PPS's Festival of Architecture and Design: Atlantic Mills Studio Visits
About this Event
This program is part of Providence Preservation Society's Festival of Architecture and Design (Sep 26 - Oct 30, 2026). You can find !
The Atlantic Delaine company was founded by General C.T. James in 1851 to manufacture wool muslin (called delaine) and by the late 1880s with 2,100 workers, this was the largest textile mill in Providence; it continued to manufacture textiles until 1953.
As many in Providence know, the last couple of years have brought lots of change to Atlantic Mills as the complex was purchased by developers Eric Edelman and Bob Berle in 2025 and rehabilitation and stabilization work got underway. Prior to the sale in December of 2024, renters formed a commercial tenants’ union to lay the groundwork for collective bargaining related to future changes to leases or to the property. This tour visits three art studios located in Atlantic Mills to learn more about the creative work and community that has grown out of this unique place. Studio hosts include multi-media artists M. Benjamin Herndon, Cybele Collins, and BIG NAZO LABS (founded in 1986 by Erminio Pinque). We end the visit with light bites and drinks provided by PPS.
Atlantic Mills appeared on PPS’s Most Endangered List in 2009, 2010, 2014-2017, 2024, and 2025. Did you know that PPS staff Katy Pickens and Keating Zelenke published the Atlantic Mills Anthology in 2025, which collects historical documents and photographs, interviews, and essays about the Mills and the many people who have built a community over the years there? The Anthology is online here.
Tickets: $40 General / $35 PPS Members
All tickets are fully refundable up to seven days in advance of each program. After that, tickets are nonrefundable because we may not be able to sell the released tickets within a short timeframe. Thanks for your understanding!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 39.19 to USD 44.52
