BOSTON, MASS.- Fostering a conversation between historic objects and contemporary, hand-crafted counterparts, “Conversations in Craft” is a collaborative exhibition between Fruitlands Museum (operated by the Trustees of Reservations), and the acclaimed North Bennet Street School (NBSS) located in Boston and opening on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard. Organized by the Trustees’ Senior Curator, Christie Jackson, this exhibition will feature newly created, original pieces of wooden furniture made by master craftspeople from NBSS, alongside historic pieces of furniture hand-selected from the Trustees’ historic houses.

Thirteen participants in all worked closely with Jackson to select a piece of historical furniture to respond to, and “answer” in a range of ways—not with copies or reproductions, but with a freshly-inspired, custom work. In some cases, the new pieces are a contemporary companion to an 18th or 19th-century object, such as a chair for a desk, but among the thirteen pairs is a sculptural floral carving that seems to bloom in response to bud-like inlay made in the 1820s. Each pair of objects—old and new—will be displayed together in the Art Gallery at Fruitlands Museum. The Trustees’ furniture pieces are drawn from their permanent collection, including the notable estates of Naumkeag and the Mission House, in Stockbridge, MA, and the William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington, MA.

“We are so pleased to be working with North Bennet Street School on this unique exhibition,” said Christie Jackson. “The process of curating this has truly been a conversation, where we are exploring the stories of these historic objects, discovering the ways they were crafted, and creating a new dialogue between old and new with contemporary interpretations created by these talented craftsmen. Through these conversations, we are celebrating and sharing the rich tradition of furniture making in New England that continues to this day.”

"We're very excited to be a part of this exhibit, as there’s a shared appreciation of cultural heritage between our organization and The Trustees. It’s a heritage that’s not only in the past, but continues to be enriched by our generation,” said Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez, President of NBSS. "There are people today who make fine furniture by hand, much like those who crafted the exquisite pieces from The Trustees collection,” he added. “These new objects are designed to endure—to last as long as the Fruitlands pieces have. Perhaps one day they'll become heirlooms and collector’s pieces as well."

Fruitlands Museum was acquired by The Trustees in 2016, adding a significant cultural property to the organization’s network of cultural, natural, and agricultural sites around the Commonwealth. This collaborative exhibition is an opportunity to highlight furniture from its permanent collection and what it means to master craftspeople from Boston’s acclaimed NBSS. Fruitlands was originally a utopian enclave, led by Transcendentalists Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane in the mid-1800s. Clara Endicott Sears, first drawn to the location by panoramic views of the Nashua River Valley, established a museum to preserve that history in 1914, over time adding numerous collections alongside the original Alcott Farmhouse, including a Shaker Museum, Native American Museum, Art Museum. The Trustees also host exhibitions, lectures, workshops and special events at the property year-round.

Many of the new pieces created for the exhibit will be available for sale by the makers. The exhibit, which opens on Saturday, November 18, 2017 and runs through March 25, 2018 will feature a variety of public events, talks, and demonstrations at Fruitlands Museum throughout the winter and early spring. The first event will be an Open House and Reception on Saturday, December 2, with an opportunity to meet the artisans and curators.