We’re sad to share the news that our friends up in Belfast at Roots & Tendrils have made the decision to close their shop at 2 Cross Street at the end of January. Since opening in the Winter of 2009, they’ve done some great work with music and artists, and even launched the Free Range Music Fest (which will happen on April 30 this year). The store was the first location for Portland Pins outside of Portland, and we have definitely appreciated all of their support with that project. They’ll be continuing to be involved in events across Maine and online sales while they look for another, more appropriate physical space for what they are looking to do. We wish them the best of luck, and look forward to seeing what they do in the future. If you can, please stop by and support them during the month of January and stay updated on their work at the R&T site and on Facebook. Read their note after the jump.
Roots & Tendrils began as a spur-of-the-moment idea, born in the dead of winter in 2009. When we first started throwing around the concept of a space dedicated to exploring independent art, design and music, we had no idea how successful it would be. In the a year and a half since we opened in June of 2009, our space has hosted over fifty events featuring musicians and performers ranging from local favorites to touring acts including some of the East Coast’s most buzzed about groups. The gallery has featured over seventy-five artists and designers as well as fifteen shows of works by up and coming New England artists. All in all, it has been an amazing adventure. We’ve been floored by the amount of support we’ve received from these artists and musicians and especially our local community in both Belfast and beyond.
Unfortunately, while Roots & Tendrils has been successful in many areas, there are a few key areas in which we’ve hit a wall. Roots & Tendrils is growing and we are not able to make the changes needed to make that growth successful in our current space and do not have the resources to start from scratch in another location. Nor is there an adequate space currently available to move in to. Any changes we’ve been able to identify that would allow us to continue in our current space compromise the core concept of what makes Roots & Tendrils the unique space that it is.
For this reason, we have come to the difficult decision to close the Roots & Tendrils storefront at 2 Cross Street at the end of January.
Rest assured, we do not see this as an end to Roots & Tendrils. Think of it more as a break. We see this as a wonderful opportunity to step back and evaluate what the last year and a half has taught us: what are our strengths, what are our weaknesses and how can we use this information to open a more sustainable Roots & Tendrils when the right space and resources become available.
We will continue to be involved in the Maine music and arts scene in the meantime. In the coming weeks we will be switching our website over to more of a blog format. There, and also on our Facebook page, indie enthusiasts will find postings about music, art, and craft events as well as articles about Maine artists and musicians.
We also plan on collaborating with and presenting live music events at other venues in the area. For now we will be focusing on the 2011 Belfast Free Range Music Festival (www.freerangemusicfestival.com).
Roots & Tendrils will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10-5 through the end of January. Our online store will be live through the end of the month as well.
A thousand thanks to all the friends, family, and wonderful strangers that have helped us along the way.
Thank you for supporting independent art, design, and music,
Meg and Bub Fournier
PART II
Our favorite part of having this space has been introducing artists and musicians to our community, so we leave you with this: a list of artists and designers we have featured (along with their own websites where available) and musicians that have played in our space. Please continue to support them and, by all means, introduce them to your friends.
(and if you notice someone we’ve missed, please let us know so we can add them to these lists!)
ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS:
