Civility in Discourse: The Past, Present, and Future of Adult Civic Learning Free Lecture – Wednesday, May 17th, 2017, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Jefferson Educational Society In a world no longer easily defined by religion, occupation or geography, can cultural institutions bridge generational divides, such as those between digital immigrants and digital natives? How can “institutions,” which by their very name are distrusted by the millennial generation, continue to be a driving force in shaping the cultural landscape in the age of continuous connection and partial attention? And, how can we embrace natural and unlikely partnerships alike to achieve relevance...
Chautauqua Institution to Grow Youth Programming Chautauqua Institution President Michael E. Hill today announced the appointment of David Griffith to the position of Vice President and Emily & Richard Smucker Chair for Education effective Sept. 1. Griffith is currently Director of Creative Writing for Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. Griffith will replace longtime incumbent Sherra Babcock who will retire following the close of the 2017 Chautauqua season. He will manage and provide administrative leadership for Youth Programs, Special Studies, the Smith Memorial Library, Chautauqua Archives, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC), the Writers’ Center, and...
Chautauqua Institution today announced the appointment of Emily F. Morris, Ph.D., as vice president of marketing and communications and chief brand officer. Morris is an experienced leader and executive in higher education, having previously served in similar roles at nearby universities St. Bonaventure and Edinboro. She is currently executive communications director at Kent State University. “I’m elated that Emily has agreed to join our team and help us continue to raise Chautauqua’s profile as a national leader in curating conversation on matters that shape our world,” said Michael E. Hill, president of Chautauqua Institution. “Her extensive experience in communications,...
Chautauqua Institution today announced that Sherra Babcock, longtime vice president and Emily and Richard Smucker Chair for Education, will retire from her post in October 2017. A familiar figure on the Chautauqua grounds, Babcock is probably best known for her frequent appearances onstage as moderator at lecture and literary arts programming throughout each summer season. Over more than a decade of visionary leadership, she has shepherded Chautauqua’s signature and historic lecture and literary arts platforms to new levels of excellence and renown. She joined the Institution in 2007 as director of education and was appointed to her current position, the...
Chautauqua Institution today announced that the Rev. Robert M. Franklin Jr., director of religion, will step down from his post following the 2017 season.Franklin has served Chautauqua in his current capacity since 2014. He has been an active participant in the Institution’s religious programming since 2001, serving as lecturer, chaplain, theologian-in-residence, adviser to the Institution’s Abrahamic program, and as a member of the Institution’s board of trustees. His decision coincides with continued expansion of his responsibilities at Emory University, where he serves as a senior advisor to the president and James T. and Berta R. Laney Chair in Moral Leadership...
Good morning, and thank you for assembling in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. The title of today’s service, “We Still Have a Dream,” is a particularly salient one for the times in which we find ourselves, and, quite frankly, is the right emphasis for where we find ourselves in January 2017. We gather in this sanctuary to honor the legacy of one of the most important civil rights leaders in recent memory. As many of you know, I count my second home as Washington, D.C. If you find yourself there, you simply must go visit the King Memorial on...
Patricia McBride is one of five to receive Kennedy Center Honors in 2014, joining Al Green, Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin and Sting. Continuing a career that spans more than six decades, McBride now serves as associate artistic director of the Charlotte Ballet and as master teacher at Chautauqua Institution’s School of Dance.
Critics have said that “ballet is dead” for centuries. Fortunately in 2014, and at Chautauqua, this is not the case. Thanks to passionate performers and their teachers, like Maris Battaglia, professional dance companies and schools focusing on the art form are still thriving in this age of uncertainty.
“I knew students would be glad to have a place to go for dinner, but we’ve had dividends I never expected.” —Susan Helm
2005 David Effron Conducting Fellow Kazem Abdullah is becoming one of the most watched American conductors on the scene today. At 34, he is in his second season as Generalmusikdirektor of the City of Aachen, Germany, where he conducts both the orchestral and operatic seasons. He recently took some time to answer questions we had about his life and career.