"A World in the Making: The Shakers" Opening Celebration

Join us on Friday, January 30th, as we celebrate the opening of A World in the Making: The Shakers.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to explore our new exhibition alongside artists, curators, and other ICA community members.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Note: ICA will be closed to the public until 7 PM on Friday, January 30th. Our regular visitation hours will resume on Saturday, January 31st at 12 PM.

ICA is committed to creating a welcoming environment for all visitors. For more notes on accessibility, including accessible parking nearby, visit our Accessibility landing page. If you require any accessibility accommodations or have any questions about the program, contact us at [email protected].

A World in the Making: The Shakers explores the design legacy of the Shakers, a religious group whose values of community, labor, and equality shaped their furniture, architecture, and everyday objects. Through works by contemporary artists influenced by the Shakers, alongside original Shaker-made pieces, the exhibition considers how their design principles remain relevant today.

Founded in 18th-century England and later established in the U.S. across more than twenty distinct communities, from Kentucky to Maine, Shaker communities developed a distinctive visual language—marked by simplicity, innovation, and purpose. While often celebrated for their aesthetic, Shaker designs were rooted in spiritual practice and collective life.

By pairing historical artifacts with newly commissioned works, the exhibition invites reflection on how Shaker ideals continue to inform conversations around inclusion, gender, and intentional living in the 21st century.

This exhibition was organized by the Vitra Design Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, and the Wüstenrot Foundation in collaboration with Shaker Museum.

continues the collaboration between ICA and New York-based textile studio Maharam which invites artists to reimagine the windows of ICA’s façade. For the 2025-26 edition, Philly-based artist Xenobia Bailey created a design characterized by her “Funktional” aesthetic and rooted in her decades-long fiber arts practice. Entryways: Xenobia Bailey is organized by Denise Ryner, Andrea B. Laporte Curator.

Programming at ICA is made possible in part by the Emily and Jerry Spiegel Fund to Support Contemporary Culture and Visual Arts and the Lise Spiegel Wilks and Jeffrey Wilks Family Foundation. Public and Student Engagement at ICA is supported by the Bernstein Public Engagement Fund, Suzanne Weiss Doft & Jacob W. Doft, Stacey & Robert Goergen Jr., Hilarie L. & Mitchell Morgan, the Nash Family Foundation, Joline & David Stemerman, Dana McDonald Strong & Mark W. Strong, and the John Wind Student Engagement Endowed Fund.

Support for Entryways is provided by Maharam Digital Projects.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, United States

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