Welcome to the fall update on Chautauqua’s Climate Change Initiative (CCI). I hope that many of you were able to visit the Institution in October. The colors were stunning! In this edition we provide a wrap-up of the 2023 Summer Assembly, review important progress in making the Institution more environmentally sustainable, and share some exciting updates about our ongoing investments in understanding and improving Chautauqua Lake’s ecological health. We regularly post program updates by email and online at climate.chq.org. In addition, our Chautauquans for Sustainability group on Facebook now has 273 members. Please join us if you are a Facebook...
You don’t have to be an avid outdoor enthusiast to appreciate the beauty of Slovenia’s magnificent landscape. From the alluring Postojna Caves, and the mountainside marvel that is the Predjama Castle, to the tranquil waters of Lake Bled, and awe-inspiring Julian Alps, your Chautauqua Travel experience will take you on a scenic and surreal tour of Slovenia’s breathtaking countryside. Though these cultural cornerstones are most known for their natural beauty, each is full of untold secrets that lurk just beneath their surface. Baby Dragons of the Postojna Cave Within the dark, damp interior of the Postojna Cave dwells a pale...
Chautauqua Institution’s Board of Trustees elected Stephen F. Messinger, Jill Penrose, and Stephen J. Zenczak to four-year terms at the final meeting of the body’s 2022–23 cycle on Aug. 26. Additionally, members of the Chautauqua Corporation elected Bob W. Obee as the newest of the four trustees selected by Chautauqua property owners at the Corporation’s annual meeting on Aug. 12. The new trustee class officially began its term on Oct. 1. Messinger, of Arlington, Virginia, is the former president of ECG Management Consultants. He grew up in nearby Lakewood, New York, and in 1976 his parents purchased a cottage on...
Chautauqua Institution today announced the upcoming unveiling of an augmented reality art installation to coincide with its inaugural CHQ Mud Day Saturday, October 7. The installation, created by artists Leslie Calimeri and John Stow, follows a previous interactive installment at the CHQ Trail focused on play and exploration in 2022. Members of the media are invited to attend the public unveiling at 9:45 a.m. on October 7 at the CHQ Trailhead located behind the Chautauqua Golf Club Learning Center, 4731 West Lake Road, Chautauqua, NY. The current phase of Calimeri and Stow’s collaboration builds on their previous work and adds...
On Wednesday, September 27, Dr. Kori Schake joined us via webinar to discuss 2024’s 80th Anniversary of D-Day and our Chautauqua Travels journey to experience the ceremony and explore the Paris and Normandy region. Watch a recording of the webinar below. Resources Referenced During the Webinar Watch Dr. Kori Shake’s 2022 talk during Chautauqua’s weeklong investigation of the topic: “What Should Be America’s Role in the World?” on CHQ Assembly.(A CHQ Assembly subscription is required to access this video.) Discover more about Chautauqua Travels journey to Paris and Normandy for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. Explore all Chautauqua Travels trips...
Following a national search, Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of Angela Schuettler of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Schuettler begins her service October 23. As CFO, Schuettler will play a critical role as a member of the President’s Executive Team, advising Chautauqua leadership and leading initiatives that will ensure Chautauqua Institution’s long-term financial sustainability at a moment of exciting organizational transformation. Reporting directly to the president, her duties include the preparation and monitoring of the annual operating budget and capital budget, strategic financial planning; and overseeing processes related to resource allocation and controls. Chautauqua President...
Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of the acclaimed artist Erika b Hess* as artistic director of Chautauqua Visual Arts (CVA). In this role, Hess will help shape the model for the next chapter of CVA’s School of Art and oversee this dynamic hub for learning and expression comprised of the Chautauqua School of Art residency program, Strohl and Fowler-Kellogg Art Centers, The Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden, The Gallery Store, the CVA Lecture Series, and the growing education and community engagement programs. Hess, a celebrated painter, curator, writer, and host of the famous art podcast “I Like Your Work,” is...
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. August 29, 2023 – Following a national search, Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of Jordan Steves as Emily and Richard Smucker Chair of Education. Steves has been serving as Interim Smucker Chair since March. Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer Deborah Sunya Moore said Steves’s legacy of service and leadership position Chautauqua to build on the strengths of these core education programs. “This position is about preserving the depth of history, exploring new potential of the Chautauqua Lecture Series and other education programs while also creating stability, fostering trust and working collaboratively with cherished and future partners...
National Grid EV Make-Ready program providing funding for 90% of project costs Chautauqua Institution, through National Grid’s EV Make-Ready Program, installed three Electric Vehicle charging stations in two parking lots, providing six new plugs for EV drivers who may need a charge. The north parking lot includes two stations with four plugs, including two with standard plugs and two with Tesla chargers. The south parking lot includes two ChargePoint plugs. The installation was completed in advance of the second annual Retool ’23 Conference. To be held on July 26 at the Institution, the conference focuses on emerging economic development opportunities...
Chautauqua Institution and its opera company and conservatory, like performing arts organizations industry-wide, are navigating challenges and uncertainties as the field emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a period of deep reflection about the future of opera in America, including at Chautauqua which hosts North America’s oldest continuously operating summer opera company and 4th oldest opera company in the nation. The current model for opera at Chautauqua requires subsidy from Institution operations on an annual basis that has been controlled historically to the extent possible through repeated production modifications. As expenses continue to grow due to rising labor, housing,...
