MEET THE MAKERS

THE REGION ABOUNDS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO PEEK INTO THE STUDIOS OF THE CREATIVE ARTISTS WHO CALL WALDO COUNTY HOME.

JODY JOHNSTONE POTTERY

Every May and October, potters from around Waldo County and beyond emerge from their studios, load several months’ worth of raw ware into trucks, and drive it to Swanville, where Jody Johnstone is SUHSDULQJWRƂUHXSKHUDQDJDPDNLOQ Ŕ<RXGRQŒWVHHWKHPEHFDXVH their studios are hidden away in the countryside — and then you go, wow, it’s amazing how many gifted and talented artists and craftspeople are here,” Montville JODVVEORZHU'DYLG-DFREVRQVD\V

7KHFUHZVSHQGVWKHQH[WƂYHGD\V setting pots inside the 24-foot-long tunnel of brick and stone — 800 pieces, one at a time, each pot’s position in the kiln a matter of careful deliberation RYHUKRZƃDPHDVKDQGPLQHUDOVZLOO DIIHFWLWVVXUIDFH7KHQWKHSRWWHUVVWRNH WKHƂUHZLWKVSOLWEHHFKPDSOHDQG RDNZRUNLQJDURXQGWKHFORFNLQVKLIWV

6L[GD\VDQGƂYHFRUGVRIZRRGODWHU ƃDPHVDUHURDULQJWKURXJKWKHNLOQ and up the chimney, but not until day eight, when the temperature reaches GHJUHHVFDQWKHSRWWHUVUHVW It’ll be another week before the kiln FRROVVXIƂFLHQWO\IRUWKHPWRVHHWKH HOHPHQWVŒDUWLVWU\RQWKHLUFOD\ -DFREVRQKDGZRUNHGLQ1HZ<RUN City as a newspaper cartoonist for many years, but after 9/11, he moved north to resume his early passion IRUPDNLQJJODVV+HRSHQHGKLV VWXGLRLQ0RQWYLOOHLQŔ,NQHZ nothing about Montville or Belfast, but it turned out to be the perfect location because of the extensive and ZHOFRPLQJDUWLVWFRPPXQLW\ŕKHVD\V

Community arts centers, like Waterfall Arts in Belfast and Montville and Lighthouse Arts & Education in Bucksport, are hubs for networking, as well as connecting with an appreciative

Though the work is strenuous, Johnstone looks forward to the twice- \HDUO\ULWXDOŔ7KHUHDUHRWKHUZRRG ƂUHGNLOQVDURXQGWKHFRXQWU\EXW not many, so this kiln is like a magnet WRSRWWHUVŕVKHVD\VŔ:HHQMR\EHLQJ WRJHWKHU:HORYHWKHFOD\ZHORYH stacking wood, and we love sharing VWRULHVDQGWDONLQJDERXWSRWVŕ

Johnstone became smitten with ZRRGƂUHGSRWWHU\DTXDUWHUFHQWXU\ ago while apprenticing at a Bizen ZDUHVWXGLRLQ-DSDQ%DFNKRPHLQ the States, she looked for a place to start her business and settled on a homesteader’s unimproved home in WKH6ZDQYLOOHZRRGV7KRXJKVKHZDV new to the area, she connected with IHOORZDUWLVWVDOPRVWLPPHGLDWHO\

Ŕ,VWDUWHGEXLOGLQJP\NLOQ and everybody was interested,” VKHUHPHPEHUVŔ7KLVLVDYHU\ ZHOFRPLQJFRPPXQLW\ŕ

A pastoral lifestyle and affordable land have made Waldo County attractive to artists like Johnstone for decades, though it may not be immediately obvious to QHZFRPHUVWKDWWKH\ŒUHWKHUH

COURTESY OF JACOBS0N GLASS STUDIO

JACOBSON GLASS STUDIO

DXGLHQFHŔ7KDWŒVLQFUHGLEO\LPSRUWDQW because it can be a solitary occupation ŐZHŒUHQRWLQDQRIƂFHE\GHVLJQŕ -DFREVRQVD\VŔ:HƂQGVXSSRUWIRU the nuts and bolts, like craft fairs and WHFKQLTXHVDVZHOODVDQRSSRUWXQLW\WR WDONDERXWEHDXW\FUHDWLYLW\DQGDUWŕ

