At its May quarterly meeting, the Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees approved a resolution to achieve a net zero carbon impact goal by the year 2050. The resolution empowers staff to develop a climate action plan for the Institution that: (1) achieves net-zero carbon emissions for Institution operations by no later than 2050; (2) ensures compliance with all applicable federal and state climate laws and policies; (3) sets annual benchmarks that progressively reduce the Institution’s greenhouse gas emissions; (4) funds measures to achieve these benchmarks through sustainable annual budgets; (5) advances measures to improve the long-term climate resilience of the...
2024 marks the third full season of programming for the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. While not as momentous as the Institution’s 150th anniversary, I think you will find much to love in our diverse exploration of nature, sustainability, environment and climate change. We kick off the season with the fourth annual Chautauqua Lake Water Quality Conference, Saturday, June 22 at the Chautauqua Golf Club. There you will learn from researchers at The Jefferson Project and State University of New York about the work of the Institution and our partners to address harmful algae blooms and ensure a healthful future for...
Dear Friends of Chautauqua, We remember with sadness and hope on this day the significance of “Juneteenth”, when on June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas to announce to the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state that they were freed by executive decree. Although President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was intended to free all enslaved persons as of January 1, 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. Thus, it would take two and half years for freedom to finally come to the westernmost Confederate state of Texas. And yet…freedom did...
Chautauqua Institution today announced headliners Plena Libre on July 17 and Sonia De Los Santos on July 28, bringing bi-lingual programming to Chautauqua Institution’s Amphitheater during its sesquicentennial celebration. Plena Libre’s performance and master class are programmed on Education Wednesday and Sonia De Los Santos’ performance has been programmed on a free Sunday as part of Chautauqua’s Family Entertainment series. “I am thrilled to invite these wonderful performers to Chautauqua this summer,” shared Vice President of Visual and Performing Arts Laura Savia. “These concerts will be a joyous opportunity to hear great music and to celebrate the rich Latin American...
Each Receives $100,000 Grant to Further Democracy Work Chautauqua Institution proudly introduces Melody Barnes and David French as the inaugural recipients of the Chautauqua Perry Fellowship in Democracy. Barnes is the executive director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia; French is a widely read opinion columnist at The New York Times. Both will be able to use the distinction and funding afforded by the Perry Fellowship to further democracy-focused personal and professional projects of their choice, in addition to their roles with their home institutions and shared projects with Chautauqua Institution. This announcement comes just...
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced its New Play Workshops for the 2024 season. CTC’s audience will have the chance to experience plays at every stage of development, showcasing the work of the country’s most exciting playwrights. From a first new play reading to a staged workshop, a revival of a New Play Workshop, and a commissioned world premiere, the audience will be a part of the process as CTC deepens its long-standing commitment to new work. CTC will present readings of three new play workshops: C.A. Johnson’s Tell Me You’re Dying (the...
After a four-year hiatus, the Department of Religion is excited to announce this summer’s Abrahamic Program for Young Adults (APYA) Coordinators. During the 2024 Summer Assembly, Allison Blackwell, Madison Cissell, Mohammed Jibriel and Zackary Steinberg will participate in departmental programs such as the Interfaith Lecture Series, CHQ Dialogues, Mystic Heart Meditation, and the Interfaith Sacred Song Service. Working together, APYA Coordinators will also design and implement a new program based on their mutual interests and vocational goals. Please join us in welcoming this summer’s APYA Coordinators! 2024 Coordinators Allison Blackwell grew up on a farm north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She...
“How many of you know the story of Hansel and Gretel?” asks Joel Clemons as Older Hansel at the start of each “Hansel and Gretel vs. the Witch” performance. Familiar with this beloved folktale, a sea of student hands from grades PreK-6 shoot up in excitement. Opera in the Schools, a collaboration between Chautauqua Arts Education and Chautauqua Opera Company, brings opera into elementary classrooms around Chautauqua County. This year, 11 schools participated, reaching approximately 3,500 students. The program dazzled young audiences with a lively 45-minute adaptation of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, masterfully reimagined by Joshua Borths. The Chautauqua...
You may have seen signs around Chautauqua Lake that say “KEEP THE LAKE A LAKE! — Object to WETLAND regulation for Chautauqua Lake.” These signs are about the upcoming wetland regulation changes in New York State, effective January 2025 and 2028. While regulations affecting property use can be concerning, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has indicated that these new changes will likely have minimal impact on property owners around Chautauqua Lake, including Chautauqua Institution. In October 2022, Chautauqua Institution’s Vice President of Campus Planning and Operations John Shedd and Director of NYSDEC Region 9 Julie Barrett...
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced the introduction of Sensory-Friendly Performances and the return of pilot programs Pick Your Price (PYP) and Live Audio Descriptions (LAD) for the 2024 season. CTC is committed to fostering inclusivity and promoting the power of storytelling to all audiences. “As we shared in our open letter regarding CTC’s commitments to racial and social justice through the lens of IDEA, CTC is actively building the future of the American theater. In doing so, we aim to create space for culturally specific storytelling that leads to dialogue, understanding and...
