Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X I I I J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 2 6 18 L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N / W E S T E R N M A I N E F O C U S I tems found in the deserted mills of Lewiston and Auburn, salvaged on their way to the dump or donated by former textile workers and their families. ese are among a unique collec- tion of over 10,000 artifacts, hundreds of recorded oral histories and exhibits at the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor — or Maine MILL — soon to open the doors to its new home in a redeveloped yarn mill at 1 Beech St. on the Lewiston riverfront. is is no run-of-the-mill home. "is new building represents a major step forward not just for Maine MILL, but for the community we serve," says Rachel Ferrante, the museum's executive director. "It allows us to deepen our work, broaden access and create a space where people can engage meaningfully with the stories and ideas that continue to shape this place." Long time coming e museum's new home was a long time coming. Formerly called Museum L-A, it was founded in 1996 and opened its doors in 2004, at 35 Canal St., at Bates Mill. e massive 12-acre manufacturing complex dates to Bates Manufacturing Co.'s textile roots in the 1850s. It was once Maine's largest employer. After the city sold the Bates Mill building several years later to a local developer, the museum's first executive director, Rachel Desgrosseilliers, and its board identified the old Camden Yarns Mill at 1 Beech St. in Lewiston as a great downtown spot to relocate the museum and create a purpose-designed space. At the time, the Camden Yarns Mill was owned by Miller Industries, a fabric mill company that used it for storage and had previously declined offers to sell the property. A 2009 Mainebiz article tells the story of how Desgrosseilliers convinced the owner to let her take a look, and the museum's mission persuaded the man, the son of a Russian immigrant, to consider her offer. Desgrosseilliers wrote up a purchase agreement right in front of him, told the man she had no money and handed him a $1 bill. "I said, 'is is what I can offer right now," Desgrosseilliers recalled at the time. e final purchase price was $200,000. e sale closed in 2009. First temporary exhibit The premiere exhibition in the muse- um's rotating gallery, "A Common Bond: The Brick Journal," draws on Lewiston's legacy as a center of brick production to feature contemporary artists whose work reflects themes of labor, material and place, along- side installations that connect to the region's industrial and cultural history. Guest curated by Alexis Iammarino, the show runs through Oct. 25. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Rachel Ferrante, Maine MILL's executive director, in the Atrium Gallery with the art of Reggie Burrow Hodges. GRAND OPENING: Maine MILL's opening celebration will take place June 26–28, featuring the museum's annual Soirée en Blanc celebration and fundraiser on Friday evening and a ribbon-cutting and opening ceremony on Saturday morning. Admission and special programming will be free Saturday and Sunday. Lewiston museum offers 'wow' moments Maine MILL has new home to celebrate region's manufacturing history B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r

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