Exhibitions

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.

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.

Contemporary artists respond to the world around them – to the northeastern landscape that they call home or to the political landscape that it seems we cannot escape from today. They respond to the earth – a bend in the river, iron ore from its depths, its color and contrasts. They respond to the feelings that we have as humans – momentary isolation or inequality in some shape or form.

28-year-old Thomas Barger is an artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York. Barger is originally from a rural cattle farm in Mattoon, Illinois. Like many transplants, his move to New York City was motivated by necessity. Barger came to New York to access his own homosexual identity at a distance from his rural, conservative, religious background. Amidst this new chosen environment, Barger’s work has been a process of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual exploration grounded in craft, narrative, and humor.