This summer, a new chapter begins for the performing arts at Chautauqua. With the opening of the Roe Green Theater Center, Chautauqua Theater Company enters its first season with a permanent, purpose-built home designed for all phases of the creation of theater — a robust and vibrant complement to our beloved Bratton Theater. This theater center has rehearsal studios, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, a flexible black box theater, a prop shop, offices and — perhaps most delicious — a bar. My colleagues and I are deeply grateful to Roe Green for her transformational gift, and to the many Chautauquans who have also given generously to make this dream a reality. A spirit of possibility is reflected in CTC’s 2026 season —...
Only at Chautauqua does an audience engage in critical conversations on the matters that shape our world in 45 installments across nine weeks. I’m of course talking about our signature Chautauqua Lecture Series, “the 10:45” in the Amphitheater, which I have had the honor and privilege to steward for four cycles now. There is truly no other place — no speakers series, no conference or seminar, no elite mountaintop gathering — that even approaches the breadth and depth of the work we do together each summer. Thank you for your engagement each weekday morning, and for continuing the conversations over lunch and...
Dear Chautauquans, The Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees recently convened for its May meetings, which included a strategic Deep Dive session and the Board’s formal business meeting. Across both days, discussions focused on financial sustainability, attendance trends, governance, grounds stewardship and long-term planning for the Institution. The conversations reflected both the progress Chautauqua has made over the past year and the realities of the challenges ahead. Trustees, leadership and staff spent meaningful time discussing how the Institution can continue to strengthen its financial position while evolving the Chautauqua experience for future generations. Financial Sustainability and Planning Trustees reviewed final audited 2025 financial results and ongoing work related to the...
What makes Chautauqua unlike any other place? In addition to the beautiful place and connected community, people continually tell us that it is the “the MIX” that makes us unique. I find myself reflecting that it is not only the mix of program, but also the intersection of and collaboration between our program pillars — Arts, Education, Religion and Recreation — that creates an “only at Chautauqua” experience for you and yours. I wanted to share a few highlights of upcoming interdisciplinary experiences that will make your time here memorable: Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara will take the Amphitheater stage twice on July 2, beginning with a...
When it comes to caring for the health and well-being of the Chautauqua Institution community, having trusted medical partners close by makes all the difference. Just 15 minutes north of campus, Westfield Memorial Hospital plays a vital role in supporting residents, staff, visitors, and neighbors throughout northern Chautauqua County. Westfield Memorial Hospital is a designated Rural Emergency Hospital (REH), a small but essential facility equipped to respond to everything from urgent medical and traumatic emergencies to routine preventive care. For members of the Chautauqua Institution community, the hospital provides a critical safety net, ensuring high-quality care is available when it’s needed most. More Than Emergency Care ...
Those of us who have the privilege of working at Chautauqua are often entrusted with stories. They are stories filled with gratitude and joy, but also — at times — with hope, uncertainty and quiet concern. They are stories about what this place has meant, what it continues to mean and what people hope it will be for those who come next. One theme we hear again and again from Chautauquans is a question that lingers just beneath the surface: Will my children continue to come here? And will Chautauqua be as meaningful and relevant for them as it has...
Emily Carpenter Appointed Manager of Oliver Archives Center Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of Jonathan Schmitz as historian emeritus, an honorary title that recognizes his 24 years of service and impact as the Institution’s archivist and historian. Schmitz becomes just the second individual to be honored with the emeritus title, following his predecessor, Ross Mackenzie. “It is a true honor to recognize Jon’s exemplary quarter-century of service to Chautauqua, our mission and community, with this well-deserved appointment,” said Jordan Steves, the Emily and Richard Smucker Chair for Education, and the last of six heads of the Institution’s Department of...
Veteran U.S. Diplomat and Third-Generation Chautauquan to Lead Historic Institution into Its Next Chapter The Chair of the Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees today announced the appointment of Mark Coolidge Johnson as the Institution’s 19th President. A Senior Foreign Service Officer, attorney and third-generation Chautauquan, Johnson brings more than 30 years of distinguished diplomatic service and large-scale operational leadership to one of America’s most enduring centers of education, the arts, religion and recreation. Johnson currently serves as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City — the largest American diplomatic mission in the world — where he...
Chautauqua Institution today announced the launch of its Family Scholarship, with applications now being accepted for the 2026 Summer Assembly. Designed to make the Chautauqua experience accessible to all, this scholarship invites eligible families to apply for a fully immersive, one‑week residency on the Chautauqua grounds. For 2026, the Family Scholarship will support attendance during Week Eight, taking place August 15–22, 2026, themed: Week Eight: The Future of Food — Climate, Technology, and the Next Agricultural Revolution. Food is universal — it sustains us, connects us, defines us. But how we grow it, share it, and celebrate it is changing fast. As climate pressures mount, technologies advance and...
Joshua Stafford has stepped down as Director of Sacred Music at Chautauqua following several years of service. He began his tenure in 2020 as Director of Sacred Music and the Jared Jacobsen Chair for the Organist. His responsibilities included planning daily worship and leading the Chautauqua Community Choir and Motet Choir, among others. During his time at Chautauqua, the choirs continued to develop in artistic excellence and played a central role in the Institution’s worship life. Stafford also appeared as a soloist with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, contributed to Old First Night celebrations and presented live improvisations for silent films in the Amphitheater. “Joshua Stafford’s leadership of...
