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HANDMADE IN MAINE

Portland's new wave of crafters are making everything from stationery and rugs to T-shirts and wall art.
by PETER SMITH - February 2009

Published in Fashion :: Fashion

A talented group of crafty designers is thriving in the city of Portland.

Down on Wharf Street, there's a tattooed bunch from Rogues Gallery (www.roguesgallery.com) blasting music and cranking out silk-screened T-shirts. Up on Congress Street, designer Angela Adams (www.angelaadams.com), makes rugs that line local boutiques and retail at Design Within Reach. Meanwhile, over on India Street, a woman makes limited-edition cards under the name Port2Port Press (www.port2portpress.com).

Maine's largest city may be rumored to have one of the nation's highest concentration of restaurants per capita, but recently, the greatest influx seems to be not chefs, but rather hip artists. They flock here for relatively low rents and a thriving design scene that's focused on traditional crafts melded to the whims of modern consumers.

"You can't swing a dead cat around without hitting a crafter," says Jessica Tomlinson, who sits on the board of the nonprofit Portland Arts & Cultural Alliance and works at Maine College of Art.

Part of the tradition of quality crafts-manship seems to stem from the legacy of wooden shipbuilding as well as the state's history of churning out niche manufacturing goods (like toothpicks) from its abundant natural resources.

Seven years ago, when Diane Toepfer opened Ferdinand Home Store (www.ferdi.nandhomestore.com), she had one of the few stores on her block that stocked handmade crafts. Today, she is surrounded by like-minded businesses. "[Selling handmade goods] is definitely more mainstream," she says. "If there was a limited audience, it might be a problem. But it seems like more is better."

Driven by all-purpose iconoclasm, Portland has redefined itself as an industrious destination for do-it-yourselfers. "There are lot of people who are going back to traditional art forms," says Mary Zarate, who owns Z Fabrics (www.zfabric.com). "People are buying sewing machines. More people want to be making their own clothes."

The resurgence in knitting and quilting are only part of the creative culture. Book-binders, letterpress artists and a new center for book arts also call the city home. Portland boasts an art college in the revitalized Arts District, and in Old Port, boutiques sell handmade bags and clothing. Still, while a number of shops sell practical crafts, the city also has its share of studio artists.

"It's very hands-on," says Port2Port Press' Maria Vettese, whose small gallery is called More. (www.alittlemorelikethis.com). Next door is Field (www.friederikehamann.typepad.com), the storefront space for Colin Sullivan-Stevens and Friederike Hamann, who install custom wall paintings and make intricate patterned drawings.

John Meyers and Linda Wary opened the interior design firm Wary Meyers Decorative Arts (www.warymeyers.com) four years ago not just because of Portland's simple lifestyle, but also for the abundant flea markets and garage sales, where they pick up items for their bright, eclectic designs.

Another Portland artist, Joe Kievitt (www.joekievitt.com), who makes large tile mosaics, returned to Maine from New York City and San Francisco because day-to-day life-like going to the grocery store-was less of a hassle. While he didn't move for the culture, he says it's a reason he stayed. "With each passing year, it seems more sophisticated," he says. "If you go to the galleries and look at the kind of design work here, there's just more and more quality work being made."

Published in Fashion :: Fashion

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