shaker exhibit

today, my friend liz and i went to the
new britain museum of american art.
we went to see
 "inspired innovations, a celebration of shaker ingenuity"
photos were not allowed in the exhibit,
so this picture of boxes, sold in the gift shop will have to do.

i have long admired the shaker legacy...
the simple beauty and practicality of the lives they led.

have you ever visited hancock shaker village in western massachusetts?
(where you can get a real sense of how
intentional and co-operative their communities really were.)

From the introduction to the exhibit's catalog,

It is the major goal of "Inspired Innovations:A Celebration of Shaker Ingenuity," to amply demonstrate that innovation is and has always been central to their way of life. The Shakers are consummate problem solvers. This legacy of finding or creating ingenious solutions to everyday challenges has, to a large extent, defined them as a successful social and economic experiment. However, a vital subtext of any conversation about Shakerism is the understanding that they are, above all else, believers--that every aspect of their lives is guided by religious principle. Ingenuity aside, the essence of Shakerism is a profound and all-encompassing spirituality. - M. Stephen Miller

two quotes, stenciled on the walls of the exhibit caught my eye.

The pleasure of doing good is the only pleasure that never wears out.

-Elizaette Sutton

and 

The lamp of genius burns as it is supplied by the oil of enthusiasm.

Martha J. Anderson

every once in a while,  i just want to rest in the oasis 

of shaker simplicity