Academy Award-winning actress Frances McDormand, known for her powerful performances in "Fargo," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," and "Nomadland," has taken on a new creative role as co-curator of an immersive art installation. McDormand has partnered with artist Suzanne Bocanegra to create "Cradled," a thought-provoking exhibition that explores Shaker community values and practices, now on display at Hauser & Wirth's downtown Los Angeles location.
The exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Shaker Museum in Chatham, New York, was originally presented in upstate New York in 2024 before making its way to the West Coast. "Cradled" uses a combination of historic objects, immersive soundscapes, and live activations to examine the Shaker lifecycle of caregiving, inviting visitors to experience a vision of life shaped by devotion, communal industry, and what the curators call "radical care."
The Los Angeles opening on November 20 featured a unique interactive element where McDormand and Bocanegra gently rocked guests in a reproduction of an adult-sized cradle. The evening's atmosphere was enhanced by the Angeles Chorale, a Los Angeles-based volunteer choir that contributed to the exhibition's lullaby soundscape. In keeping with the Shaker theme, visitors were served traditional Shaker Lemon Pie, prepared in collaboration with Manuela LA.
At the heart of the installation are four historic Shaker cradles on loan from various institutions spanning from New England to Kentucky. These precious artifacts are displayed alongside carefully arranged tableaus featuring rocking chairs and baskets filled with mending projects. The exhibition encourages active participation, inviting visitors to sit, repair, and create – activities that embody core Shaker values of community service and mindful craftsmanship.
The concept of the cradle holds special significance in Shaker culture, as these items were crafted not only for infants but also for elderly community members. The celibate Shaker communities, established after Ann Lee led a small group from Manchester, England to New York in 1774, often cared for more elders than children. This demographic reality led to the development of a sophisticated culture around end-of-life care, with adult-sized cradles representing the community's commitment to dignity and comfort at every stage of life.
These adult cradles, rarely seen outside traditional Shaker circles, represent a society that pursued perfection through progressive ideals including gender and racial equality, pacifism, and radical inclusion. By bringing these objects into a contemporary gallery setting, "Cradled" offers visitors a powerful reminder of the possibility of community support and dignity throughout the human lifespan.
In their joint artist statement, McDormand and Bocanegra explain their vision: "To be cradled, held, supported by one's community. From birth to grave. With respect and care. To be mended by an exchange of trust, loyalty and compassion. To be honored for one's contribution to the whole and to believe one is contributing to the sustenance of the future. The contemplation of these thoughts and possibilities is what we hope to offer you in this space. Take your time. Rock yourself. Mend, if you like. You are welcome."
The exhibition is presented under Make Hauser & Wirth, the gallery's dedicated platform for contemporary makers and engagement with handmade crafts and traditional techniques. This platform aligns perfectly with the Shaker emphasis on functional beauty and community-centered creation, bridging historical practices with contemporary artistic expression.
"Cradled" will remain on view at Hauser & Wirth's downtown Los Angeles location through January 4, 2026, with visits available on Saturdays and Sundays. The exhibition represents McDormand's continued exploration of storytelling, this time through the medium of installation art rather than film, demonstrating her versatility as a creative artist and cultural curator.
