Young entrepreneur expands her little museum on the prairie
By Joan Janzen
LIEBENTHAL - There’s always something new happening at Liebenthal thanks to the efforts of a young entrepreneur and her parents. You can't keep up with the changes Reese McCallum and her mom and dad are continually incorporating into their little museum on the prairies. Last week they changed their name to Pebble Rebel Dune Saloon, Antiques & Art Gallery.
The museum is privately owned and operated by this 11-year-old entrepreneur, with the assistance of her mom Kyla as chaos coordinator and her super maintenance dad, Kent.
Dress the part. The newest addition to Reese McCallum's Liebenthal museum is a photo booth stocked with one-size-fits-all costumes, ready for visitors to step in and play. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Every old thing has a story. Reese McCallum poses among the treasures at her Liebenthal museum, where a sprawling antique display and new "dry saloon" feature have recently been added to the collection. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Rocks, roots and rattlesnake boots. Reese McCallum, 11, points out the Big Red fossil on display at her Pebble Rebel Dune Saloon, Antiques & Art Gallery in Liebenthal, Sask. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
"I've upgraded my museum and now it's a gallery!" Reese explained. "I now have a bigger antique selection for everybody and a brand new area where you can enjoy snacks and coffee." Reese described it as a "dry saloon" where visitors can enjoy coffee, browse through books from their library and munch on muffins Reese baked for her guests. She said they decided to add the sitting area and antiques because some people weren't interested in rocks, but were looking for antiques.
"Everything in this room is for sale," Kyla said. "Reese understands about mark-up and pricing. She sells items online through the antique community which draws people to the museum." The McCallum family acquires antiques from auctions and from donated items.
A large display of jewelry is also featured in the saloon, all handmade by Reese using old materials. And her most recent newsletter "The Pebble Rebel Daily" was all about lapidary, the art of cutting and polishing rocks and minerals into beautiful gemstones. "I typed it all by myself," she added.
The energetic family has added an antique photo booth complete with one-size-fits-all costumes. "It will open soon," Reese said.
She may be young, but she knows all about fossils, arrowheads, rocks, mining, and minerals. Kyla explained that her mom (Reese's grandmother) is the passionate rock collector and painting artist who is responsible for passing the torch of antiques, history and rock collecting down to her daughter and granddaughter. "We had at least thirty huge rocks in our yard from all over Canada," Kyla recalled.
If you're driving down Highway 21 on any weekend this summer be sure to stop in at Pebble Rebel Dune Saloon. You won't be disappointed.