New England creativity: why it's so important to locals

With the slow passing of seasons and a gloriously unhurried pace of life to match, people living in the region know the best things in life take time. True craftsmanship is worth waiting for – just like the vivid colours on the trees each October. They also truly value a sense of community. New Englanders are fiercely proud of both their surroundings and the craftsmen working within it. Artists eagerly recommend the wood-worker in the next town. Basket weavers suggest you visit the local furniture maker. On one recent trip cycling in New England, I came to regret not driving as every place I visited brought a new recommendation further along the road; a must-visit studio where I was assured the artisan products were even more beautiful than the last. I learned a secret locals have known for centuries: the best way to understand New England and the people who live there is through its homegrown products.

In states across New England and Canada, shopping local is a way of life. It’s a way to connect with the heart of a community, to support an area economically and, for visitors, to bring home a unique souvenir made by people who live and work in the places you loved on holiday. Discovering where to go and what to buy is not only a great chance to meet the producer in person, but also the perfect way to strike up conversations with locals wherever you go. Staff in restaurants, shops and museums will be delighted to advise on the best local crafts to buy and the perfect places to get them, and will also know the up-and-coming names, so you can be certain you’re hunting out the finest local talent. In Maine, the welcoming city of Portland is packed with independent boutiques, craft stores and art galleries along its quaint cobblestone streets, making it easy to pick up artisan goods from all over the state.

One Maine resident at the forefront of the artisan craft scene is Addie Peet. Combining traditional methods with modern designs, she creates handcrafted canvas floorcloths that are a practical and easy-to-clean alternative to rugs. The floorcloths were popular home accessories in the 18th and 19th centuries but former kitchen designer Peet was inspired by the outdoorsy, animal-loving lifestyle of a typical Mainer to begin designing them again. She now creates all her floor-coverings by hand from her studio, which can be visited by appointment in Winterport, an hour from the cruise terminal in Bar Harbor, Maine. She’s also happy to package up coverings of all sizes to make it easy to transport them back to port. In Maine, there could be no better souvenir to bring home than a product that Peet believes sums up the local way of life.

Across the border from Maine in Canada, the focus moves from practicality to local materials, with the best souvenirs made of wood, wool, canvas, sea glass and leather. If you can, ensure your souvenirs mean even more by visiting the workshop or showroom where the item is made, and connecting with the person who crafted it. Working from his showroom in Bloomfield, near the Saint John port, Brent Rourke makes handcrafted wooden products, including cabinets and jewellery boxes, and can be visited on the Princess Local Connections: Countryside & Woodworking Demo excursion. He uses unusual woods including bird’s eye maple and cherry to craft future heirlooms.

Rourke creates and sells decorative shaker boxes, which have subsequently become renowned worldwide and even been given as gifts to Queen Elizabeth II and the King of Bhutan, yet can be bought in person from Rourke himself when visiting Saint John. Like so much of Canada itself, the pieces are traditional but contemporary, functional but decorative and always beautiful, inspired by the views Rourke sees around him every day. With environmental concerns in mind, Rourke believes work like his means more to many of us than ever.