Hancock Shaker Village
2012 Calendar of Events
By: Shaker - Apr 04, 2012
Hancock Shaker Village (HSV) announces the living history museum’s 2012 plans at a press conference today. The 52nd season will run from April 7 through October 28. It includes a major new exhibition titled A Promising Venture: Shaker Photographs from the WPA, which features the work of photographer Noel Vicentini, who was hired as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project in 1936 to document the Shaker villages in upstate New York and western Massachusetts for the newly-formed Index of American Design. The result was over 200 black-and-white photographs showcasing Shaker craft, architecture, and culture. There will also be three exhibitions in the Poultry House Gallery, showcasing the work of prominent local artists Marge Bride, Mike Cohen, Susan Merrill, Ivor Parry, Wendy Rabinowitz, and Scott Taylor.
The Village will host an array of community events, such as the ever-popular spring Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm and fall Country Fair. The schedule also includes more than 20 workshops and Return & Learn events that explore the connection between the Shakers and contemporary life, with topics ranging from quilting and blacksmithing to raising backyard bees and poultry to a reenactment of Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous footrace around the Round Stone Barn.
“Baby Animals starts another exciting season at Hancock Shaker Village. Our wonderful staff has been working through the winter getting the Village ready and planning many excellent exhibitions and programs,” said HSV Board Chair Ronald Walter. “This year, we also have several new objects of great historical interest on display. These include gifts from generous donors and an important large chest of drawers on loan from the Folk Art Museum.”
HSV will offer five specialty tours this year, including a revamped Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tour during Baby Animals that includes a private narrated hayride with baby animals on board, plus “Choose Your Own Shaker Adventure” custom tours in which participants choose from a list of more than 30 topics, as well as tours that focus on children, “off limits” attics and basements, and the Village at twilight.
HSV is collaborating on projects with several different organizations. Earlier this spring, the Berkshire Museum displayed the Village incubator and 40 chicken eggs, many of which hatched in time for the museum’s 109th anniversary celebration. This summer, HSV and Congregation Knesset Israel are co-presenting a two-part event called Shaker Shalom. The first evening on June 26 is a panel titled Shaker Soul and Jewish Neshama; a Spiritual Bond Conversation with David Weiner, Rabbi of Knesset Isreal, Kim Kie New Hope United Methodist Church Pastor, and a noted Shaker scholar. On August 12, Shaker Shalom: A Gala Celebration and Concert will benefit both groups and feature an elegant kosher Shaker cuisine picnic and a Shaker-Jewish fusion concert by Paul Green and his Neshoma Klezmer Ensemble. HSV is also sponsoring a fundraising outing to Jacob’s Pillow on July 13 to see Tero Saarinen’s Shaker-inspired piece, Borrowed Light.
In an effort to diversify its business model, HSV is partnering with Mahaiwe Tents to have a 350 person-capacity tent on site from May through October to host weddings, company picnics, and family reunions. “The tent deck offers one of the best views in the Berkshires, overlooking the entire historic Shaker Village. Like the UMass Amherst-HSV graduate degree program and our C.S.A. (community supported agriculture) program, enhancing our meetings and events amenities is another way we are exploring non-traditional revenue generation that supports the core mission of the Village,” said Laura Wolf, HSV director of operations and marketing.
HSV is teaming up with race director Michael Menard to present the Hancock Shaker Village 50 Ultramarathon on September 22, which will be the first-ever ultra running event to be held in the Berkshires. The 50-mile race will begin and end at HSV and travel through the Pittsfield State Forest and along the Taconic Crest Trail. Families of runners will enjoy discounted admission to explore the Village while their runners are on the trails. The race is limited to 100 participants and Anita Ortiz, recently featured in Trail Runner magazine, was the first person to register. Michael Menard says, “Ultra running is about harmony. It’s a very spiritual sport in that it is rarely about who wins, but rather about testing yourself. This is why I thought this sport and Hancock Shaker Village would be a perfect match for each other.”
