𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆

Working Loose presents 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 Co-curated by Annika Earley + Em Gift April 1st – June 13th, 2026 Opening Reception: Friday, April 3rd 5pm - 7pm In the mid-1990s, Carl Sagan warned that modern society was drifting toward a second dark age. He argued that as our dependence on technology grew, our understanding of it would diminish and the sheer abundance of information would erode our sense of truth. In The Demon-Haunted World, Sagan imagined a culture that, unable or unwilling to think critically, would retreat into superstition—into demons, humours, and “crystal clutching.” When reasoning falters, he wrote, “the flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir.” Today, that warning feels less prophetic than descriptive. AI-generated slop is promoted as the inevitable future of visual culture; cult remedies circulate as medical fact; truth collapses into opinion, algorithm, or just convenience. Answers are instant, outsourced, and frictionless—whether from a search engine, a feed, or a chatbot—while consumption continues uninterrupted, masking what has quietly disappeared: discernment, skepticism, and shared reality. Within this landscape, the eleven artists in 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 point back to the magic mirror to ask for clarification.  Like the mythic amphisbaena—facing forward and backward at once—the works in this exhibition inhabit a space containing past and present, reason and superstition, truth and fable.  The exhibition features works by @annikaearley @danasherwoodstudio @haleywoodtextiles @jennifercoates666 @jennyib @lindsay_s_montgomery @markdionstudio @giantdaughter @rmunce @sharimendelson and @staceyrozich 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 reflects upon the historical murk of the dark ages while refracting contemporary anxieties around belief, doubt, and the seductive pull of the fantastical. In doing so, these artists ask not what we know, but how we know, and what we are willing to believe when the light grows uncertain?

Hi! I’m Em Gift, the owner of Working Loose! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, put a face to the name and explain a little bit about my vision for WL. I named this business ‘Working Loose’ after the book, published in 1972, by the Friend’s Service Society’s “New Vocations Project”. The project was essentially a talk-therapy program that invited people to have alternative dialogues around the concept of “work” and “career” and aimed to help people find what they are actually interested in engaging in, and to bring the term “vocation” back into the conversation. Vocation, by definition, refers to the “work you are meant to do” in your community and with a higher purpose.  “The old and honorable idea of ‘vocation’ is simply that we each are called, by God, or by our gifts, or by our preference, to a kind of good work for which we are particularly fitted.” -Wendell Barry That idea has always resonated with me and has become a core tenet in all projects I involved myself in future-forward. Through my years of working among visual and performing artists, and small brands as a consultant, my wide-ranging network of creators and allies is one that I am deeply proud of and inspired by. To liaise skill sharing, community building, artistic expression and to provide space for creative advancement, has clearly emerged as my vocation over this past decade, and I am honored to be entering my second year of this shop-project to do just that! Unbridled and unadulterated by any vision other than my own, I am here to see what magic comes out of jumping in and trusting my gut to work-loose. So it’s a shop, but yes it’s more than a shop too. Working Loose serves to be a place to engage, inspire and be inspired! A shop brimming with goods full of beauty and integrity. A shop that aims to rally excitement with its playful and creative approach to retail and exhibitions. A shop with a packed calendar of events, music, gatherings and an ever-changing gallery space. A shop that feels more like a community center than anything else! Thank you for your support and here is to many, many more years ahead! 📸 by @wingerworldwide

This summer @workingloose and @lalomagallery bring together fourteen artists for the group exhibition—𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙕𝙤𝙣𝙚: 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. Though separated by vast distances, these artists are linked by a shared attentiveness to light, atmosphere and environment. From the Pacific’s expansive, sunbleached horizon to the diffused radiance in the Atlantic’s rocky inlets, each geography shapes perception differently. Across regions, their practices remain in conversation, connected by a slow but sustaining exchange—like light traveling through shallow water, altered but persistent. Littoral Zone takes its name from this sunlit edge of a body of water—the place where light reaches the bottom and life gathers. Neither fully land nor fully sea, the littoral zone is a threshold space: porous and dynamic yet sustaining. Shaped by tides and touch, where land and water continually negotiate their boundaries, this exhibition draws on that ecological definition to consider how distance, geography, and shared attention can generate a living, interconnected field.  The artwork on view becomes a site of encounter: between artist and viewer, representation and abstraction, observation and participation.  Artists include @ryan_kish @kelly_lynn_jones @jariddeldeo @nancyfriedland @skylarphughes @kathrynlynchpics @carriegund @samfink @will_sears @rainajlee @rebeccaannepartridge @dreacofield @alexanderbgnolan and @laurenluloff The Pace House Residency operated by @mecaart in Stonington, has awarded us a week this July to serve as a home base for the Artists featured in this exhibition. Throughout the week, artists will engage in plein-air painting, gather for an artists’ reception at the gallery in Blue Hill, and take part in additional programming to be announced.  𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙕𝙤𝙣𝙚: 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 June 27th–September 12th, 2026
Artist’s Reception : Wednesday, July 22nd 4pm - 6pm Special thanks to @tessagreeneobrien for support and facilitation.

