KENNEBUNK, Maine — Lindsay Kamon has two passions – making soap and other goods and supporting local artists and independent entrepreneurs – and she has found a way to combine both in a single space.
She is opening The Local Bottega, a new shop offering handcrafted goods and workshops for fellow makers. The shop, which is set to open this month, is located at 7 Agatha James Drive, just off Route 1 and a bit south of downtown Kennebunk.
Kamon said her shop is “about nurturing,” about providing a welcome-home atmosphere, where coffee and tea will be served and where makers can share their craft and hone their artistry.
“We want to give a vibrant resource to the Kennebunk community,” she said during an interview on Tuesday morning.
She picked the right name for the place. A bottega is a workshop, run by an artist who creates opportunities for other artists to highlight their own work and take part in efforts to better their abilities. Makers are “invited to come in and share their process,” as Kamon put it.
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The shop will feature more than 50 locally-sourced products of such media as pottery, artwork, jewelry, soaps, candles, bath bombs, and more, according to Ellen Callaway, the shop’s operations manager.
The bath bombs are “like a magic potion in the bath,” according to Kamon.
“They feel really nice on the skin,” she said.
In-person and online workshops will be offered to do-it-yourselfers of all ages. As well, the shop will have craft kits for children and adults.
“We will have Craft Nights, too,” Kamon said.
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The shop will feature local artists on a regular basis. Those who have a craft they would like to show and sell at the shop are encouraged to reach out to Kamon at hello@localbottega.com. Kamon also would like to hear from those who already teach classes or are interested in starting to teach.
While she is originally from Missouri, Kamon and her husband, Mike, moved to Maine from Connecticut two years ago.
“We love it here,” she said. “It’s my forever place.”
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The Kamons have three daughters – in fact, it was through motherhood that Kamon discovered she enjoyed making soap and candles and other products. While pregnant, she started paying more attention to the food and bath, body and cleaning products that she allowed in her home. A systems engineer by profession, she developed her newfound passion as a stay-at-home mother.
Kamon was not the only one to get busy making crafts in recent times.
“A silver lining that came out of the pandemic was that many crafters were born,” she said.
Kamon has extended that conscientiousness about what she allows in her home to her new shop. In her new business, she is focusing on sustainability and is vetting all products she displays and sells for environmental friendliness. All products at the shop will be “clean and healthy” ones for “bodies and the environment.”
“We want to be a place that creates awareness,” she said.
Kamon hopes to give the shop a soft opening by the Labor Day weekend next month. The shop’s hours are still being determined, according to Kamon. To learn more about the shop and its opening in the days ahead, visit online at www.thelocalbottega.com . You also can follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram.