CURRENT AND UPCOMING SPECIAL EXHIBITS AND EVENTS AT THE MILL MUSEUM
The Mill Museum’s Executive Director Kira Holmes and Windham Co-Town Historian Jamie Eves recently co-hosted the WILI radio (1400-AM and 95.3-FM) drive-time talk show, “Let’s Talk About It,” when regular hosts Susan Johnson and Dennis O’Brien were on vacation. The show was video-recorded and will be broadcast on local public access television via Charter Communications on cable channel 192. WILI also posted it on its YouTube channel. To watch and listen, click here.
Special Exhibit: Here All Along: African Americans in Northeastern Connecticut Before the Great Migration. Fri., Feb. 10 – Sun., July 16, 2023. This special exhibit explores the African American experience in northeastern Connecticut (with an emphasis on Windham and Willimantic) from the 1600s to 1910, with an additional section relating to the 20th century. Learn the stories of Jo Ginne, Eliza, Job and Jesse Leason, Lyman and Clarissa Jackson, Caesar and Julia Hall, and other African Americans who experienced northeastern Connecticut, its mill towns, and the meaning of freedom in very different ways than did their white neighbors. Although Connecticut’s African American population surged with the Great Migration from the South in the early 20th century, it is important to remember that Black people lived in Connecticut from its seventeenth-century beginnings as an English colony — that, indeed, African Americans have been “here all along.” Curated by Dr. Jamie Eves, Windham, CT’s co-Town Historian. For more information about this and other temporary exhibits at the Mill Museum, click here.
Children’s Program: Irish Kit. Fri. – Sun., March 10 – 26. Pick up your kit from the Mill Museum Friday – Sunday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. One kit will be to make an Irish Flag for ages 8 and under, and the other kit is to make a Saint Brigid’s Cross for 8 and older. Craft is free, but if you tour the Museum, admission is $10 for adults; $7 for kids/students/ seniors.
Program: Learn to Weave with Peggy Church. At the Mill Museum, 411 Main St., Willimantic. The first class of the next session will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Sun., Mar. 12. The series of 8 classes is held on Sunday afternoons, and the schedule is flexible to accommodate those enrolled. Students will learn how to measure the warp yarn and dress a floor loom, then weave a sampler to discover various weave structures. Next they will weave a project of their choice, learning how to read weave drafts and do project calculations. The class is limited to 3 students, and masks are required in the weaving studio. Students should be up to date with COVID vaccinations. The fee for 8 lessons is $240. If you are a brand new weaver, there is an additional fee of $30 to cover the cost of the textbook and materials.
Program: Drop-in Spinning Bee with Peggy Church. Sat., Mar. 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., in person at Dugan Hall, 157-B Union St., Willimantic. Bring a spindle or wheel and join us at this free event. Beginners are welcome. We are still requesting that you be COVID vaccinated. Please let us know that you plan to come, and if you have questions, contact Peggy Church at peggychurch2@gmail.com.
Program / Museum Lyceum: The Smith Women. Sun., Mar. 26. This lecture will take place at 2 p.m. in Dugan Hall, 157-B Union Street. Learn about three Irish American women who are woven into American Thread and Willimantic history from 1900-1930. The Executive Director will be presenting this lecture. $12 for members and $15 for the public. Pay through Paypal or in person with cash at Dugan or a credit card at the Mill Museum.
Staff Activity: Volunteer Gathering. Sat., April 15. Past and present MIll Museum volunteers with gather for fellowship, fun, and food. Prior to the dinner feel free to visit the Mill Museum from 4:30 – 5:15 p.m. for an after-hours viewing of the “Here All Along” exhibit. Then, we will gather at the Willimantic Brewing Company from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. for a fun evening. Please RVSP by April 8 to reserve your space at the restaurant. Each person who attends will pay for their own meal. (A free volunteer recognition event is planned for sometime this summer.)
Program / Museum Lyceum: The Art of Vacuum Forming. Sun., April 16, 2 p.m. Dan Thomacos will lecture about vacuum forming in the Dugan building at 157 B Union Street. Learn about all of the elements of the process. See art and fabric in a different way than before. This lecture will have a demonstration and a piece of art each attendee may take home with them. $15 for members and $20 for the public. Please purchase your ticket in advance through our website, by PayPal, or at the Museum Gift Shop, cash or credit card.
Program: Drop-in Spinning Bee with Peggy Church. Sat., April. 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., in person at Dugan Hall, 157-B Union St., Willimantic. Bring a spindle or wheel and join us at this free event. Beginners are welcome. We are still requesting that you be COVID vaccinated. Please let us know that you plan to come, and if you have questions, contact Peggy at peggychurch2@gmail.com.
Event: Crazy Lady Plant Party. Sat., April 22. This event is a presale of plants and a chance to socialize from 3 – 7 p.m. with light refreshments in the Dugan building at 157-B Union Street. There is no admission fee for this event. When you purchase the plants, please pay with cash, but check and credit card will be accepted too.
Event: Earth Day Plant Sale. This sale will occur on Sun., April 23 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Dugan building at 157-B Union Street. This event will include light refreshments and several moments to chat about plants. There is no admission for this event. When you purchase the plants please pay with cash, but check and credit card will be accepted too.