%XVLQHVVHVOLNH+HDYHQO\<DUQVDQG Fiddlehead Artisan Supply, which VWRFNVTXLOWLQJDQGDSSDUHOIDEULFVDV well as paints, brushes, paper, and other art supplies, serve a similar function IRUSURIHVVLRQDODQGDPDWHXUFUDIWHUV

They not only sell materials, but also offer classes and a convivial atmosphere where people can talk DERXWWKHLUSURMHFWVZLWKRWKHUV7KRVH opportunities for connection matter, VD\V)LGGOHKHDGRZQHU$EE\*LOFKULVW Ŕ7KHSHRSOHZKROLYHKHUHFDUHDERXW WKDWDQGWKH\ZDQWWRNHHSLWŕř

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Service | Dockage | Storage | Refits | Paint

Whether you’re gearing up to race around the islands of Maine or to explore the islands of the South Pacific, come first to Front Street Shipyard. Here at the largest shipyard in Northern New England, we’ll refit or service your power or sailing vessel to keep you safe and comfortable during your adventures ahead.

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BELMONT BOATWORKS

There are a lot of great boat yards in midcoast Maine. It’s good company to be in, and when you talk to people involved with the various yards, the mutual respect is palpable. It takes a certain amount of nerve to plunk a new boatyard down in the middle of this community, but nerve is part of what Belmont Boatworks is all about.

Belmont’s founder, Dan Miller, has been a long-term liveaboard, a professional wooden-boat builder, a licensed charter-boat captain, a heavy-equipment operator, and, more than once, an entrepreneur. Making a success of all these things requires a “can do” attitude, and as is often the case, the personality of the boss permeates the whole yard. “Can do” is the spirit of Belmont Boatworks.

Beginning in 2012, the yard has made most of its living from doing boat work of all kinds, but if you need a church steeple removed, a city Christmas tree put up, a caboose renovated, a ɥȈƃȶɁȴɁʤljǁɽɁɽȃljɽȃȈɨǁːɁɁɨӗɰƺljȶljɨʰ made for a Broadway play, or an airplane painted, what you get from Belmont is not hesitation, but delight.

Belmont Boatworks is also unique in its encouragement of do-it-yourself customers, ɁǹǹljɨȈȶǼːljʯȈƹȢljƃɨɨƃȶǼljȴljȶɽɰ and well-informed free advice.

At the same time, the yard offers some of the best carpentry, paint ƃȶǁʤƃɨȶȈɰȃӗˎƹljɨǼȢƃɰɰɨljɥƃȈɨӗɨȈǼǼȈȶǼӗ and mechanical work in the industry. Among the managers are dedicated wooden-boat owners with deep ɥɨƃƺɽȈƺƃȢljʯɥljɨȈljȶƺljɁǹɽȃljɥƃɨɽȈƺʍȢƃɨ needs of both traditional and contemporary boats of that material. Increasingly, Belmont’s customer base includes those boat owners whose priority is complete, personalized, mooring-to-mooring service.

From the beginning, the yard has been in the boat-transport business, running two hydraulic trailers nationwide. They also run a crane truck for local jobs, and are dealers for the popular Beta brand of diesel engines.

Belmont’s customers are not ǹɁɨƺljǁȈȶɽɁƃԄɁȶljɰȈ˃ljˎɽɰƃȢȢԅ approach. The managers discuss each boat with its owners, provide free inspections of typical problem areas, assist the owners as needed to set their priorities, and then suggest an approach taking into account the customer’s budget ƃȶǁɰɥljƺȈˎƺɥƃɽɽljɨȶɁǹʍɰljӝ

The management team includes lifelong boat owners who have always had to work within a budget for their own boats but have worked with high-end customers at some of the best known yards in the industry. Workers at Belmont are ˎljɨƺljȢʰɰljȢǹӸȴɁɽȈʤƃɽljǁƃȶǁljƃǼljɨɽɁ share their knowledge with anyone who needs it. Boat owners of all ƹʍǁǼljɽȢljʤljȢɰʥȈȢȢˎȶǁƃɰʰȴɥƃɽȃljɽȈƺ ear at Belmont Boatworks.

163 Augusta Road Belmont, ME 04952 207-342-2885 info@belmontboatworks.com belmontboatworks.com