ABOUT HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE
Situated on a picturesque expanse of farm, field, and woodland in Pittsfield, Mass., Hancock Shaker Village is an outdoor living history museum and center for the study of principled living in the 21st century. The fully restored Village includes 18 historic buildings, heirloom medicinal and vegetable gardens, 22,000 examples of Shaker furniture, crafts, tools, and clothes that depict daily life at the Shakers’ City of Peace through its 220 years, as well as heritage breed farm animals and spectacular hiking trails. There are daily tours, craft and cooking demonstrations, lectures and workshops, and a variety of activities for children and families, as well as a Museum Store and Shaker-inspired cuisine at the Village Harvest Café. The Discovery Room offers hands-on opportunities for kids of all ages to try their hand at chair seat weaving, working at a loom, trying on Shaker-style clothing, or milking a life-sized replica of a cow. An interactive audio tour (free with admission) is available in English, French, Italian, and German. For more information, call 800.817.1137 or go to www.hancockshakervillage.org
Hancock Shaker Village is open daily for self-guided visits from April 7 through October 28. April 7 through June 30, the Village is open 10:00am to 4:00pm daily and July 1 through October 28, hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm daily.
Hancock Shaker Village members and children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Admission for adults is $17 and youth visitors aged 13 to 17 are $8.Hancock Shaker Village is located on Route 20 in Pittsfield, Mass., just west of the junction of Routes 20 and 41. For GPS purposes, the Village is located at 34 Lebanon Mountain Rd., Hancock, Mass. 01237. Or, enter 1843 W. Housatonic St., Pittsfield, Mass. 01201 then proceed 1/2 mile further west on Rt. 20 to the parking lot
HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE 2012
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
MUSUEM EXHIBITION & RELATED PROGRAMS
Opening Reception Friday, May 25 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Saturday, May 26 through Sunday, October 28; continuing on in 2013 season
A Promising Venture: Shaker Photographs from the WPA
Hancock Shaker Village’s major new exhibition features the work of photographer Noel Vicentini, who was hired as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project in 1936 to document the Shaker villages in upstate New York and western Massachusetts for the newly-formed Index of American Design. The result was over 200 black-and-white photographs showcasing Shaker craft, architecture, and culture. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, July 7 at 2:00pm and Saturday, September 1 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn: A Promising Venture: Shaker Photographs from the WPA
In this gallery talk, curator and collections manager Lesley Herzberg will speak about Noel Vicentini’s Shaker photographs that were commissioned in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Participants will view the photographs and compare and contrast the “New Deal” response to the Great Depression with our society’s response to the so-called Great Recession of today. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, July 21 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn: The Civilian Conservation Corps in the Berkshires
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a “New Deal” agency that often worked in collaboration with other WPA public relief initiatives. From 1933 to 1942, the CCC employed over 100,000 people in Massachusetts who worked on public construction and conservation projects that remain today. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, July 28 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn: Bascom Lodge - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
This presentation will provide an update on the ongoing restoration of Bascom Lodge atop Mount Greylock, its educational programming, and how the Lodge has continued the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the Berkshires. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
POULTRY HOUSE GALLERY EXHIBTIONS & GALLERY TALKS
April 7 through 29 from noon to 4:00pm daily
Families, Flocks, and Herds: A Painting Exhibition by Susan Merrill
Stockbridge-based artist Susan Merrill’s art features images of animals from the Village. Proceeds from the sale of these works will help to support programming at Hancock Shaker Village. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, August 4 through Sunday, August 26 from 10:00am to 5:00pm daily
Shalom: Weaving Threads of Peace Mixed Media Assemblages by Wendy Rabinowitz
Pittsfield-based artist Wendy Rabinowitz relates the Shaker ideals of peace with Jewish ideals of Shalom in her artwork that combines weaving and textile arts with other visual arts, graphics, and the written word, resulting in mixed media assemblages. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Return & Learn:Saturday, August 11 at 2:00pm
Shalom: Weaving Threads of Peace Gallery Talk by Wendy Rabinowitz
Wendy Rabinowitz will discuss her artwork and the many connections between Shaker and Jewish spirituality, including shared values such as reverence for the earth, the sacredness of handwork, and respect for craftsmanship. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, September 1 through Sunday, October 28, from 10:00am to 5:00pm daily
Seasons at Hancock Shaker Village: A Painting Exhibition
Berkshire-based painters Marge Bride, Mike Cohen, Ivor Parry, and Scott Taylor spent a year painting scenes at Hancock Shaker Village, from the Round Stone Barn in the winter to the baby animals in the spring. The artists work in a variety of mediums, including watercolor, acrylics, and oil. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Return & Learn:Saturday, September 8 at 2:00pm
Seasons at Hancock Shaker Village Gallery Talk
Painters Marge Bride, Mike Cohen, Ivor Parry, and Scott Taylor will talk about how the aesthetic beauty of the Village in all the seasons of the year has inspired their artwork. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
ONLINE EXHIBTIONS
Ongoing at www.hancockshakervillage.org
This online exhibition examines the stories of African American Shakers, including the “visionary” Eldress Rebecca Jackson and her group of Philadelphia Shakers.
