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Natalie Reed grew up on Vinalhaven, a lobstering island off the midcoast of Maine. As a child, she spent many afternoons beach combing and adventuring on Vinalhaven’s rocky coast, and began collecting sea glass, unusual rocks, urchins, and shells. She has always had a deep love for the ocean; it’s power and mystery always drawing her back. At the age of five she discovered her love for jewelry in a small room full of sunlight and walls lined with jars of colorful beads while visiting her aunt in Portland, a graduate of Portland School of Art. She was greatly influenced by her artistic family, but mostly by her two aunts, who are not only Portland School of Art graduates but have a great love for jewelry. Her father also has a graduate degree in sculpture. In 2009 Natalie began her degree at Maine College of Art in Portland (formerly Portland School of Art) where she quickly discovered she could combine her two passions: jewelry and the ocean.
Working her way through college doing construction and lobstering she majored in metalsmithing and jewelry, and graduated in 2013.
Natalie is based in Minot, Maine where she has her home studio and lives with two cats, a rescue lab/pit and her guitar building fiancé. While keeping several stores and galleries stocked with her work she also does several fine craft shows each year. She is anxious to get back to the ocean, and visits the beach and her home island as much as possible. These visits always inspire ideas for new jewelry designs, which constantly push her in new directions. In her spare time Natalie enjoys snowboarding in the winter, gardening in the summer and of course visiting the ocean whenever possible.
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Small Batch Veggie Spreads/Dips from imperfect Maine produce:
Harvest Maine is a product of evolution within Maine’s local food ecosystem. As owner of Gather Restaurant, Matt Chappell was committed to working with local food producers. In 2011, he met Ben Slayton of Farmers’ Gate, a locally sourced whole animal butcher shop. Over a decade of weekly deliveries and many conversations about food and food system dynamics, Matt and Ben began to wonder if there might be an opportunity to work together.
Each coming to the table with many existing farm and food relationships and both sharing a passion for getting their snack on, Matt and Ben began recipe testing in early 2022. The search was on for a product that could use up items within the food system that were falling through the cracks. Blemished, misshapen, or otherwise unwanted vegetables became the first target. Harvest Maine was created in July, just in time for harvest season! In December, Harvest Maine began selling 3 varieties of veggie spread: Broccomole, Celery Root/Red Pepper, and Beet/Carrot. Our goal is healthy snacking that creates greater opportunities for hard working farmers and also addresses some of the food waste that is cutting into the efficiency of our food system.
Snack More; Waste Less.
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Seth Gideon Fainkujen was raised in a family with a deep appreciation for the arts. From a young age, Seth knew that he wanted to be an artist and pursued his passion by studying fine art and painting. He attended Belfast area High School where he excelled in art and graduated with the class of 2000. He left Maine to attend the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to learn the craft of jewelry making, where he impressed his peers and teachers alike.
In 2010, Seth launched his own business, Mother of Gideon, which focused on bespoke bridal designs and southwestern-inspired jewelry. His unique designs quickly garnered attention, and he was awarded Best Jeweler in Phoenix for three consecutive years.
In 2018, Seth moved back to Maine and began working on his new project, Harvest The Light. With this venture, he looks forward to integrating into the vibrant arts community in Rockland, Maine. His jewelry designs are inspired by the natural surroundings, as well as its rich artistic heritage of the area.
Seth makes each piece of jewelry by hand, from concept to completion, and his skilled work is a true embodiment of wearable art. He is constantly seeking out new inspiration and creating unique pieces for his Harvest The Light storefront.
Seth’s passion for jewelry making has taken him on a remarkable journey, from studying at GIA to becoming a master jeweler and launching his own successful business. Through Harvest The Light, he continues to innovate and create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that reflect his unique vision and artistic talent.
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Lauren started Underdog Candles after a years-long battle with her own sexuality. Through her personal coming out journey, she saw how far we still have to go as a society in accepting and supporting the LGBTQI+ community. What began as a line of pride-themed candles, launched during Pride month in order to raise money for the LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund, has grown into a line of over 20 candles and reed diffusers.
The name “Underdog” came from a desire to celebrate everyday underdogs — the unspoken heroes that we don’t stop to celebrate enough. While the candle design is purposely subtle, when you actually read them, they might make you spit out your drink (true story)!
Lauren hand-pours each candle in small batches in her studio at Factory3 in Portland using 100% soy wax and the freshest, best-smelling scent combos.
