PITTSFIELD, Mass. ––The Board of Trustees of Hancock Shaker Village announced that director Jennifer Trainer Thompson will step down in July.

 

"I have had the time of my life feeling the spirit of this place, responding to it, being nourished by it and all those who support the Village," said Thompson. "It's been thrilling to lead the organization to grow and thrive, even during challenging times. Today Hancock Shaker Village is in great shape -- financially, organizationally, and programmatically. Indeed, it is partly due to this success that it feels like the right time for me to leave. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to steward this organization – one of the oldest in the Berkshires -- and it has ignited a desire to follow a path that is creatively based. When a newspaper wrote last year that I was a ‘filmmaker, journalist, and museum professional' it startled me – I'd never shuffled it in that order. But I have always been interested in bringing stories to life, through exhibitions, writing, and recently filmmaking, and, after 34 years in the museum business, the time has

presented itself to continue in that creative thread."  

 

Thompson, who prior had a hand in the development of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, was appointed as director in 2016. 

 

According to a press release, Thompson is stepping down to work on creative projects and will serve as a special counsel to the board of trustees following her departure.

 

"This news is indeed bittersweet. We are truly grateful for the talent, energy and creativity that Jennifer has brought to the Village during her remarkable tenure, and we are sorry to see her leave. That said, we are happy for her and the opportunity this presents for her to engage in other creative pursuits," said Diane Eshleman, chairman of the Hancock Shaker Village Board of Trustees. "Jennifer is a phenomenally talented woman who will leave a legacy of accomplishments that have added new vibrancy and a fun, contemporary spin to our programming, all while respecting the heritage of the Shakers and the custodial responsibility we have for this beloved historic site."

 

The announcement included some highlights from Thompson's tenure including advancing Hancock Shaker Village regionally and nationally. 

 

One of Thompson's first decisions as director was to turn the 1910 Barn hayloft into a concert venue. Thompson also initiated a  dinner series, "Food for Thought," that featured guest authors.

 

Thompson curated several exhibitions, including "Climbing the Holy Hill,"  "Our Native Daughters," and "Roomful of Teeth." and established new programs such as Goat Yoga, Hancock Holiday Nights, Farm to Fork Fondo, and the Big Chill.

 

She also took part in expanding Hancock Shaker Village's public outreach efforts. Thousands of children visit the Village annually to interact with farm animals and learn about the Shakers. Hancock Shaker Village has partnered with Greenagers, Roots Rising, and Girls Inc.

 

Thompson worked with the trustees to grow new revenue streams that support the museum's programs and operating costs on an annual basis. 

 

Under her leadership the long-forgotten trail and South Family Site of the Shakers (abandoned in 1849) were opened for the first time in museum history, part of a plan to activate more of the 750-acre campus, which includes 20 buildings, forests with trails, and pastures. 

 

The Trustees' Office and Store was renovated into artist and intern housing in 2020, part of a paid internship program with housing that includes both traditional museum positions such as curatorial and education, but also farm internships – apropos, given that Hancock Shaker Village is the oldest working farm in the region.

 

"There are so many things I love about Hancock Shaker Village," said Thompson, "its compelling physical presence, with the tall simple buildings speaking to each other, forming a community, the farm animals bellowing in the distance. The interiors and objects, where one can admire the architecture, in awe of the deep beauty, enjoying the touch, the color, the sensation of the divine."

 

During Thompson's tenure, Hancock Shaker Village underwent preservation work, including the restoration of two 19th century wooden silos, repair of the Dairy El and foundation of the historic 1826 Round Stone Barn, upgraded heating, electrical, and plumbing systems in the Trustees' Office, and the introduction of sewer to the Village, which had relied on the Shakers' antiquated septic systems. 

 

The museum is also currently engaged in a priority need to provide proper collection storage of objects for future generations.