The Gallery at Somes SoundTyra Hanson has been engaged in creating beautiful living spaces for four decades, initially as a side gig to a business career, then as the owner of an interior-design company and gallery in Ellsworth. When a waterfront building with high ceilings, lots of wall space, and plenty of natural light became available in Somesville, on Mount Desert Island, in 2010, she jumped on the opportunity. “It’s almost like a large warehouse with a beautiful view of Somes Sound,” she says. “It was a perfect fit.”
Since opening the Gallery at Somes Sound, Hanson has pursued her passion for fine art and studio furniture and thoughtfully built a roster of accomplished artists and woodworkers. This summer, the gallery celebrates both its 15th year in business and the 30th anniversary of New Hampshire Furniture Masters, whose mission of advancing the craft of handmade fine furniture echoes that of the studio-furniture movement. Both promote traditional techniques over mass production and functional design that showcases the natural beauty of materials. “The pieces are considered sculptural because of their design,” Hanson says. “They are functional, three-dimensional art.”
New Hampshire Furniture Masters is composed of fine-furniture makers and builders, who work to raise public awareness of their craft through education and events. Several are represented by the Gallery at Somes Sound. “These furniture makers are not only craftsmen, they also have an incredible eye for design,” she says. “They’re some of the finest in the country — and beyond.”
The gallery’s furniture collection is complemented by photographs, paintings, mixed-media art, and sculptures, all of the same high caliber. Hanson also showcases hand-painted silk jackets by Gigi Aea, which will be featured in a fashion show at the gallery’s July 23, 2025, open house. The gallery’s artists are from various backgrounds and regions, but many have connections to Maine. “Today, we have art from some of the finest artists in the United States,” Hanson says.
The gallery will donate a portion of this season’s sales proceeds to the New Hampshire Furniture Masters and Friends of Acadia. A reception on July 6, 2025, put on together with Friends of Acadia, will remember and celebrate the lives of author and activist Ann Rockefeller Roberts and artist and philanthropist Mary Louise Pierson, mother and daughter, who both passed in 2024. The Rockefeller family donated both land and funding for the establishment of Acadia National Park, and the two women’s work is heavily focused on the area. This season, two gallery-sponsored, artist-run workshops will give participants a chance to create art inside the park.
Fifteen years since making her career change, Hanson is now an esteemed part of Mount Desert Island’s arts community, and The Gallery at Somes Sound is just one piece of the diversified scene that continues to attract visitors each season. “All of the galleries here are absolutely beautiful, and they all have their own style,” Hanson says. “That was not planned, but we all have our own niche. It’s a great collaboration.”