“Nearby, strange little fireworks are frozen in l time. Are they fireworks? There’s a sensation of something crawling or ticking. The palette of these pieces is soft and springlike with clouds of petal pink, bursts of yolky yellow, and salt-fog blue. Under the colorful markings lies a graphic, black and white image of paths following intuitive logic. Termite tunnels. How delightful that this little creature makes such sparkling celestial symbols by gnawing its way through as earthly a material as damp wood. Made by Maine-based artist Rachel Alexandrou, ( @giantdaughter ) whose work is deeply enmeshed with the natural world, these 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 are spontaneous and collaborative. By first making a print of the termine tunnels on found wood, Alexandrou sets certain conditions for her colorful additions. The termite determines the shape. The works remind me of divination, of reading the earth for signs and messages. If ever an artist might be a hedge witch, I would bet my money on Alexandrou. Her work centers around food systems, herbalist practices, and the use of natural materials. The titles of the works are derived from an unsettling phone call she received one December morning in which the caller described themselves as a log restorer and discussed his process for putting the bark back on logs. Alexandrou imagined the termites who made the paths she printed had somehow taken over his mind in an attempt to restore their homes. The story is fantastic and folkloric, cloaking the pieces in an uncanny atmosphere.” An excerpt from @annikaearley ‘s Essay 𝘊𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘳𝘵 ——— Rachel Alexandrou   𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘐𝘐, 2024     Ink Relief Print, Conté Crayon, paper     9.75 x 7 in.     𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓒𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 on view thru June 13th You can also join Rachel later this month as she leads a PLANT WALK and wild foods culinary experience in shop! See link in bio for more info!

OPEN CALL FOR VENDORS — A SPRING ℬℐ𝒵𝒜ℛℛℰ ℬ𝒜𝒵𝒜𝒜ℛ Working Loose is turning TWO, and we’re celebrating the only way we know how — with a vibrant, weird and wonderful Spring Bizarre Bazaar! We’re looking for creative, unique, and unconventional vendors to join us for a day of art, community, and curated chaos! Event Date: Sunday June 14th
Time: 11am-4pm WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
We’re seeking artists, makers, collectors, and small businesses with a distinct voice. Think: * Handmade goods * Vintage & oddities * Art, prints, zines * Jewelry & accessories * Apparel & textiles * Home goods & curiosities * Delicious Foods and Bevy * Anything delightfully bizarre HOW TO APPLY:
Email: [email protected] * Your name/business name * A short description of your work * Photos or links to your products/socials * Any special setup needs * Application Deadline: May 16th

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

“The cream and grey ones are strapped to the top of the wheel. The red one is already crushed. An odd little man (a monk?) facilitates the turn while another looks on. There is a flatness to the violence in 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭, the tufted work by Massachusetts-based artist Haley Wood, that makes it feel particularly referential to the art of the European middle ages. It’s hard not to immediately think of images of medieval torture. This is perhaps because ‘it’s a stereotype heard often: that from roughly the years 300 to 1500 most people inhabited a time oscillating between 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 and 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳, a world of generalized misery and ignorance, living in piteous squalor only to make war in the fretful darkness’* but this is a distortion of medieval life that developed as a foil to the more sparkly renaissance that followed. You can’t be enlightened if the lights are already on.” *Jack Hartnell, Medieval Bodies: Life and Death In The Middle Ages (W.W. Norton Company, 2019), 3. An excerpt from @annikaearley ‘s Essay 𝘊𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘳𝘵 ——— Haley Wood 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭, 2026    Hand-tufted acrylic yarn with felt backing     36 x 40 in.     𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓒𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 on view thru June 13th

We are thrilled to announce an early summer music show featuring two of our favorite Maine bands @voila_deadgowns and @lou_wee_za Sunday June 28th 7pm / doors at 6:30 $15 presale tix on sale now!

