Shaker Museum, home to the world’s most significant collection of Shaker material culture, has named Claudia Gould, renowned for her transformative tenure at the Jewish Museum, as its next Executive Director. Gould’s appointment arrives as the museum commences the boldest evolution in its history: construction of a new flagship space by Selldorf Architects in downtown Chatham. Within the new space, there will be a renewed push to connect the Shaker legacy of design, egalitarianism, and community to today’s audiences.
Gould steps into the top post in the museum’s milestone 75th year, at a moment when the American arts landscape is increasingly attentive to a dialogue between past and present. Known nationally for curatorial risk-taking and visionary leadership, Gould will oversee the museum’s growth—including strategic planning, fundraising, and public engagement—at a time when institutions are reimagining their roles and relevance.
Read the entire press release here.
Collections Manager
Sharon Duane Koomler is a Shaker scholar and traditional letterpress printer living in upstate New York. She has academic degrees in American Folklore from Indiana University and Western Kentucky University. Sharon has worked at Shaker Museums from Kentucky to New Hampshire as an educator, curator, consultant, and director. She has written and published on Shaker material culture and spirituality, and lectured widely on Shaker art, life, and belief. Sharon has a particular interest in the under-researched social aspects of Shaker life and ways in which Shakers practiced inclusion and intentionality.