About Us
Jack-a-Roe Jackalope's Emporium is a one-woman, one-jackalope, woman-owned small business. Staff includes Jack-a-Roe Jackalope and Hobbit, (aka Leah Chava Reiner), the original Golden Road Gallery Hobbit. The Emporium is an offshoot of The Golden Road Gallery, a Grateful Dead and Psychedelic Art-oriented traveling rock and roll art gallery and exhibit set up at music festivals across the United States, such as Gathering of the Vibes, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Peach Music Festival, Lockn Gallery, and Bears Picnic.
The Golden Road Gallery was created by Matthew Rick, (aka Shady Backflash) and Mikio Kennedy, in 1999 and launched at the ill-fated Woodstock ’99 event, where it featured a full display of art from prominent Woodstock ’69 photographer Elliott Landy (cover photographer of Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, The Band’s early albums, and many iconic Woodstock images.) Despite the riot and chaos that ensued the gallery was very well received and Gathering of the Vibes promoter Ken Hays welcomed it to his festival the following year. It has been a staple at many prominent music festivals ever since.
Over the years the gallery hosted talks, signings and appearances by prominent Grateful Dead illustrator Stanley Mouse, the inimitable clown activist Wavy Gravy, Grateful Dead historian and publicist Dennis McNally, photographers Herb Greene and Susana Millman, second generation Grateful Dead artists Mike DuBois, Tina Carpenter, Richard Biffle, Mikio Kennedy and William Giese and blotter art archivist / historian Mark McCloud. The gallery is part merchandise booth, part relic (Not For Sale items), display, and part historical archive.
As a result of the effects of COVID on the music festival scene Jack-a-Roe Jackalope’s Emporium was created as an offshoot of The Golden Road Gallery. The Emporium is part art gallery, part consignment/thrift store featuring the same high quality artwork and photography by iconic Grateful Dead artists, along with new visionary psychedelic artists. The thrift store department features new and used books, jewelry, gently used t-shirts, household decor-type items, and other useful odds and ends.
Who is this Jack-a-Roe Jackalope?
During the summer of 2014, The Golden Road Gallery was invited by Zane Kesey, (Ken Kesey's son), to be part of the 50th anniversary of Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters adventure across the country aboard the Furthur Bus. Gallery personnel helped facilitate the ‘Welcome to the East Coast’ event held at the iconic Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY, featuring the band Cabinet.
Gallery personnel brainstormed the gig poster design for the event, which was ultimately created collaboratively by artists William Giese and Mike DuBois. We settled on the design concept of a stagecoach arriving on the East Coast with the New York City skyline in the background. The stagecoach would be pulled by...what? .... “Jackalopes!!!” said Mandrake, a long-time member of the Gallery team. After this first sighting the Jackalope became the Spirit Guide of Prosperity for The Golden Road Gallery.
Final gig poster for 'Welcome to the East Coast’ event, hand-signed by the artists and the members of Cabinet. --->
Roughly a month after the first sighting a physical manifestation of the Jackalope appeared in the physical reality of the Gallery Hobbit, introduced herself as Jack-a-Roe Jackalope. Thus Jack-a-Roe Jackalope has become a fixture in every gallery set up since.
<--Mandrake bonding with Jack-a-Roe Jackalope