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Courtesy of South Union Shaker Village, photograph by David Toczko
South Union Shaker community
Seed Packet (detail), 1840 – 1860
Paper, ink
5-1/2 in. h. x 4 in. w.
Collection of the South Union Shaker Village
Pleasant Hill Shaker community
Child’s Chair, about 1840
Maple, other hardwoods, oak splint seat
28-1/8 in. h. x 14-1/2 in. w. x 13 in. d.
The Speed Art Museum, gift of Mrs. Harry S. Frazier Jr. 2020.2
Pleasant Hill Shaker community
Rug, 1850 – 1875
Cotton, wool, hemp
36-1/4 in. h. x 41 in. w.
Collection of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Photograph courtesy of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill Shaker community
Men’s Hat, 1860 – 1890
Straw, silk
4 in. h. x 13-1/2 in. w. x 15-1/2 in. d.
Collection of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Photography courtesy of the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
South Union Shaker community
Chest of Drawers, about 1850
Walnut, cherry, poplar
54 in. h. x 45-5/8 in. w. x 19-7/8 in. d.
Collection of the South Union Shaker Village
Photograph courtesy of the South Union Shaker Village
South Union Shaker community
Candlestand, about 1830
Cherry
33-3/4 in. h. x 17-1/2 in. diameter at top
Collection of the South Union Shaker villages
Photography courtesy of the South Union Shaker Village
Careful, Neat & Decent: Arts of the Kentucky Shakers
Part of Shaker Commonwealth, a celebration of Kentucky Shaker arts and culture at the Speed Art Museum.
Presented alongside Mariam Ghani + Erin Ellen Kelly: When the Spirits Moved Them, They Moved.
August 21, 2020 – April 4, 2021
North Building, 2nd floor
PLAN YOUR VISIT
The Kentucky Shakers of Pleasant Hill and South Union, most active from the early 1800s through the nineteenth century, expressed and reinforced their deeply held faith through worship and through work. Along with buildings and landscapes, they channeled their faith in work into objects and enterprises that were both practical and creative. Careful, Neat & Decent explores the Kentucky Shaker’s wide-ranging creative endeavors. From handsome furniture and shimmering silks to inspirational hymns and popular fruit preserves, Kentucky’s Shakers left behind a remarkable history of making—one forged within communal groups that required celibacy, empowered women leaders, and possessed conflicting attitudes about race in the midst of slavery.
Developed in collaboration with the South Union Shaker Village and the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Careful, Neat & Decent will draw together over 50 objects produced by and for the South Union and Pleasant Hill Shakers. Along with furniture—the most familiar Shaker legacy—the exhibition will explore other corners of Shaker production like textiles, hats and bonnets, vegetable seeds, preserves, and hymn writing. The exhibition will also share the intersectional stories of the Shaker experience, including those of women, of African Americans, and of orphans.
Explore content and virtual programs related to Shaker Commonwealth via this YouTube playlist: WATCH NOW
