About Beary Cute Bears

Beary Cute Bears are created by international, award winning teddy bear artist, Penny Zenglein.

Penny creates "Art You Hug and Hold" with her collectible teddy bears from 2 1/2 inches to 22 inches tall. Miniature bears are made of upholstery velvets in a variety of colors, and bears 5 inches and up are made of high quality imported mohair in a wide variety of colors, lengths and textures. Penny also creates one-of-a-kind heirloom bears out of recycled mink garments. She is very critical of her work and strives to make each bear a quality piece of workmanship filled with love and strict attention to detail. Penny designed a series of bears for LL Knickerbocker, Inc. and a limited edition polar bear for Polar Bears International.

Each Beary Cute Bear comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, and bears 5 inches and larger have a real penny placed inside the body dated the year the bear was born. Each of Penny's creations has a laminated tag which reads, "See a Pennybear and pick it up, and all of the day you will have good luck!"

As a collector of both Teddy Bears and Wee Forest Folk figurines, Penny opened Beary Cute Bears Gallery in downtown San Luis Obispo, CA in January of 1998. There you would find Penny doing what she loved most, creating new bears, doing an emergency bear repair in her teddy bear hospital, or sharing stories with visitors about teddy bears or Wee Forest Folk. Her yellow labrador, Hannah would come to work with her to help greet the customers.

The gallery moved to a larger location in San Luis Obispo in September 2007, but when Penny moved to Arroyo Grande in 2011 she decided the shop would move along with her as soon as she found the right location.

In January 2013, the gallery downsized and moved to the Village of Arroyo Grande.  We have discontinued the "Stuff your own Teddy Bear" and the "Teddy Bear Hospital" part of the business.  The gallery will focus on Handmade Artist Bears, Wee Forest Folk and Gund Bears.  The name of the business was changed to "Beary Cute Bears & Mice" with this move.

Penny has 4 yellow labs now, Hannah, Daisy, Kalei and Bud. They no longer come to the shop to greet customers as they are having too much fun having an acre of land to run on.  Having them has inspired Penny to create Quilts for Pets, a new little business that makes custom Pet Quilts.

The gallery has always supported several of Penny's favorite charities each year with her store events. Woods Humane Socitey, Polar Bears International, Zoo to You, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

This adorable little bear cub is from "Zoo to You" and enjoyed a yogurt in front of BEARY CUTE BEARS Gallery in downtown San Luis Obispo, CA