Case Study

Maine MILL

Summary
Interactive oral history experience designed to preserve community voices, encourage reflection, and connect visitors with the lived experiences of Lewiston's workers
Client
Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor (Maine MILL)
Location
Lewiston, Maine
Schematic Exhibit Design
Luci Creative
Exhibit Design and Coordination
Chris Sullivan Creative Consulting
Audio
Galen Koch, Molly Graham, Maine Sound + Story

The Maine Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor (Maine MILL) celebrates the people, industries, and innovations that shaped Lewiston and the surrounding region. Located in a renovated former textile mill along the Androscoggin River, the museum explores the history of the area’s textile, shoe, and brick-making industries through a collection of more than 10,000 artifacts and hundreds of recorded oral histories from the people who lived and labored there.

In June 2026, Maine MILL opened its new museum facility, creating expanded opportunities to share its collection and connect visitors with local history. As part of this transition, the museum partnered with Perch to create an interactive listening experience that would bring its extensive oral history collection to life and highlight the personal stories behind Lewiston’s industrial heritage.

In addition to developing the oral history experience, Perch designed and implemented the museum’s audiovisual and interactive systems throughout the galleries. From exhibit multimedia and touchscreen interactives to integrated AV infrastructure, these elements work together to support Maine MILL’s broader storytelling experience.

PXL_20260618_173109804

A place to rest and connect

Maine MILL’s new permanent gallery is a large, open space where the sounds and activity of the museum naturally carry through the space. To create a more intimate environment for engaging with these personal stories, we designed the oral history experience as a quieter retreat where visitors could pause, rest, and connect with the voices of the people who lived and worked in Lewiston.

Building upon the schematic work done by Luci Creative, we detailed a woven enclosure of colorful strings that creates both a visual focal point and a subtle acoustic buffer, transforming the space into a welcoming nook while maintaining accessibility for visitors of all abilities.

 

PXL_20260618_172922608
IMG_4157

Exploring oral histories

Within the space, visitors can explore Maine MILL’s extensive oral history collection through two standing listening stations. Each station includes a pair of headphones and allows visitors to browse interviews by theme, with curated excerpts, photographs, and short summaries that provide context and invite deeper exploration.

Shared storytelling

To complement the individual listening stations, we created a shared listening area with a semi-circular bench and touchscreen kiosk. The arrangement invites visitors to pause together, listen to featured oral histories on an overhead speaker, and experience storytelling as a communal activity. The kiosk and touchscreen displays are housed within custom-fabricated kiosk enclosures designed to complement the museum’s industrial setting while providing a durable and accessible visitor experience.

PXL_20260627_150248024
PXL_20260618_173029232
PXL_20260627_151618484
PXL_20260618_172957895
PXL_20260618_173210036

Supporting Multimedia & Interactives

In addition to leading the listening station design, development, and fabrication process, our studio also chipped in on a number of other AV components.

At the interactive robotics station, visitors can program one of two Finch robots using a simple touchscreen interface, then navigate their robot through a physical map. These simple step-by-step instructions complete the interpretive storytelling arc that follows the evolution of computing from the Jacquard loom to modern times.

Throughout the museum, visitors can explore more about the Jacquard loom, binary code, modern shoemaking, and guitar making through secondary multimedia screens. Our studio designed and fabricated these kiosks, procured and installed AV hardware, and edited the interpretive videos for each.

PXL_20260627_151501617
PXL_20260627_154107781
PXL_20260627_132356251
PXL_20260627_133136710
PXL_20260627_132243365