MAKING: Then and Now is an unprecedented exhibition that celebrates the similarities between artists and the Shakers, a utopian community that lived in Western Massachusetts for more than 180 years. Believing they should put their hands to work and their hearts to God, the Shakers built everything from buildings to boxes, with a goal of perfection and exquisite craftsmanship in what they made. The Shaker design emphasized their attitudes towards utility and simplicity through forms renowned for their minimalism, and their output remains a lasting legacy today. The artists in this exhibition (Gregory Crewdson, Don Gummer, Stephen Hannock, Jenny Holzer, Maya Lin and David Teeple) are today’s makers, inspiring us with their work. Like the Shakers, the artists responded to the landscape, be it physical, political, or environmental. With 51 color photographs and essays by Hancock Shaker Village director Jennifer Trainer Thompson and curator Lesley Herzberg, this book illuminates artists and their work – both those who would not have called themselves artists a hundred years ago, and those who could never imagine being anything else today. Together they tell a story rooted in the fertile soil of imagination, dedication, and beauty.