After 12 years in business in downtown Bangor, retail shop Maine Jewelry & Art, which since 2010 has sold all Maine-made jewelry, home goods and art, will close its doors next month.
The Harlow Street shop, owned jointly by artists Amanda Coburn, Roxanne Munksgaard and Anne Reigstad, made the announcement in a social media post Monday.
“We love our brick and mortar store, but have decided to make some changes,” the three owners said in the post. “The retail market has changed so much, and we three artists and partners are ready for something different.”
Downtown Bangor has seen a lot of retail shifts in a few short months. In addition to Maine Jewelry & Art, shoe store Valentine Footwear announced last month it too would close in early 2023, and longtime retailer Epic Sports closed in September. That’s in addition to several retail shop openings, including vintage shops White Lobster Vintage, Red Rabbit Bazaar and UniKue and OriJinals, and Out on a Whimsey, a toy store.
Coburn said that the store will close on Jan. 31, 2023, after which the three will continue to sell their art and jewelry through their online shop, as well as in artisan shops throughout the state.
“None of us have any intention to stop making art, but we have to refocus our efforts on a business model that’s more sustainable with our lifestyles at this point,” Coburn said.
Both Munksgaard and Reigstad are nearing retirement age, and Coburn said that sales have slumped over the past year. Coburn has also recently relocated to the Waterville area, and a regular commute to Bangor isn’t feasible any longer.
Maine Jewelry & Art originally opened in 2010 in Hampden, but by the end of that year had moved to a more prominent location on Harlow Street in downtown Bangor.
Over the past 12 years, the three friends and artists have helped to highlight an array of Maine artists and artisans, creating everything from paintings and photography to knitted items and pottery to fine, handcrafted jewelry.
It also became known for its long-running project to create pieces of jewelry out of copper sourced from the domed roofs of several famous Maine buildings, including the Bangor Public Library and the Maine State House.
