Talk about synchronicity! Just when The Testament of Ann Lee—a movie about the woman who founded the Shaker movement in the 18th century—is showing in theaters, the exhibition “A World in the Making: The Shakers” comes to Philadelphia. Shakers were celibate, and their generative energy went into whatever work they did, a creativity that was direct, spare, elegant, pure. Far ahead of Mies van der Rohe, Shakers knew that “God is in the details.” Their furniture designs and crafted objects are deft constructions revered for their minimalist perfection. And the women’s gift drawing are decorative marvels—celestial and often ecstatic images that suggest a strange beyond. This exhibition at Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art pairs historical artifacts with newly commissioned works from contemporary artists inspired by Shaker aesthetics. —Laura Jacobs