Keeping It Local: Creativity + Community in Kittery, Maine

One of the best parts about being in the Foreside is the community that comes with it. Southern Maine and coastal New Hampshire are packed with small businesses and the creative, hardworking people behind them — the kind of folks who make this area feel like home.

When we first moved into 7 Wallingford, (more than two years ago!) we met our neighbors — Deb and Michael of Lil’s Café and Julian of Anju and The Dram — who welcomed us right in. Since then, we’ve teamed up on all kinds of projects: Lil’s, The Islander, Stella’s, June’s, and Henry’s with Deb + Michael; Anju, The Dram, and The Wilder with Julian.

This area runs on connection. Everyone knows someone who knows someone, and that’s half the fun of it. Keeping creative work local isn’t about making a point — it’s just how things happen when the community’s this tight-knit.

Groups like CreativeMornings and Creatives Not Robots are great examples of how that creative energy keeps flowing. Their events bring people together, spark new ideas, and remind us that even in a small town, there’s always room to grow. The AIGA Maine DesignFest did the same — “connection” was the theme, and it couldn’t have been more fitting.

Local artist Kenley Darling has been quietly transforming blank walls into moments of joy across the Seacoast. Her murals add color to the everyday — and in a world that needs more of that, we’ll always call that a win.

At the end of the day, keeping creative work local is about more than projects or profit. It’s about showing up for each other, building something together, and letting that collective spark do what it does best: light up the whole community.

If you’re a local creative, small business, or just someone with a big idea, stop by our Open Office Hours next Thursday from 10–12 a.m. at the studio. Grab a coffee, talk shop, or just say hi — we’d love to connect.