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Black Owned Maine
Did you know that an online database of black-owned businesses never existed in Maine? When the unfortunate event of George Floyd hit the press, Rose Barboza and Jerry Edwards came together to start a website that promotes tons of black-owned businesses here in Maine. From Augusta to Biddeford to Lewiston to Orono, black businesses, designers, craftsmen, etc. reside all over the state. Rose tells me what prompted her to start the project which is now turning into a non-profit organization, future projects she plans to take on, and what it was like growing up in Maine.
Angelrox
Picture a space that is built of all brick and towers and makes you feel like you're going back in time. A time where manufacturing and production were at its peak due to the river it sits next to. Pepperell Mill located in Biddeford, Maine started as a place where linens, towels, sheets, and much more were crafted. Now it continues to be a place where various manufacturers get into their craft including a fashion designer, Roxi Suger, that came from Oklahoma where she was born and New York City where she first started her Angelrox clothing line. When you walk into her studio it is filled with apparel designs that make your jaw drop. Roxi tells me what inspired her to get into fashion and how she ended up in New York City, how she met the love of her life, and moved to Maine to continue her craft, her new collection called Suger and much more.
Brant & Cochran
When you walk into the Brant & Cochran shop in South Portland, the smell of cold cut steel blended with the sweet smell of red hot iron, the sounds of metal being hammered, and the heat of oil firing surround the facility. Mark and Stephen Ferguson and Barry Worthing, came together to bring the craft of axe making back to Maine. Mark and Stephen fill us in the history behind axe making in Maine, how they came up with the idea to start their shop, the craft behind axes, and how they have curated a team of blacksmiths and artists to teach them how to craft a Maine pattern axe so that the craft and tradition can be continued in Maine.
Campfire Pottery
Pottery brought together the Campfire pair, Kristen and Joe Camp, as their love began while taking a pottery class in their home state of Georgia. They opened their studio at the Dana Warp Mill located in Westbrook, Maine, and shop off of Washington Avenue in Portland five years ago. They use a variety of different clays and techniques including Raku which is a Japanese style ceramic process. Kristen and Joe take us on their journey on how they got into pottery in the first place, what brought them to Maine, how they started their business, and what the vision is behind their products.