CINCINNATI, OH.- Mystical, evocative, and sometimes simply strange, the art of the Freemasons and Independent Order of the Odd Fellows is rich in symbols. Mystery & Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art brings the histories, codes, and beliefs of these groups to the Taft Museum of Art, February 1–May 11, 2025. Rarely traveled, the exhibition features more than 80 works of art including elaborately stitched costumes, gilded carvings and jewelry, and richly embellished ceremonial objects from the late 18th through mid-20th centuries that continue to retain their clandestine allure.

For decades, members of organizations such as the Freemasons and Odd Fellows have come together to socialize, help others, and improve themselves and their communities. Mystery & Benevolence decodes and explores the objects used by these groups, revealing how regalia, teaching aids, and decorative furnishings played a part in ritualized practices that served to bind members in a system of shared beliefs.

Cryptic ciphers, rites, and vows cloak such organizations in potentially unsettling secrecy— from their earliest origins—and have attracted criticism for their exclusivity. In response, members of excluded groups, including women and African American men, formed their own societies such as the Daughters of Rebekah and the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, both represented in Mystery & Benevolence.

“From scythes to skulls and memento mori, Mystery & Benevolence looks at the richness of fraternal culture as well as the exclusivity of ‘brotherhood,’” says the Taft Museum of Art’s associate curator Ann Glasscock, who is curating the museum’s installation of the show. “This special exhibition not only brings to light the positive impacts of the organizations and their local Cincinnati ties but also recognizes the influence of those left out of the historical picture.”