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 pattern drafts to final product, examines the positives and negatives of the Bates Mill’s history and impact, and draws attention to the unnamed artists behind the textiles. Alongside the historical designs, three Maine artists—Rachel Gloria Adams, Elana Adler and Verónica Pérez—examine themes of identity, interdependence, and community.
Executive Director Rachel Ferrante shared, “It’s great to be able to showcase a part of Maine MILL’s collection that visitors have never seen before. And the contemporary works of art challenge us to explore how both historical and contemporary innovations shape art and community and the lasting impact of personal artistic expression.”
About the Artists
Rachel Gloria Adams is a multidisciplinary artist living in Portland, ME. Adams has developed a vibrant, graphic pattern-based visual language filled with references to the natural world that posses an heirloom quality. Her work takes form by way of quilting, painting, design and large scale murals. She moved to Maine in 2005 to pursue her BFA from the Maine College of Art and Design. She has gone on to exhibit artwork at the Portland Museum of Art, Space Gallery, Center for Maine Contemporary Art and Dowling Walsh. She has attended residencies at Speedwell, Pace House and is an Indigo Arts Alliance David C. Driskell Fellow. In addition to her studio practice, Adams has been commissioned to create murals for several institutions including the Children’s Museum of Portland, University of Maine and the Farnsworth Museum.
Elana Adler is a multidisciplinary artist born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and currently based in Portland, ME. In 2008, she received a BFA in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design and in 2017 a MFA in Fibers & Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. While in Chicago, she co-organized an artist-run gallery called Adler & Floyd and managed a studio collective in the Industrial Clocktower Building. Some attended residencies include Surf Point Foundation, Haystack, Monson Arts, Hewnoaks, Vermont Studio Center, The Wassaic Project, & Hatch Projects through the Chicago Artist Coalition. Adler has exhibited work nationally, including currently at the Portland Museum of Art, and has received funding from The Foundation for Contemporary Arts and The Illinois Art Council. In addition to her studio practice, Adler is a teaching technician at Maine College of Art & Design, and works as a studio assistant.
verónica a. pérez is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in the community, exploring themes of erasure, identity, and interdependency through their braiding circles workshops. pérez graduated with their BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in 2014 and received their MFA from Maine College of Art in 2016. In 2020, they were awarded the Ellis-Beauregard Visual Arts Fellowship, followed by the inaugural fellowship at the David C. Driskell Black Seed Studio at Indigo Arts Alliance in 2021. In 2022, they were a fellow at the Lunder Institute at Colby College, and subsequently had their first solo exhibition titled voices, whispering at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Recently, they were named one of the Maine Artist Fellows for 2024 in fine arts from the Maine Arts Commission. Currently, pérez works as the Administrative Assistant at Indigo Arts Alliance in Portland, Maine. They are also a co-organizer at Tender Table, an organization dedicated to uplifting Maine’s Black and Brown community through storytelling and food. pérez resides in Westbrook, Maine, with their partner and child.
The exhibit is made possible in part by Androscoggin Bank. The show runs from February 6, 2025 – January 3, 2026.
For more information about Maine MILL and its events and exhibits, visit www.mainemill.org or call 207-333-3881. The museum is located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am – 4pm.