When we think of Shakers, a Christian sect founded in 1747, we think of simplicity. But the words purity and perfection are perhaps more deeply imbedded in the Shaker belief system. 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.” This exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum looks at mid–19th century drawings made by Shaker women—decorative, celestial, even ecstatic images that expand our understanding of Shaker aesthetics. For context and contrast, the drawings will be shown with Shaker furniture, clothing, and crafts. An important show! And opening the same day at the museum, “Playing with Design: Gameboards, Art, and Culture,” which features over 100 pieces. —Laura Jacobs