‘A Lifetime of Collecting Part 2’ – New Exhibit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Press Release – Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

A new exhibit is coming to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) on October 18, 2025!

 A Lifetime of Collecting Part 2: Canadian Handwoven Overshot Coverlets from the Dennis and Sylvia Mills Collection, guest curated by Danielle Marshall. Coverlets from the MVTM’s collection will be displayed at the museum from October 18 to December 20, 2025. The exhibit opening will take place on October 18, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Dennis and the late Sylvia Mills can trace their roots back to long-established Ontario families. Meeting when they were both secondary school teachers, they began a life of collecting together. Dennis had been a serious collector of Canadiana since his teen years, with a special fascination with handwoven textiles, while Syliva’s engagement with fabric had manifested in her own collection of vintage clothing and fashion accessories. Both of these avid collectors moved beyond simply acquiring objects and became committed to researching and showcasing them through conferences, seminars, and special exhibitions. As Dennis says, “collecting is not about gathering (or hoarding) artifacts, but unveiling the stories within and around them.”

“The 45 overshot coverlets in the exhibit add a noteworthy record of 19th-century settler weaving traditions to the MVTM. With their intricate patterns and fine craftsmanship, these textiles celebrate the artistry of their makers and invite visitors to appreciate them as both everyday objects and beautiful works of art,” said Danielle Marshall, Guest Curator.

Dennis Mills’ collection of Canadian handweaving was inspired by the work of Royal Ontario Museum curators, Dorothy and Harold Burnham, whose research on Canadian handweaving culminated in their seminal 1972 exhibit and publication of the same name, Keep Me Warm One Night: Early Handweaving in Eastern Canada. Recently, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum acquired Dorothy Burnham’s papers and a group of volunteers contacted Dennis to explore the possibility of borrowing some of his artifacts for an exhibition of Canadian handweaving related to the Burnham archive. This, in turn, led Dennis to consider donating his comprehensive and well-documented collection to the Museum, beginning with 19th-century jacquard coverlets and this second installment of these beautiful overshot coverlets. Dennis focused on acquiring high-quality examples, documenting their provenance, and preserving the stories of the weavers. Notable weavers represented in this exhibit include Samuel Fry of Niagara, John Campbell of Komoka, Charles Irvin of Mount Charles, and Peter Fritz of Selby. These pieces highlight regional weaving traditions that are often overlooked today.

 “The Mills’ coverlet collection continues to be a wonderful and significant addition to the Museum. It showcases Canadian handweaving from a pivotal moment of industrial and cottage manufacturing, and we’re so happy to share it with our community,” said Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Executive Director/Curator, MVTM.