A new flagship location of a business that sells handmade products from more than 260 Maine artisans will open in downtown Bangor on Friday.
Maine Micro Artisans will open its new store at 21 Washington St. The storefront, next to Quality Jewelers, was previously home to Damon’s Beverage and Redemption.
“It’s weird to think this used to be a liquor store and yet the setup is a perfect fit for what we need,” said Mary Plummer, who launched the business two years ago.
The new store will replace Maine Micro Artisans’ spot in the Bangor Mall. It’s one example of the many businesses that have left the struggling Stillwater Avenue shopping center in search of space in more bustling downtowns.
The store sells handmade jewelry, apparel, home goods and more in a range of prices, from $5 stickers to $700 hand-carved wood sculptures.
Plummer got the idea for the business after she picked up soapmaking during the pandemic and began selling her creations online. The first location was a tiny store in Gorham, but Plummer soon opened a branch in the Bangor Mall.
Maine Micro Artisans then outgrew its initial Gorham space, leading it to open a larger storefront in the Maine Mall in South Portland in April 2024.
“I thought this would be a little hole in the wall store in my hometown, and it became bigger than I ever thought it could be,” Plummer said. “It has taken on a life of its own, and I’m just trying to keep up with the natural momentum of the maker community.”
Maine Micro Artisans is also responsible for the monthly Night Markets on the Bangor Waterfront that began this summer, during which more than 200 artists set up booths to sell their creations.
Caity Brown, general manager of the new Bangor location, said the 8,500-square-foot space was initially daunting because it’s double the size of the South Portland store. However, the business has graduated into progressively larger spaces since it launched two years ago, so they felt ready to face the challenge.
“When we first moved into the Maine Mall location, we thought, ‘How are we going to fill a space this this huge?’” Brown said. “This new location is twice the size of that, but we thought, ‘Let’s fill it up!’ Mainers make some amazing, beautiful things.”
The new Bangor storefront has a room where artists will lead classes and a separate maker’s space where people can rent machinery and crafting supplies such as sewing machines or a 3D printer.
“That allows people to try a new thing without investing thousands of dollars,” Brown said.
The store is also using the former Damon’s redemption area as “Maker’s Way.” The room will function similar to a craft fair where up to eight budding artists can rent space for $25 a day and sell their wares. The space is designed to host people who aren’t certain if their products are appealing to the general public and perhaps only made one version of something before moving on to something new.
“We’re not looking for artisans who make 10,000 of one thing,” Brown said. “We want things that are fully unique and one-of-a-kind.”
The new location will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
