A Little Mad Shop in Bar Harbor

“People used to tell us, if you ever do this, we’ll know you’ve gone a little mad,” say owners Jolene and Patrick Fogarty. That running joke became reality in 2012, when the Bangor area natives opened their Bar Harbor shop after years of dreaming about it on weekly visits to the island.

They started out in a small courtyard location and spent years commuting back and forth before eventually buying and renovating their own downtown building in 2021. “It was a significant project that involved rejuvenating the full exterior and renovating the entire interior. There were lots of twists and turns along the way,” Patrick says. Today, the store sits beneath the couple’s year-round home, a place they never expected Bar Harbor would become.

Inside, the shelves are filled with work from 80 to 100 makers at a time, chosen for what Jolene calls “overtly positive with a twist.” They prize exclusivity and personal connection with artists, featuring everything from Hidden Eloise’s elusive story-rich prints to Houston Llew’s copper Spiritiles to colorful coastal paintings by Maine artist William Hallett.

The Fogartys are deliberate about curating pieces that can’t be found elsewhere in town. They often meet artists in person or discover them while traveling. “We want customers to walk in and see something new, something unexpected,” Jolene says.

For the Fogartys, the real joy is in the people who walk through the door. Families return year after year, some now bringing their grown children, and even a marriage proposal has taken place in the shop. “It has been amazing to be woven into people’s lives in this way,” Jolene says.

FAMOUS FOR: 
Hidden Eloise exclusives, Houston Llew’s Spiritiles, William Hallett originals, and a whimsical curation you won’t find elsewhere.

ADDRESS:
17 Rodick St in Bar Harbor, ME

WEBSITE:
shopalittlemad.com

photos by Peter Logue