organizations, students

The Mill

Founded in 2008, The Mill is a student-run group of artists and musicians that seeks to foster creative community on campus, hosting musical events, student showcases, open-mics, film screenings, workshops and more in their dedicated venue (also called The Mill) at 79 Vernon Street.

The Mill at 79 Vernon Street, n.d. Photo credit: Trinity College

With the intent of broadening the scope of campus culture and social life, the early members of The Mill (which included representatives from Psi U, the baseball team, The Fred, and many other campus groups) envisioned a social outlet that would strive to achieve social unification and inclusion. The Mill was decidedly “not an ‘alternative’ social outlet,” but “more like a culmination of all social alternatives.” Its founding was lauded by one contributor to the Trinity Tripod in February 2009, who proposed that The Mill could be the solution to campus-wide contention over what many viewed as a volatile social atmosphere that relied too heavily on Greek life as a source of connection. In the view of the columnist, the Mill’s dedication to “providing an unmediated outlet for creativity and social interaction” is its most generative quality as a fixture of Trinity’s social life.

Since its founding, a large part of The Mill’s work has gone towards putting on live concerts for the enjoyment of students. The first concert hosted at the Mill’s indoor performance space took place on October 27, 2009, though this was the fourth concert The Mill had sponsored since its founding. The show was headlined by two indie rock bands: Los Angeles’ Rumspringa, and Brooklyn group Bear Hands. The show was a success among students who attended, bringing new life to Vernon Street’s social scene and sparking excitement for future musical events on campus. The Mill has hosted the annual Fall Concert at its well-equipped Vernon St. venue since 2009.

Student-run art shows have also played an important part in establishing The Mill as a center for creative community and innovation at Trinity. Hosting art shows featuring student and faculty work and that of more widely-known artists, the student group has provided many opportunities for Trinity’s students to engage in shaping and experiencing the art scene on campus. In February 2010, The Mill held its first Trinity Faculty showcase, featuring pottery, drawing, painting, music, and poetry from several talented faculty members. In March of that year, The Mill opened an exhibit featuring New York artist Roxy Paine’s “Scumaks,” a set of machine-created polyethylene sculptures, three of which were loaned to The Mill from the James Cohan Gallery in Chelsea. Paine’s work, an installation of large metallic trees, was also featured on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the summer of 2009. This exhibit was the first in which The Mill featured a visual artist from outside the Trinity community.

The Mill has since been an active social entity on campus, hosting numerous events where students and faculty have gathered to express and explore ideas, music, art, and writing in an inclusive setting.