43rd PARALLEL PRESS (www.43rdparallelpress.blogspot.com), ALISHA GOULD (www.alishagould.com), ALLISON WHEELER, ALPHA LIBRA (www.etsy.com/shop/alphalibra), ANABELFUZZ (www.etsy.com/shop/anabelfuzz), ED ANTHONIS (succedaneum.deviantart.com), BE TEES, BELFAST POETRY FESTIVAL (various participants – www.belfastpoetry.com), BON A TIRER (www.wix.com/gretchenmahoney/studio25), CANDI SOLL, HANJI CHANG (chairmanmeowstudio.blogspot.com), CHELSEA CLARKE (www.etsy.com/shop/genusoftheplace), COCO+MILKWEED (www.cocoandmilkweed.com), COLLEEN KINSELLA (www.etsy.com/shop/kinsellaart), COZINK (cozink.blogspot.com), ERIC DARLING, EMILY DELAMATER (www.emilydelamaterphotography.com), JODY DESJARDINS, CLAIRE DONNELLY, EMBLEM STUDIO (emblemstudio.wordpress.com), EMPENNAGE (zacharyehoward.blogspot.com), FERDINAND (www.ferdinandhomestore.com), FINNS & FLOWERS (www.etsy.com/shop/finnsandflowers), MEGAN BAILEY FOURNIER, FUNK STITCH (www.etsy.com/shop/funkstitch), FX DRESSED (www.fxdressed.com), HERBAL REVOLUTION (www.etsy.com/shop/theherbalrevolution), HERRING WEAR, ABBY HUTT, INNER SENSE (innersenseprinting.com), JENNIFER JACKSON (www.jentheartgoddess.deviantart.com), JUSTIN WHEELER, KAT JOHNSON, KATE’S CAPS (www.etsy.com/shop/katelavin), KATE MARTENS (katemartens.com), KATE SULLIVAN-JONES (www.etsy.com/shop/katesullivanjones), KATENIA KELLER (www.kateniakeller.com), LOVELIGHT STUDIO (www.etsy.com/shop/LovelightStudio), LAUREN VEALE (laurenveale.blogspot.com), LITTLE EYE (www.etsy.com/shop/littleeyedesigns), LOVE DOG CARD COMPANY (www.etsy.com/shop/LoveDogCardCompany), JENNY MCGEE DOUGHERTY (jennymcgeed.com), DYLAN METRANO (metrano.blogspot.com), ROBIN MACKENZIE, LISA MARTIN (www.maineartscene.com/Lisa-Martin-Fine-Art-Photographer), ALLISON MELTON, LAUREN METRANO NORSTER (silentlanguages.etsy.com), AUSTIN MEYERS (ak5a.com), MORRIS + ESSEX (www.morrisessex.com), MOSEY (www.etsy.com/shop/mosey), MOTH WRITTEN (www.mothwritten.com), SAM MUNRO, NITASIA TIMMS (house-of-rowan.blogspot.com), ORANGE IRON FABRICATIONS (www.etsy.com/shop/orangeiron), PINECONE + CHICKADEE (www.pineconeandchickadee.com), PIPER POTTERY (piperpottery.wordpress.com), PORTLAND PINS (www.portlandpins.com), PURPLEBEAN BINDERY (www.etsy.com/shop/purplebeanbindery), JUSTIN RICHEL (www.artistjustinrichel.com), RUSTY PETALS (www.etsy.com/shop/RustyPetals), SALTY KISS VARIETY (shop.saltykisses.com), SARA HOLMES DESIGNS (www.etsy.com/shop/SaraHolmesDesigns), SELFLESH (www.etsy.com/shop/selflesh), SMALL VICTORY STUDIOS (www.smallvictorystudios.com), SOCK MONKEY CARDS (www.etsy.com/shop/sockmonkeycards), ANNETTE SOHNS, THE STAPEILIA CO (www.etsy.com/shop/thestapeliacompany), STRONG ARM BINDERY (www.etsy.com/shop/strongarmbindery), TENDERFOOT CREATIONS (www.etsy.com/shop/tenderfootcreations), WESLEY ALLEN HARTLEY (artbyhartley.blogspot.com), WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEPAGE (www.whenlifegivesyoulepage.com)
MUSICIANS & PERFORMERS:
ALEXIS PASTUHOV (lincolnville, me), ARBOREA (lewiston, me), ARIELLE GREENBERG BYWATER (belfast, me / chicago, il), AUDREY RYAN (boston, ma), THE BALTIMORE ANNEX THEATER (baltimore, md), THE BELFAST POETRY FESTIVAL, BIG KITTY (chattanooga, tn), THE BLACK SWANS (columbus, oh), BRUTE HEART (minneapolis, mi), CABINET OF NATURAL CURIOSITIES (brooklyn, ny), CLARA BERRY (lowell, ma), CLASS MACHINE (belfast, me) DARIEN BRAHMS (portland, me), DEAD END ARMORY (portland, me), ELLEN SANDER (belfast, me), EVIL SPIRITS (monsoon, me), EMILIA DAHLIN (portland, me), FULL CONTACT KITTY (belfast, me), GABRIEL ZACCHAI TRIO (camden, me), GEM CLUB (boston, ma), GOOD KIDS SPROUTING HORNS (bangor, me), GRACIOUS CALAMITY (jamaica plain, ma), GULLY (portland, me), HEATHER MALONEY (turner falls, ma), HERBCRAFT (portland, me), HONEY CLOUDS (portland, me), HUAK (portland, me), ISOBELL (portland, me), JUMP BUCK! (belfast, me), LADYLAMB THE BEEKEEPER (portland, me), LINDSAY CLARK (portland, or), MANNERS (portland, me), MARIE STELLA (portland, me), MARION GRACE (portland, me), MARK MANDEVILLE (massachusetts), MATCH BY MATCH (boston, ma), MOMENTARY PROPHETS (manassas, va), MONA NASH (belfast, me), OLD MAN FORREST (lewiston, me), PETE FOSCO, THE PLEASANTS (vermont), PUTNAM SMITH (portland, me), QUEEN CITY (bangor, me), RAIANNE RICHARDS (massachusetts), THE RATTLESNAKES (portland, me), ROOSEVELT DIME (brooklyn, ny), ROTUNDO SEALEG (belfast, me), ROY DAVIS AND THE DREGGS (portland, me), RURAL ELECTRIC (belfast, me), SASSAFRAS STOMP (midcoast, me), THE SCANDINAVIAN HALFBREEDS (brooklyn, ny), SEAN MCGOVERN-WAITE (portland, me), SEYMOUR (portland, me), SOUTH CHINA (biddeford, me), SORE EROS (northampton, ma), SPIDER (brooklyn, ny), SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION (brooklyn, ny), STRAWBERRY ALLSTARS (portland, me), TABOO (troy, me), THE POINTS NORTH (boston, ma), TANGO (belfast, me) TIGER SAW (various parts of new england), TINY TORNADOES (cambridge, ma), TRAVIS CYR AND THE STRINGS OF CALAMITY (new sweden, me), TREE BY LEAF (liberty, me), TRAVIS LLOYD BAND (brooks, me), WAYLON SPEED (burlington, vt), UKE OF SPACES (belfast, me), VANESSA TORRES (portland, me), WES HARTLEY AND THE TRAVELING TREES (portland, me), WIL GIBSON (portland, me)
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