Nestled in one of the most idyllic landscapes of New England, the Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts (a short drive off of Route 2) is currently presenting diverse offerings in recognition of its past as the utopian community established by idealists of the New England Transcendentalist Movement, and its present affiliation, as of 2016, with The Trustees of Reservations, the largest conservation and preservation organization in Massachusetts. In the summer of 1843, preeminent adherents of the Transcendental Movement in nearby Concord, Massachusetts — Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane — founded Fruitlands as a “New Eden,” an experiment in communal living that aspired to help Fruitlands’ inhabitants achieve their highest potential and thereby to inspire positive change in society. This was to be accomplished by an ascetic lifestyle — vegan diet, temperance for all, farming by … [Read more...] about PAST PERFECT?: FRUITLANDS HONORS ITS ROOTS
The Trustees of Reservations
Museum of the Massachusetts Landscape
The Trustees' Public Art Initiative by Meredith Cutler World’s End … The Old Manse … names that ring of landmarks on a fictional map. Look at a map of Massachusetts, and you’ll discover that these are very real destinations. Located in seaside Hingham and historic Concord, respectively, World’s End and The Old Manse are just two of 116 properties managed by the not-for-profit conservation and preservation group, The Trustees of Reservations. In celebration of 125 years of land conservancy and historical site stewardship, The Trustees have launched a two-year public art initiative titled “Art and the Landscape.” The project is curated by Boston-based independent curator Pedro Alonzo in the “museum of the Massachusetts landscape — wild nature herself,” as described by Trustees President and CEO Barbara Erickson at a launch event and public art forum held in early … [Read more...] about Museum of the Massachusetts Landscape