Ongoing at www.hancockshakervillage.org
This online exhibition documents the relationship between the Shakers and the city of Pittsfield. City officials were initially mistrustful of the group of religious dissenters, though given time, the Shakers proved themselves to be good neighbors and honest businessmen.
INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS
Tuesday June 26from 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Shaker Soul and Jewish Neshama; a Spiritual Bond Conversation
At Congregation Knesset Israel, 16 Colt Road in Pittsfield, Mass.
Rabbi David Weiner of Knesset Isreal, Pastor Kim Kie of New Hope United Methodist Church, and a noted Shaker scholar explore the concept of Soul in Jewish and Shaker beliefs. Light refreshments will be served. $5 donation.
Friday, July 13 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm
Borrowed Light by Tero Saarinen
Hancock Shaker Village is sponsoring a group outing to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Mass. to see Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen's worldwide smash performance, Borrowed Light, which is inspired by Shaker culture and includes a score of Shaker spirituals sung live onstage by the Boston Camerata. Tickets are $125 to $250, including dinner and the performance. A special $1000 package includes dinner and performance tickets for two, as well as a private luncheon in the 1830 Brick Dwelling with the soon-to-be-named new Hancock Shaker Village executive director.
Sunday August 12at 5:30pm
Shaker Shalom: A Gala Celebration and Concert
At Hancock Shaker Village
This gala celebration will benefit both Hancock Shaker Village and Congregation Knesset Israel. It will include cocktails and an elegant kosher Shaker cuisine picnic under a festive tent, followed by a Shaker-Jewish fusion concert by Paul Green and his Neshoma Klezmer Ensemble and auction in the Round Stone Barn. Concert-only tickets are $36; Gala tickets range from $150 to $1000.
Saturday, September 22 at 6:00am
Hancock Shaker Village 50 Ultramarathon
The Hancock Shaker Village 50 Ultramarathon is the first-ever ultrarunning event to be held in the Berkshires. The 50-mile race begins on the grounds of Hancock Shaker Village, travels up Mount Zion, through the Pittsfield State Forest, up Doll Mountain, and then north on the Taconic Crest Trail, on to Rounds Mountain and Misery Mountain, and back to the Village. This registration fee is $100. To sign up, see
http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=16022
April 7 through 29 from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily
Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm
The Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm spring celebration is one of the most exciting times of the year at the Village, when scores of baby lambs, piglets, calves, goats, ducklings, and chicks arrive at the historic Round Stone Barn. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, April 7 through Sunday, April 29
Revamped Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tours
Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tours are available daily at 2:00pm, as well as at 10:00am on weekends during Baby Animals and by reservation during school vacation (April 16 through 20). This year, families can get up close and personal with the animals on a narrated hayride with the babies on board. Children receive gift bags with a variety of toys and games from the Village Store, and a framed group photo to commemorate the visit. Behind-the-Scenes Farm Tour tickets are $27 per person ($24 for HSV Members), and include general admission.
Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17 from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily
Sheep Shearing Weekend
In addition to the regular baby animals farm activities, Sheep Shearing Weekend will feature shearing of the Village's Merino sheep and special hands-on textile demonstrations and activities that will be conducted by volunteers from three local spinning and weaving guilds. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday and Sunday, September 29 and 30 from 10:00am to 5:00pm both days
Hancock Shaker Village Country Fair – 15th Annual
Hancock Shaker Village’s 2012 Country Fair promises fun for the whole family with Shaker-inspired games in the Kids Tent, a farmers’ market with samples of heirloom vegetables to taste, vendors and demonstrations of handmade crafts, wagon rides, antique engines and tractors, sustainable gardening tips, a pie contest, juried quilt exhibition, and more. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
SHAKER STUDIES
Saturday, July 14 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn:Rewriting the Hancock Shaker Village Guidebook
This tour will reveal many interesting historical tidbits that came to light during research conducted for the re-writing of the book Hancock Shaker Village: A Guidebook & History. Afterward, the co-author and former HSV Curator Christian Goodwillie will be on hand in the Museum Store for a book signing. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Wednesday, July 25 through Sunday, July 29
38th Annual Shaker Seminar
Shaker Seminar 2012 promises to be an excellent opportunity to be deeply immersed in Shaker history, as well as Shaker landscapes. The event will be based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and will include field trips to Winterthur Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. See www.hancockshakervillage.org for pricing and registration information.
Saturday, August 18 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn:Melville and Hawthorne at Hancock
Participants will walk in the footsteps of authors Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who visited Hancock Shaker Village numerous times in the early 1850s, when they both lived in the Berkshires. Melville and Hawthorne were intrigued by the Shakers, writing about them extensively. And, if you are game, participate in a lively foot race around the Round Stone Barn, just as Hawthorne and Melville did during one of their visits (historic costumes encouraged!). Held in collaboration with CALL ME MELVILLE, 2012 under the auspices of the City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, November 24 at 4:00pm
Traditional Shaker Supper
Traditional Shaker Suppers at Hancock Shaker Village are an annual tradition for families and friends. Guests come to the Village for a private tour and Shaker-inspired candlelight dinner in the historic Brick Dwelling, followed by a Shaker music program. For reservations, call 413.443.0188 x115. Tickets: $60 HSV members, $65 non-members.
SUSTAINABILITY
Saturday, May 12 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Backyard Beehive Workshop with Joe Moncecchi
Learn about the benefits and inner workings of beekeeping, and go home with your very own hive. Tuition: $170 HSV members, $190 non-members.
Saturday, May 19 from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Shaker Sustainable Gardening Workshop with Bill Mangiardi
Learn about time-tested gardening knowledge and techniques mastered by the Shakers of the past that are still applicable for today's vegetable, herb, and flower gardener. Tuition: $68 HSV members, $75 non-members.
Saturday, June 2 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Backyard Poultry Workshop with Donna Chandler
Lean everything you need to know about starting and maintaining a backyard poultry flock, from where to buy hatchlings or hens to how to clean out the coop. Tuition: $45 HSV members, $50 non-members.
Saturday, August 25 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn:Summer at the Hancock Shaker Village Honey Yard
The Shakers at Hancock understood that bees had a role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and they kept bees as pollinators and as the source for honey and useful beeswax. Join HSV beekeeper Joe Moncecchi as he checks on the hives and learn about the fascinating world of honeybees. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, September 15 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn: Honey Extraction
Join HSV beekeeper Joe Moncecchi as he checks on the hives here in the honey yard at the Village and demonstrates the process of collecting and extracting the honey made by our very own bees. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
WOODWORKING
Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10 from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day
Oval Box Making: Box Basics with Steve Grasselli
Make your own nest of four boxes while learning to carve swallow tails, bend the box, and install tops and bottoms. No previous experience required. Tuition: $200 HSV members, $220 non-members.
