Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery

History of the Textile Gallery

Ribbon cutting at the opening of the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery in 2019.

Anticipating the 50th anniversary celebration of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (HLATC) in 2019, Lynn Mecklenburg, Susan Engstrom and Jane Villa, three members of the HLATC Development Committee, provided the philanthropic leadership for a fundraising effort to create a dedicated textile gallery. Loyal HLATC donors, Sandra and Jack Winder, soon joined this effort. With additional funds from the estate of Kathleen “Katie” Orea Sweeney, the renovation of the Lynn Mecklenburg Reading Room to the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery commenced. Their collective dream for a space dedicated to featuring pieces from the HLATC stemmed from their love of textiles and the belief that textiles have a universal appeal, the power to tell stories of a shared humanity and cultural experiences.