ArchipelagoIsland Institute was founded in 1983 with a mission to help Maine’s island and coastal communities thrive. In the decades since, the organization has implemented innovative programs to address these communities’ unique challenges, including climate and economic change. In 2000, it opened Archipelago, a craft gallery on Rockland’s Main Street, to promote Maine artists and small business owners. The store carries everything from handmade felted soaps to fine art.
“We try to showcase work that reflects the beauty and endurance of Maine’s islands and coast,” Archipelago director Lisa Mossel says. “We also want people to be successful here, so we do our best to support them, present their work well, and tell their story.” Since opening, the store has helped advance the careers of more than 1,900 artists and generated more than $5.4 millon in sales income for artists — money that they then spend within their small communities, increasing the gallery’s impact.
Mossel and her team find artists and makers through farmers’ markets and craft shows as well as through Island Institute’s grant programs. Since 2012, the Glenn Fund has invested over $1 million in coastal communities, including nearly $600,000 to support small businesses. “Living in Maine, people sometimes have multiple jobs and bring together multiple passions,” Mossel says. “Along the islands and remote coastal areas, innovation is happening constantly.”
Dylan and Mandy Metrano used a small business grant from Island Institute to start La Nef Chocolate on Monhegan Island. Both artists, they settled on chocolate making as a way to sustain themselves creatively and financially. Now operating in Bath, they collaborate with other Maine artists on package design. La Nef uses biodegradable and recyclable packaging, sources high-quality ingredients, and deals in direct trade for fair treatment of farmers. “They’re supporting art and we’re supporting chocolate,” Mossel says. “We’re all supporting each other.”
Archipelago also carries skin care products, including Island Apothecary, an artisanal, small-batch line made by Fiona Robbins that is packaged on and shipped from North Haven, a lobstering community with 400 year-round residents. “Her products are made with care and attention to detail,” Mossel says.
Other products are completely unique, like Camden ceramic artist Randy Fein’s freehand-painted pottery and clay-relief sculptures. Her career spans four decades creating one-of-a-kind pottery, sculpture, and tile installations. “She has trained internationally and chooses to make Maine her home,” Mossel says. The art is just one example of the caliber of the store’s selections.
Archipelago’s coastal and island makers are inspired by a sense of place and share an entrepreneurial drive, Mossel says. “That’s something we’re really proud to support. It’s such a pleasure to operate a mainland Main Street venue and showcase this work to customers who might not otherwise see it.”