on the garage door, a sprig of poppies was the perfect fit.
Stauffer was a bit reluctant to tackle such a large project however. She doesn’t normally paint floral scenes. And she certainly doesn’t paint on such a huge canvas. She accepted the challenge, however, and this spring this new addition to Grand Marais started welcoming visitors.
Reichert said it has drawn a lot of attention. “People are stopping by and asking, ‘Where can I get a painting like that?’” he said.
Reichert smiles and encourages them to contact his artist-friend Lisa Stauffer or any one of the many artists on the North Shore. “That is what we wanted to do,” he explained. “We wanted to encourage more art in our community.”
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