Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon held its annual fundraising gala on Saturday, August 18 at the historic Shaker site in New Lebanon, NY. The guests of honor at the event were Shaker scholars Jerry Van Grant and Sharon Duane Koomler, who were honored for their innumerable contributions to the study of the American Shakers and their many years of service to the museum. Together they spoke about the importance and relevancy of the Shaker legacy, and reaffirmed their commitment to the museum.
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.