CANTERBURY MUSEUM FIELD GUIDE
Members’ Preview: Curators Lead a Close Look at the Shakers’ Founding Relics
A curator-led talk and tour at Canterbury Shaker Village that examines sixteen historical Shaker relics and the beliefs they embody—essential context for visitors before the exhibition opens to the public.
Members’ Preview: Curators Lead a Close Look at the Shakers’ Founding Relics.
At Canterbury Shaker Village, curators Renée Fox, Kyle Sandler, and Shirley Wajda guide members through Keeping Faith, a focused exhibition that commemorates the Shakers’ arrival in America in 1774 by presenting sixteen historical relics from the community’s founding generation. The preview pairs curator commentary with close-looking in-gallery time and light refreshments.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Guided Talk and Tour with Three Curators
Renée Fox, Kyle Sandler, and Shirley Wajda present the ideas and histories behind Keeping Faith, leading visitors through the exhibition and explaining the significance of individual objects to early Shaker life and belief.
Sixteen Relics from the Founding Generation
Keeping Faith centers on sixteen historical relics that the Shakers treated as objects of historical and communal meaning—illustrating the sect’s democratic, communal, and simple approach to faith in the early American Republic.
A Moment to Reflect on Shaker Practice and Memory
The exhibition frames the relics not as devotional icons but as historical artifacts that reveal how Shaker beliefs and communal values were lived and remembered.
What the day feels like
What to Expect at the Members’ Preview
The event unfolds as a focused, curator-led session: a talk introducing the aims of Keeping Faith followed by a guided tour through the exhibition objects and their stories. The conversation centers on the Shakers’ arrival in 1774, the provenance and meanings of the sixteen relics on view, and the communal values those objects illuminate; members are also offered light refreshments.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this preview suits — and who might want to wait for a public opening.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Rd, Canterbury, NH 03224.
Bring any membership confirmation or tickets as required; light refreshments will be available at the event.
The members’ preview is scheduled for Thursday, August 8 at 3:00 pm.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
When and where is the Members’ Preview held?
The preview takes place Thursday, August 8 at 3:00 pm at Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Rd, Canterbury, NH.
Who leads the talk and tour?
Curators Renée Fox, Kyle Sandler, and Shirley Wajda lead the discussion and guided tour of the exhibition.
What does the exhibition Keeping Faith focus on?
Keeping Faith explores the religious and historical significance of sixteen Shaker relics from the sect’s founding generation and the Shakers’ communal approach to faith.
Are refreshments provided?
Light refreshments will be available during the members’ preview.
Who supported the project?
The project was made possible with support from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities.