Gloria Hardiman's Maple Grove Gallery

, Wisconsin 530HH
United States

Gloria Hardiman's Maple Grove Gallery

Celebrating 33 years of elegant creation and described as a gem of a place in a recent feature story in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, Maple Grove Gallery is set in the rolling meadows and orchard country in the heart of the Door Peninsula. As it slices across the center of the peninsula past farms and forests, County Road F has been described as Door County’s prettiest stretch. When Gloria Hardiman and her husband George purchased the high-front 1916 general store, the idea was simple. “I wanted to sell my weaving and summer in Door County,” says Gloria. Doing most of the remodeling themselves, they opened Maple Grove Gallery in 1973. It didn’t take long to find out that locals used to gossip around the potbellied stove in this former general store, giving the corner the nickname ‘Bullshit Corners.’ Thirty-three years later, the building still bears the unmistakable look and simplicity of a country store, but people gather around Gloria’s loom, located just inside the door, to watch her weave the colorful fabrics for which she is known. Maple Grove Gallery is now known as a choice repository for handwoven originals. Luxurious handwoven items by Gloria and other fiber artists are displayed among delightful antique toys and country furniture. Gloria’s emphasis is on clothing. You’ll find full-length coats, jackets, capes, shawls and stoles as well as throws and pillows for the home. Each is a handwoven, one-of-a-kind original. Her garments are both fashionable creations and artful compositions of color, texture and pattern. Because weaving is a tactile medium, she prefers soft yarns that feel good against the skin. Gloria takes a playful approach with color, whether weaving in rich, vibrant reds or adding a metallic counterpoint to a muted earth tone harmony. “Weaving is an art form,” she declares .“These are things a machine can’t do.” Although Gloria’s work forms the nucleus of the gallery, other nationally recognized designer/weavers are represented. “You rarely see this many weavers showing in one place,” she says. “ The customer has a lot to choose from, yet each piece is unique. Additionally, the shop exhibits a small but select line of jewelry. According to Wisconsin Trails Magazine, there is “ no hype or high pressure at Maple Grove Gallery. It is tasteful and relaxed with easy country elegance.” The gallery is located at the junction of County Highway F and Maple Grove Road, between the villages of Fish Creek and Bailey’s Harbor. Visit daily between 10 and 5 from mid-May through October.   Photos by Jim Kinney