Pattern & Process: Industry and the Individual Exhibit

Maine MILL’s newest exhibition features hand-drawn designs from the museum’s collection and works by Maine artists that explore the relationship between mass production and the artistry of handcrafted, unique pieces. The show presents the textile design process from...

June 2025: Rock n Roll Bedspread

This Bates bedspread was donated to us earlier this year, and is in great condition. Featuring a very complicated and elaborate design, this bedspread would have taken a lot of work to create. Starting with artists drafting the design, to being turned into punch...

May 2025: Veterans Honor Board

  Located outside our permanent gallery, the names listed are those who worked at the Bates Mill and served during World War Two, either through the draft or volunteering. On the left side are the women who served, with their names marked on the board with a...

April 2025: Creation of a Woven Bedspread

This poster, located in our permanent gallery, depicts the entire bedspread design process, starting with cotton and ending with the final product. Created by the Bates Company in-house, this document comes to life as you follow along with the machines we have on...