As a program of the Island Institute, Archipelago gives artists and island-inspired art and craft a mainland venue. Here is a small sampling of our many artists from the Penobscot Bay region.
Stephanie Crossman of Gram J’s on Vinalhaven uses traditional knotted netting to make shopping bags and pocket bags in a rainbow of colors. She learned the craft from her husband’s great grandmother, Gram J, about 25 years ago. “I still use the original hand carved needles and meshboards as well as the nylon twine used by fisherman.” The shopping bag is the perfect alternative to plastic or paper-it’s easily packed and can hold up to 200 lbs.
Marie Clark of Loud’s Island has a hard time finding old shingles for her craft-she paints lupine, black-eyed susans, queen anne’s lace, and other flowers on shingles for a rustic piece of art. She finds her inspiration driving the Midcoast’s back roads, searching for old barns and enjoying the wildflower fields.
Claire Perry also uses found wood for her painted fish-though she finds her inspiration along the shores of Maine. Driftwood is gathered from different coves up and down the coast and brought to her Rockland studio, given a “birthday” when the wood was found, and transformed into fish and whales with many different personalities. Truly unique and whimsical, the fish are sure to inspire lively conversations in any setting.
On the ferry ride to Vinalhaven, the bay often sparkles, reflecting and bouncing light. At Five Elements Gallery in town, Alison Thibault is busy using dichroic glass to create simple and light-infused jewelry – earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and much more. In her gallery and studio, nearly every color of the ocean, on any kind of day, is turned into wearable art. Decorate yourself!
When Fiona Washburn of Rockport first brought her hand-painted silk scarves to Archipelago, her designs and eye for color stood out. When she was asked to use ocean motifs to design scarves specifically for the store, the scarves became even more breathtaking. Sand dollars, starfish, periwinkles, and ocean waves drift through sea colors adding an extraordinary statement to your wardrobe.
Few things speak to Maine’s style better than a pair of wool lobster mittens knit by Nans Case from Vinalhaven. A true wintertime favorite, these mittens are boldly colored and will keep your fingers toasty warm on any winter’s day. The pattern is an original design of Nans’ and intrigues many a knitter.
Floral accents, bold beads and metal links make the jewelry of Andree Brown from Islesboro easily recognizable. Necklaces and earrings are both elegant and modern-Andree uses chiseled sterling and vermeil to create pieces that easily adapt from day to evening, everyday to special occasion.
Customers are sometimes hard-pressed to choose between the midnight-black crow bowl or the dory boat made by Richard Robertson of Rockport Pottery. Both are one-of-a-kind and sure to spark conversation on the dining table. And when you’ve finally decided on which to purchase, you’ll catch a glimpse of his lobster-lidded casserole dishes and the process of choosing begins again!
Dale Hueppchen has been absorbed in making art since the age of 3 when he sat intently making his first drawing. He works exclusively in oils in his Lincolnville studio and continues to visit and revisit similar themes-a figure rowing, islands floating on the horizon or a small boat at a mooring. The beautiful simplicity of his paintings is a marvel.
Working in watercolor with a light hand, Kathleen Heckel of Islesboro paints the views from her island home. North, south, east or west, or anywhere in between, the paintings bring the viewer to her fantastic piece of Midcoast Maine where the mountains, ocean and sky play with one another. The paintings are abstract, but one also instantly recognizes and senses the emotions of the artist’s viewpoint.
Mary Alice Bird of Rockland, or “MA Bird” as she’s known, is a prolific creator of crafts using recycled textiles destined for the landfill. Baby booties and blankets, women’s hats and scarves, and of course socks, socks, socks for everyone in the family! Not only does MA Bird keep the accessories in our wardrobe lively, she takes care of the earth at the same time.