Thursday, June 14 from 9:00am to 4:00pm
Hand-Cut Dovetail Workshop with Steve Grasselli
The Shakers were well versed in hand joinery and used dovetails in boxes, case construction, and, of course, drawers. Learn to make either a pine candle box or a pine tray using dovetail joinery. Tuition: $175 HSV members, $195 non-members
Sunday, July 15 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Step Stool Workshop with Steve Grasselli
This beginner’s workshop is designed for kids age ten or older to work alongside an adult making a Shaker two-step stool. Tuition: $180 HSV members, $200 non-members (per team; individuals without partner welcome, but no discount available).
Saturday and Sunday, September 8 and 9 from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day
Advanced Oval Box Workshop with Steve Grasselli
Build on your woodworking skills and master the form of the Oval Box. Students may make bigger boxes than in the Box Basics, or advance to other box-like projects such as oval carriers or trays. Tuition $225 HSV members, $250 non-members.
Wednesday, September 26 - Sunday, September 30 from 9:00am to 5:00pm each day
Timber Framing: A Traditional Approach with Jack Sobon and Dave Carlon
Participants learn the craft of timber frame construction using 18th and 19th century tools and techniques, completing the parts and assembling the frame of a small building. Tuition: $435 HSV members, $480 non-members. Participants must register directly with instructors by calling Jack Sobon (413.684.3223) or Dave Carlon (413.684.3612)
PHOTOGRAPHY
Saturday, June 23 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Photographing The City of Peace with Ben Garver
Hone your digital photography skills with the Berkshire Eagle’s photo editor. This workshop includes classroom time and field time, with ample opportunity to practice technique. Tuition: $68 HSV members, $75 non-members.
Saturday, June 23 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
HDR Photography Workshop with Fred LeBlanc
HDR captures everything from dark shadows to bright highlights and combines them into a single image, offering tones and values beyond what can be achieved through a standard photograph. Tuition: $68 HSV members, $75 non-members.
BLACKSMITHING
Saturday, August 4 and Sunday August 5 from 10:00am to 5:00pm both days
Age of Iron Weekend
Blacksmiths, representing Berkshire, Connecticut, the Capital District, and New England Blacksmith Guilds will showcase their art and artisanship with both historical and contemporary demonstrations. Ironwork craftsmanship dating from the 17th to the 21st century, Japanese hardware, tool making, engraving, and Viking and Shaker forging are just a few of the techniques and styles that will be on display. Many exhibitors will be dressed in period costume. Hancock Shaker Village ironwork will be highlighted with a special scavenger hunt for children. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, August 4 at 2:00pm
Return & Learn: Blacksmithing Through the Ages
Historic Shaker metalworking throughout the Village will be highlighted—architectural elements such as step railings, boot scrapers, door latches and hinges, along with metal artifacts from the museum collection, such as wood burning stoves, kitchen implements, and tools used in the crafts and trades workshops, farm, and gardens. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
TEXTILES
Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15 from 10:00am to 4:00pm both days
Sheep Shearing Weekend
In addition to the regular Baby Animals on the Shaker Farm activities, Sheep Shearing Weekend will feature shearing of the Village's Merino sheep and special hands-on textile demonstrations and activities that will be conducted by volunteers from three local spinning and weaving guilds. Free to HSV Members and included with general admission.
Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28 from 9:00am to 5:00pm
Appliqued Quilting Workshop with Connie Logan and Mary Rentz
In this two day workshop, each student will start their own Tree of Life block, which may be finished into a wall hanging or be the first block of a larger quilt. Tuition: $TK HSV members, $135 non-members.
ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE
Friday November 23 through Sunday, November 25
Holiday Sale at the Hancock Shaker Village Museum Store
Stock up on gifts at the annual holiday sale at the Hancock Shaker Village Museum Store. Shaker oval boxes, prints and posters, dishes, books, and other treasures will be sold at discounted prices. This is the only sale on oval boxes all season long.