Whale Club 2022 is a gift we wanted to give ourselves and our community after a decade of building The Good Supply dream! The images below were taken by Katya Martin and showcase some of the highlights of our afternoon. We hope you enjoy!

Hosting an annual Summer "Art Party" is our pride and joy and keeps the season fun for us. We love events where neighbors can meet neighbors and folks from out of town can make new friends. It helps when the Maine weather cooperates like it did for our early August garden party.

We invited Whale of A Good Time artist Cindy Pease Roe of UpSculpt back to inspire a season of beach clean-ups as inspiration reimagine the fate of trash, raise awareness of plastics in the ocean and the roles we play in putting them there. Cindy Pease Roe is pictured in the middle along with The Good Supply founder Catherine McLetchie (left) and artist Jessie Renew.

It was alarming to see how much beach trash and coastal debris could be collected by our local community. This photo shows what was LEFT OVER after Cindy created the "whale" in "Whale Club 2022." What was most striking to us was the beautiful colors represented in such a collection.

The number one category of coastal debris in the Gulf of Maine is lost or discarded gear from fishing. We all see a lot of debris that looks like the lobster buoy above, but also see beach toys, flip flops, and sunscreen bottles that end up on our coastline. 

Cindy wanted to use elements true to Midcoast. For example, the black screen used to enclose the whale's form in the photo above comes from oyster farming. 

The black netting gave Cindy the right texture and minimalism she needed to create a sculpture of substance that could also be relatively light as to function as a moveable and accessible artwork. She spent a week at The Good Supply selecting materials from our collection to create a work of beauty.

Introducing: Corazon Valiente (Valiente Heart)

She is a North Atlantic Right Whale that measures 98" x 37" x 36". Made of miscellaneous marine debris: rope, buoys, aquaculture seeding bags, lobster traps, fabric, bait bags, tennis ball, golf ball, tool bag, and shuttlecock

Corazon Valiente is absolutely stunning, and it is a treat to have an artwork of this scale on view at The Good Supply. The body of the whale is transparent, and pieces of the whole (intact debris that represents fishing, boating, play, consuming, and entertainment) "float" in a line up in the interior of the whale. 

When Liz heard that Cindy Pease Roe was going to be headlining our 10th Anniversary show with a giant whale installation "floating" in the barn, she had the idea to make Disco Bubbles for the whale to swim among. She made 24 individual pieces using coastal debris and sometimes papier-mache as a base. They were displayed around the event and created a very fun party atmosphere!

Not all of the fun was announced ahead of time! While party planning was taking place, Maine contemporary oil painter Jessica Ives finished new work for the Summer. As our first studio artist, we are always interested in new iterations of her work and asked if there could be a pop-up element to our event that could include her! She said yes, and the outdoor display of her pieces will not soon be forgotten.

Another thing to remember was how much fun the kids had! We always love when families - including sweet dogs - come to the barn. Pictured here is a good friend of The Good Supply Mafalda. These bubbles came from a site specific light installation from visiting artist Jessie Renew.

This is a close-up of the light installation at dusk. Jessie Renew acted as support for Cindy Pease Roe just as she as always acted as support for The Good Supply. When she wasn't offering her talents to her friends, she was working on this individual piece titled "It's Complicated," which was made from free materials entwined onto The Good Supply's chandelier garden sculptures. The installation was bright in color and gripping in meaning - we all really do have a lot of stuff! What actually matters is the question.

One thing that matters without argument is food! Friends sourced and made all of the complimentary refreshments. There was a sudden heat wave, and big thanks must be given to Kathi and Renee who spent time in the kitchen crisping up crunchy chickpeas. It takes a little work making food that is gluten-free, protein-rich, and able to sit in the sun for an hour or so!

Barn Door Bakery and Walpole Barn were our first stops for yummy treats! We are so lucky to have the "go to" places in town to find just what we need. Barn Door makes great treats gluten free and with flour - and Walpole Barn is THE place for wine around here!

Souvenirs by Mermaid Meadow were offered up to folks. Catherine put in a call to the Maine Department of Marine Resources and found a whale biologist at the end of the line! The biologist made a list of all the whales found in Maine, and Bevin Holmberg, an artist who always wanted to be a marine biologist, depicted the beautiful whales in a series of limited edition plates. At the time of this writing, a handful of plates were still available.

Whale Club 2022 really was a dreamy night! The weather cooperated, and our friends showed up from near and far. If we could live this night over and over again, we would! 

Great friends from Maine like the talented metalsmith Kate Mess and her beautiful daughter Stella showed up!

As did artist illustrator Allison McKeen and manager at Maine Crafts Association Whitney Gill! Truth be told, these ladies have been attending our parties for years, and it was their reputations in the field that helped encourage us to where we are. When you surround yourself with creative people, good things are bound to happen.

We could not have hoped for a better event with better people. August 6, 2022 "Whale Club 2022" was the best way we could have celebrated a decade in business. It's support from people like you that keeps us going. You made this happen, and we are so grateful! Cheers to 10 years of The Good Supply! Thank you, dear friends.