Current Exhibitions
Inspired Poultry House
The Shaker legacy continues in this exhibition of Shaker-inspired works by women artists Julia Whitney Barnes, Kathy Greenwood, Kate Hamilton, Elana Herzog, Wendy Jensen, Becca Van K, Caitlin McBride, and Phoebe Rotter. The exhibit’s breadth of form, style, and function demonstrates the continuing legacy of Shaker Sisters.
Simply Sourced
Medicinal Herb Garden, the Garden Tool Shed and the Laundry and Machine Shop Curated by artist Maggie Pate, this exhibit focuses on the garden’s herb and dye plants and how they are used to create dyes and paints.
Simply: The Sisters
Featuring narratives, oral histories, objects, and ephemera to demonstrate how Shaker Sisters persevered through difficult times in the community’s history.
It Takes a Village
Paying tribute to the Quilting Friends of Hancock Shaker Village.
Launching the Idea and Sustaining the Legacy
Exhibit highlights the efforts of several exceptional women’s efforts in creating the museum and celebrates their intrepid spirit.
The Generous Spirit
Since the museum’s inception in 1961, much of its robust collection is a result of donations by women. The Generous Spirit highlights individual donors over the decades, and exhibits numerous objects from each.
Artistry of the Shaker Sisters: April 13-August 31
Featuring needlework samplers by Shaker Sisters and watercolors by Martha Hunt Corson, who lived with the Hancock Shakers when she was a child.
Artists from Home
Rotating exhibition, Hancock celebrates women artists from the Berkshires.
Sisters Harvest: Sept 5-Dec 1
Featuring the Shaker Sisters’ ingenuity with and devotion to herb cultivation. Artist Maggie Pate exhibits a series of botanical prints of medicinal herbs on raw silk. Alyssa Sakina Mumtaz exhibits her Rizq series.
Instruments of Inspiration : April 13-August 31
This exhibit showcases a selection of gift drawings in the Hancock Shaker collection alongside drawings of contemporary artists Alyssa Sakina Mumtaz, Sue Muskat, and Julia Whitney Barnes.
Mother Ann
Mother Ann celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Shakers’ arrival in America with an introduction to Ann Lee, the religion’s dynamic leader. The exhibit highlights her ten years in America, including her mission trips throughout New England and the struggles she encountered, resulting in her early death at age 48.
Past Exhibitions
Local and Land Made: Growing a New Textile Economy
Local and Land Made: Growing a New Textile Economy featured 19th Century Shaker wool-working tools from the Hancock Shaker Village collection and Laura Sansone's curated selection of contemporary textiles. Exhibition dates: September 19 - November 21, 2021.
Climbing the Holy Hill
Weaving together the work of artists and performers Our Native Daughters, Brad Wells, Roomful of Teeth, and Allison Smith, Climbing the Holy Hill was conceived as a celebration of the Shaker pilgrimages to the peak of Shaker Mountain—what they sometimes called the “Holy Hill” or “Mount Sinai”. Exhibition dates: September 23 - November 28, 2021
Anything But Simple: Shaker Gift Drawings and the Women Who Made Them
Opening in May 2018, Hancock Shaker Village will exhibit its rare Shaker “gift” or “spirit” drawings for the first time in decades. Mysterious, decorative, and ornate (the opposite of what we think of as Shaker design, which is experiencing strong interest currently), the drawings were not shared outside the Shaker community.
Altered Visions
Featuring work by Henry Klimowicz, Abelardo Morell, and Marko Remec, this exhibition explores how the repurposing of objects or landscapes can change the way we view them.