When I think about immersing myself in the culture of a location, seeing art and visiting shops immediately comes to mind. When I visited Brevard, I was lucky enough to experience both of those things in the same location. Lézard Brevard is an eclectic wonderland of art from dozens of talented local artists. Located in a 150-year-old farmhouse, the shop has everything from quilts to jewelry to ceramics and so much more. In April of 2019, owner Pam LeBauve opened Lézard with her college-aged daughter after living in Brevard for just over 2 years. While Pam had another job nearby, her passion for art and creativity remained. When what was Mountain Forest Pottery went up for sale, Pam and her daughter determined that they could not pass up the amazing opportunity to connect to the community, each other, and their creative sides. Since its opening, Pam says she’s found her tribe in both the over 50 artists that have chosen to showcase their work at Lèzard Brevard and the customers that stop by to shop and take classes.
Lèzard Brevard is truly a celebration of the town of Brevard and that mission shines through the minute you walk in the door of the shop. Stickers, wall decor, pillows, picture frames, and photos honoring the town these artists call home are placed throughout the shop, between the jewelry, hand-made glasswork, paintings, and more. I truly want to buy everything; I’ve never seen a shop that has so many items I want to buy. Talking to Pam, I can tell just how special each of the pieces in her shop are to her. The art in Brevard makes it home for her, and honestly, it makes it feel like a sort of home for me, too. It makes me want to buy everything even more. That said, I can’t help but become nervous when I consider how COVID-19 must impact the business. Pam explains to me that despite the first 2 months of quarantine being pretty scary, Lézard has done an incredible job adapting to the situation over the past few months. The shop has begun shipping products, they’ve been awarded local businesses grants, and they’ve started offering outdoor classes in a previously unused space that they have transformed into a creative oasis. Pam has also begun strengthening the business’s social media presence, sharing information about products, artists, and classes on the business’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
While I’m chatting with Pam about the incredible resilience she’s shown during the pandemic, one of the business’s artists, Kathy Treadwell, arrives at the shop to drop off some new pieces. She explained that she settled in Brevard for many of the same reasons as Pam; it was a place she and her husband frequently visited, and when a move became inevitable, they decided to settle in Brevard because of its natural beauty and wonderful people. As with most artists that share their work at Lézard, Kathy heard about the shop through word of mouth and quickly decided it would be a fantastic place to share her pieces. Kathy specializes in tole paintings, which is the decorative painting of metal and wooden objects such as chests, plates, glasses, etc. Her glasses and plates are stunning; she freehands all her work, even when she’s making multiple of the same pieces in a set. I cannot imagine how long each one must take with that much detail.
I could have stayed in Lézard Brevard for hours fawning over the quilts and paintings, but I have to head out. Before leaving, I buy two of the cutest pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen, Christmas presents for my friends. I still regret not buying more. Leaving the shop and heading to my next stop in Brevard, I can’t help but become excited for the next time I’m able to visit and experience more of the incredible work of the artists of Brevard.
--Kyra Letsinger