Town Friday July 14, 2017
Free and Open to the Public 
At The Mildred Complex(ity) Project Space
37B Main Street, Narrowsburg, NY

Lesley Herzberg

The Shakers created a community that was meant to represent "heaven on earth." They were somewhat insular but still knowledgeable about the outside world. They shared all that they had, and worked diligently so that all had enough. The founder of the Shakers, Mother Ann Lee once said: "Hands to work and hearts to God", as work was a form of worship for the Shakers. The objects that helped them to accomplish this work are mostly of their own design, some are improvements made on existing inventions. This talk will examine the unique material culture of the Shakers and how it can tell us tales about their life, work, and worship. 

Lesley Herzberg has been the curator at Hancock Shaker Village since 2009. She oversees most of the historic fabric of the village, including the buildings, artifacts, and the library collections. She organizes exhibitions here and at other sites, and works closely with the education department to interpret the site for visitors. Lesley is the author of The Shakers: History, Culture, and Craft (Shire Press, 2015) and A Promising Venture: Shaker Photographs from the WPA (Couper Press, 2012). She enjoys learning about the Shaker musical legacy, and often performs the songs and dances along with the interpreters. Outside of HSV, she can often be found on a Berkshire hiking trail with her family and an adventurous black lab. 

This is an event during Mildred Archaeology II Session.
Special thanks to: Mark Dion, J. Morgan Puett, Zoe Crossland, Tracy Molis, Coco Fusco, Cecilia and Tom Coacci, Andrea Lekberg, Cheryl Edwards, Caroline Woolard, Leigh Claire La Berge, Megan O'Connell, Leander Johnson, Leslie Herzberg, David Wood, Hope Ginsburg, Josh Quarles, and fellows Deborah Davidovits, Kevin Mahoney, Duy Hoàng, Amanda Wheat, Zoe Frederick, Michelle K. Rogers, Will Staub, Sandy Williams, University of Florida, Columbia University and the School of Visual Arts, New York City.