The Ely area is rich with artists, but it had few listings for the artists to show their work. Nancy Scheibe opened the gallery in the spring of 2016 on the main street of Ely, Minnesota to support local artists. A successful Kickstarter and the support of the community made it come to life.

Tofte Lake Center (TLC) is a non-profit organization that provides residencies for artists who crave dedicated time to work on their projects, for creatives who seek individual growth through guided workshops or retreats, for arts organizations that want to make time to re/focus on their goals or mission, for arts leaders to gather to exchange ideas with colleagues in their field. TLC is on a pristine lake near Ely, Minnesota, and adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We also offer host arts events, workshops, and yoga classes to the broader public. Visit our website for more information! https://www.toftelake.org/ Tofte Lake Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

The Ely State Theater is a historic movie theater in Ely, Minnesota, United States. The State Theater was built in 1936 by the Swanson family in Ely. Its designer was a noted architecture firm called Liebenberg & Kaplan, who had designed many theaters in Minnesota and other northern states. In 2008, the recession caused the State Theater to close its doors to the public. By 2014, The State Theater had fallen into disrepair and was purchased by Alley A Realty. They are a family business who specializes in historic preservation and redevelopment. They are working with the State of Minnesota and the U.S. Department of Interior to restore the exterior and interior to its original condition.

The Brandenburg Gallery showcases the work of Jim Brandenburg who has been National Geographic photographer for over 40 years. Jim Brandenburg is an award-winning nature photographer, filmmaker and philanthropist as well as a publisher of numerous best-sellers including Chased by the Light, Looking for the Summer and Brother Wolf.

Irene Hartfield is a singer, songwriter, and keyboard player living in Ely, Minnesota. Irene worked as a musician in New York in its heyday, the 1970s and 80s. The Irene Hartfield Trio played some well-known watering holes in Manhattan: Jimmy Weston’s, Jilly’s, 8th Street Gallery, Red Onion, Buddy Rich’s Club, and the Grand Finale, being a few. Her group also played at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Sneaky Pete’s in Hollywood, Florida, and The Summit Club in Caracas, Venezuela. Irene also worked in the recording industry, playing and singing, and played with wonderful musician friends: Will Lee, Steve Gadd, Steve “Fonz” Gelfand, Arnie Wise, Jay Leonhardt, Stu Woods, and others. Irene worked on Holland America cruise lines for three years, sailing to Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Irene also spent a summer playing a month each in three cities in Sweden, a highlight of her career.