“There are seventeen monsters swirling about: the crocodilian Climate Change Deniers, the pathetic dog-like Tucker Carlson, the bloated blowfish Military Industrial Complex, the sword-wielding lizard Scam Artists and Identity Thieves, the demonic White Evangelicals, the harpy Invisible Hand, and the mutated Petrochemical Industry to name some of them. Taxonomic and done in primary blue and red, the image features neatly drawn pictograms with descriptive labels beneath or beside each symbol. The visual tidiness of the lithograph is in stark contrast to the chaotic mixture of medieval European, ancient Egyptian, and other folkloric beasts coupled with their contemporary titles. The levity created by the pairings only emphasizes the strangeness of our current news cycle. It’s not difficult to find all sorts of monsters today. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴 is directly in line with what Carl Sagan worried about in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. Sagan often talks about the importance of skepticism, of questioning the validity or trueness of something as an important part of thinking clearly.” An excerpt from @annikaearley ‘s Essay 𝘊𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘳𝘵 ——— Mark Dion 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴, 2025 Two-color lithograph, Off-white Hahnemuhle paper     13 x 16 in.   AP v/v  𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓒𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 on view thru June 13th

𝘼 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚! Rachel Alexandrou, Herbalist and Botanical Cook @giantdaughter is BACK and will be leading a plant walk through Blue Hill guiding participants in plant ID, sustainable harvesting practices and usage & folklore of the wild plants of our zone. At the conclusion of the informative walk we will all gather back at the shop to taste and toast with herbal concoctions and wild foods from the area in a wild cocktail hour! SATURDAY MAY 30th | 3pm-6pm Cost: $65/person includes walk, foods & cocktails/mocktails Limited to 20 participants Pre-registration required

“Two albarellos stand next to each other, solemn with their spiked handles and black glaze. They are medicine jars, common in 15th to 18th century Europe but much older in their Middle Eastern origin. On each jar is a shaggy figure with strange, noodly fingers and odd, fleshy protrusions like saplings or suckers coming from the breasts and crotch gone too leggy from a lack of light. The figures are reminiscent of glamrock-era superstars with Bowie shapes around their eyes. They do not reveal if their cover of downy fur is a suit or their skin: ghillie suit or hirsutism aside, the figures look wild and enmeshed in their sweet strawberry surroundings. The title of the two vessels, 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰, made by Canadian artist Lindsay Montgomery, ( @lindsay_s_montgomery ) refers the mythical, medieval wildmen of Britain’s forests sometimes also likened to the more Greek myths of satyrs and fauns. They, like Mary Magdalene, are covered in downy fur or hair, spending the majority of their time in nature rather than society.” an excerpt from @annikaearley ‘s Essay 𝘊𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘳𝘵 In an unfortunate turn of events that reflects some of the themes of 𝑪𝒓𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 we were unable to bring Montgomery’s work across the US/Canada border. This was in part due to the opaque and prohibitive rules and regulations set by the US government which the current administration is only leaning further into. Montgomery kindly permitted us to keep the description of her work in the essay as it was one of the germinating seeds of the curation of works on view. You can see her work via proxy QR code in the exhibition or can contact Lindsay’s gallery to view IRL. @chiguerartcontemporain 𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓒𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 on view thru June 13th

Looking forward to the bright sunny days on this social corner. 🌞 In the meantime we are open on this soggy and blustery Spring day from 11-5pm 💫 (ok 11:15 😬) 📷 by @drwanderlust

“Across the room floats a figure in soft greens and blues. A single potter’s pink star sits at the center of the figure. Outlined in a mosaic of gentle yellows and greens, the figure rests in a 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘢, the sacred space in which heaven and earth meet. 13 Sweet cherubian silhouettes mark the corners of the structured composition while droplets of water and leaf-like buds adorn the outer edges… Munce’s matron figure is human and animal, divine and earthly, its early spring greens and mellow blues reminding me of Hildegard’s description of divine love. ‘𝘐 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘐 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯, 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴.” — an excerpt from @annikaearley ‘s Essay * * * * * 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞     𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯, 2025 Oil on Aluminum 20 x 15 in. On view courtesy of @mcbridecontemporain 𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓒𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 on view thru June 13th