Decorative Arts Study Day: Shaker Artifacts

Join Shaker authority Dr. M. Stephen Miller as he shares his research about and personal contact with the works of the Enfield, CT Shaker community.  Steve, as he prefers to be called, is co-curator of CMCH’s newest exhibit, “From Their Hands and Lands: Artifacts from Connecticut’s Enfield Shakers,” celebrating 125 years of their history, craftsmanship, distinctive designs, and entrepreneurial agricultural practices. This program will focus on the objects in the exhibit—why they were selected, details of their design and construction, and the “back-story” behind their acquisition.  Limited enrollment and an open, informal format will allow each individual maximum access and participation.

Registration and Fees

The cost for the program is $75 for CMCH members and $90 for non-members and includes lunch. Enrollment is limited and is first-come first-served. This program will fill up quickly, so please do not delay. To register, contact Natalie Belanger at (860) 236-5621 x 289 or Natalie_Belanger@chs.org.

This program is free for Decorative Arts Council members. Interested in joining the Decorative Arts Council? Learn more here.

About the Speaker

Dr. M. Stephen Miller was a practicing periodontist for forty years. He has collected, researched, written and taught about, and exhibited a wide range of Shaker objects for even longer. He is the author of five books, the most recent being, From Shaker Lands and Shaker Hands: A Survey of the Industries and Inspired Innovations: A Celebration of Shaker Ingenuity, both published by the University Press of New England. He has contributed to dozens more books about the Shakers.

A long-time resident of West Hartford, CT, Steve and his wife endowed a permanent Shaker Gallery at the New Britain Museum of American Art three years ago. This is only the third such space in an American art museum, along with those at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibits in New Britain change regularly and focus on a range of Shaker material culture. He encourages you to visit the NBMAA too.