Museum L-A is the Newest Design Pool Partner
Design Pool is excited to announce a new partnership with Museum L-A in Lewiston, Maine. Our online library of licensable designs now offers a selection of historical textile designs from the Museum L-A archives. These designs are available to anyone looking to license a design for a product or project. The best news? 100% of the proceeds from the use of these designs will go directly to Museum L-A to fund their cultural and educational exhibits and programs.
Who is Museum L-A?
They are a unique museum devoted to telling the story of work and community in the Lewiston-Auburn region of Maine. Founded in 1996, the museum resides in the former Bates Mill which officially closed its doors to textile production in 2001. The museum wanted to tell the story of – and pay homage to – the workers from this area that were the anchor of the community for generations, including the textile mill workers. Its mission is to connect generations and cultures and to help people experience the rich history and heritage of work and remember its importance in the community.
How does the partnership work?
Kristen worked directly with museum staff to select designs suitable for current market trends. Next, she scanned the designs, put them into repeat, and created colorways. Each design comes with 5 colorways that work with modern tastes and trends. In addition, patterns download in vector format and are easy to scale.
“When the mill closed in 2001, we did not want to see its rich design archives, many of which were hand-painted, end up in a landfill and be forgotten,” said executive director Audrey Thomson. “Through this partnership with Design Pool, the public can once again use and enjoy these beautiful designs.”
Photograph from the collections of Museum L-A.
We are so excited to breathe new life into designs from the museum’s rich archives and therefore help in their fundraising goals. In addition, we hope architects and interior designers in the area will use these designs. What better way to honor the rich history of the industry that built this town, than by incorporating that history into new interiors?
To see all the designs in this collection, just type “Museum” into the search bar.
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Author
Kristin Crane has designed jacquard designs for the home furnishing and residential jobber market for many years, with mills in the US and in China. She writes about pattern and design trends for Design Pool from her home in Providence, Rhode Island. When not writing about fabric, she can be found weaving on her Macomber loom, standing over a vat of indigo dye or hiking along the Rhode Island coast.
