"The Future is a Gift” Pop-Up Exhibition

17 Main Street,Chatham NY 12037

02 July, 2021

Description

Visit the Shaker Museum's temporary exhibition of iconic Shaker objects and a preview of the Museum's new permanent home. The exhibition features signature Shaker style furniture pieces, clothing, and household equipment that demonstrate the Shakers' unique design aesthetic as well as the values by which the community lived. The exhibition celebrates how the museum itself will keep the Shaker legacy alive in its new facility with design details including floorplans, renderings and other features of the cultural institution being introduced to the community via this intimate showing. Information about the museum’s extensive summer series of programming will also be made available at the space and offer members of the community a way to engage with the museum now. The Pop-Up will be open Friday - Sunday from 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM. Admission is free. In partnership with Chatham Wine & Liquor, Shaker Museum will host Friday Meet Your Neighborhood happy hours on select Fridays in the space from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Please note: All visitors are required to wear a cloth mask covering the nose and mouth. There will be a maximum number of visitors at any time due to capacity restrictions related to COVID-19. Tickets are not required for this event. There is no timed entry. Visitors will be allowed to enter upon arrival as space permits. Visitors may be required to wait outside if capacity is exceeded. Shaker Museum holds the world’s most comprehensive collection of Shaker objects, archives, and books, and stewards the historic North Family site at Mount Lebanon, the founding community of the Shakers. The Shaker Museum was founded in 1950 by John S. Williams, Sr. on his farm in Old Chatham, New York. Beginning in the 1930s, Williams traveled extensively to then-active Shaker communities and collected examples of their arts, industries, and domestic life, as well as spiritual artifacts. His approach was that of an anthropologist documenting the decline of a culture. Today the museum’s collection is a prime resource for scholars and curators. In 2004, the museum became the owner and steward of the North Family site at Mount Lebanon Shaker Village, consisting of 11 Shaker buildings on 91 acres, and the museum’s name was changed from Shaker Museum & Library to Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon. The Mount Lebanon site is open year-round, with a visitor center and shop open seasonally. The Old Chatham site, which houses collections storage, the library, and the administrative offices, is open year-round by appointment.