Shakers: In Community
by Amy Modesti
The Shaker Museum/Mount Lebanon presents its temporary exhibit, Shakers: In Community in Chatham (17 Main Street) which will run through October 4. This show focuses on the Shakers’ life, their commitment to inclusion and forging equitable communal bonds.
Shakers: In Community is free and open to the public Friday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. It is recommended to sign up online for a time slot to view the exhibition. Social distancing and wearing facial masks in the gallery space are mandatory.
: In Community was described by a museum patron as “minimalistic.” Although the space is small, the thirteen artifacts, consisting of three photographs, lithograph, two bonnet forms, mode-ometer (present day metronome), orthopedic shoe, wheelchair, shavings fork, chest of drawers, and an oval box made by Brother William Perkins, are spaced perfectly along the white walls, wall shelf, and platforms. There is plenty of room for visitors (only three at a time), to look at these local historic artifacts without bumping into each other.
When one thinks of the Shakers, one thinks of their beautiful wooden furniture and oval boxes. Two wooden objects that derive attention, “Yellow Chest of Drawers, Church Family, Mount Lebanon” and “Oval Box Made by Brother William Perkins for Sister Emily Offord” were both beatifically hand crafted and put together by Shakers. The oval box, tiny in stature, had its beautiful calligraphy initials of Emily Offord on the box lid. It is rare to have a Shaker box personalized since they were meant to be sold at events. This box was possibly used for storage. The giant dresser, consisting of four medium-sized drawers and six large drawers, was used to store personal belongings and clothing by four Shaker people living within the village.
The Shakers were creative and innovative, always coming up with new designs that would help shape mobility and independence among their family. Their invention of the wheelchair made either in Mount Lebanon or Watervliet, was originally a rocking chair. It was fitted with leather and wooden tires to assist a resident with a disability to move around their dwelling or walkway. On a white pillar stood a dark blue fabric, leather laced platformed orthopedic shoe. The “Elevator,” or platform heel of the shoe, was rather unique to use for a Shaker to solve a foot issue at the time. In the 21st century, the orthopedic shoe is now a sneaker and the platform shoes are now designer and disco shoes.
Shakers: In Community is curated by Maggie Taft and designed by Jeff Bailey and Chad Silver. Shaker Museum/Mount Lebanon, joined by architects, Selldorf Architects, will begin building the new museum in its permanent location on 5 Austerlitz Street in Chatham in 2021. The new museum, slated to exhibit more than 18,000 pieces of Shaker material culture and archives, will be completed in 2023.
Shakers: In Community, is on view until October 4. More Shaker exhibits will follow after the current one is taken down. For more about the current exhibit and future presentations, please visit the Shaker Museum/Mount Lebanon website at https://shakerml.org/.