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My story is actually that of my mother’s. Growing up, I watched my mother paint, whether it was the kitchen mural or watercolors she painted for friends and family. Eventually she was hanging her originals in galleries. It was her beloved Jack that suggested they make lithograph prints and the true business was born. As her show business grew, I followed her up and down the East Coast working small and large venues alike, as well as marketing her works to galleries. We set up her booth in the rain, sat in the sun and learned what did and didn’t work. I helped her sell at the Philadelphia Flower Show and Boston Flower Show. We learned how to make an inviting booth, easy in and out, who are target population was (women 30-60 years old), what images were most likely to sell, and a workable price point for both the business and the customers. The business grew from the ground up, and I grew with it. I took a break from traveling / selling to raise my 22 y.o. twin girls. After my mother passed I eventually inherited her prints and started “Lyn Snow Gallery”, an online gallery featuring just her works. At the forefront of this business venture, are my mother’s core values: Keep the work affordable, give some away, and support local fundraisers. It gives me great pleasure to share her work with others.
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Once, while walking with my granddaughter, she turned up her nose at holding onto the poop bags while I was wiping off the dogs paws before getting into the car. She said I needed another hand to hold onto the bags. Over dinner that night she told everyone that I had poopy bag hands! Delightful supper conversation.
A few days later, my husband came out of his shop with a solution, the Bag Bonz. Clever, Cute, Easy to carry and All Aluminum so it Never, Ever, Breaks.
I passed around a bunch to our dog friends, or friends with dogs, and they all wanted more. That’s how the most durable, recyclable, and effective loaded dog bag holder came to be made in Maine!
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Mainers Austin Jones and Susan Dench have partnered to bring their passion for entertaining to products inspired by the beauty of New England’s woods and waters. Austin, an Annapolis graduate and veteran, brings her expertise in manufacturing and the promotional products field. Susan, whose former company joined forces with a recognized luxury giftware retailer, enjoys business development and product development.
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Cobbs Hill Sugarhouse is a family-run operation in central Maine. We love the tradition of making pure maple syrup – one of nature’s true gifts; spring is a special time of year for us!
A while back, we found that if you take the pure maple syrup, boiled over a wood-fired evaporator, and add simple, organic ingredients, you might just be able to make a fabulous thing even better. So we’ve been infusing and blending our maple syrup ever since.
Once we’re confident we’ve got the highest-quality Maine syrup, we start on our proprietary organic infusions and blends. By working in small batches we are able to achieve the subtle balance our customers have come to love. We are careful not to detract from the syrup’s pure flavor, but adding ingredients like Madagascar vanilla bean, elderberry, and birch syrup enhance the natural character of maple and provide a unique and memorable twist on a classic.
Our blends and organic infusions bring maple syrup to a new level. Try it for yourself – we bet you’ll like what you taste.
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It was in 2021 that I started blacksmithing and in 2022 my interest became a passion. I took a beginner blacksmithing course at New England School of Metalwork. Between that course and endless hours of watching other smiths on YouTube, my ability with the trade improved, as did my confidence.
The thing I love about blacksmithing is the process of taking a simple piece of metal and transforming that into a functional item; whether that’s a simple hook for a coat or an ash shovel for a wood stove. It’s a balance of brute force and art.
While blacksmithing is steeped in centuries of tradition and technique there’s still plenty of room for creativity. I strive to find ways to put my own touch on anything I make.
At the end of the day I get an amazing amount of joy from forging items that anyone can use: hooks, spoons, coat racks, fireplace tools, etc. I want what I create to be accessible for people so they can see the difference between a hand-forged item and something that’s mass produced. Everything I make is one of a kind and no matter how many times I make the same item it’s always a little different. That’s something special about handcrafting and that distinct uniqueness should be appreciated.
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I have been Potting for 23 years. I first learned in High school and continued on to Haystack Mountain School of Arts and Crafts, where I returned 4 times for multiple artist workshops. I also learned under a master Potter William Flood 1-2 days a week for 7 years. Once I had a kiln and a few years’ experience I taught Adult Education and at 2 summer camps, Alford Lake Camp in Hope, ME & Medolark Camp in Washington ME. I Opened a small Shop in Warren with my mother at her house. I am hoping to build a shop at my own house in 2023. Most of my inspiration came from my mother who was my biggest fan and supporter. She was the one who encouraged me to keep going. Inspiration for my fun animal pots, gnomes, fairy houses has come from my daughter, who loves to pot alongside me.
