Chautauqua Institution

PERFECT DAYS
2025-08-22 17:45 (America/New_York) | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho) seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of Tokyo public toilets in director Wim Wenders’ deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. “It’s all about finding the simple joys in your daily existence.” -Christy Lemire, Breakfast All Day “Jonathan Livingston Lavatory Cleaner. Zen and the Art of Lavatory Maintenance. But better than that. Sharper, less sentimental, less aphoristic. A film to live your life by.” -Donald Clarke, Irish Times “Perhaps, in its polite and unassuming way, the film advocates not just a new way of looking, but also a new way of living.” -Wendy Ide, Observer (UK) (PG, In Japanese with subtitles. 124m)

Guest Chef Dinner - Joe Bucci & Brian Baccus
2025-08-22 17:30 | Athenaeum Parlor, Athenaeum Parlor
Join Sysco Chefs Brian Barcus & Joe Bucci for a tasting dinner. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with passed hors d’oeuvres with dinner seating at 6 p.m.
Brian Barcus is an enthusiastic and driven chef who loves all aspects of the food service industry. His two decades of experience in various food service outlets gives him an array of skills and techniques from many different cuisines. Born in raised in the Pittsburgh Area, his career started professionally, after completing the one-year program at The University of Indiana Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts. He is versed in large scale banquets, ala carte service, fine dining, special themed collaborative dinners, and farm fresh products from the area. He worked for a few of the finest chefs in the region at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, Oakmont Country Club, Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh to name a few. Brian shifted his professional focuses to the sales world, joining Sysco in July of ’22
Joe Bucci has been working in the food industry for over 25 years and has a fierce love affair with food. His culinary experience ranges from cooking pizzas in a wood-burning oven, to executing fine dining in a Michelin starred restaurant in Chicago, to representing the finest specialty food ingredients in the world right here in Western New York. It’s all been driven by his passion for making people happy through exceptional food.
Menu:
First: Antipasti – Golfetta, Caponata, Peppernata, Artichoke, Pecorino Pistachio, pull apart bread
Second: Hamachi Crudo, Pickled Watermelon, Sicilian Oli Cured Olive, Grapefruit, San Guiliano EVO
Third: Hand Cut Tagliatelle Pasta, Guanciale, Wild Mushroom, Truffle Bure Monte, Cured Egg Yolk
Fourth: Duck Breast with Roasted Peach, Braised Fennel, Argidolce, Duck Confit Potato Pave
Fifth: Dubai Chocolate Tart
Our Chef’s Tasting Menu is a thoughtfully curated experience that highlights the creative vision of our culinary teams. We are unable to accommodate modifications or dietary restrictions for this menu.

Hebrew Congregation Evening Kabbalat Shabbat Service
2025-08-22 17:00, 2025-08-15 17:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

Heritage Lecture Series: Jon Schmitz
2025-08-22 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-22 15:30, 2025-08-15 15:30 | Episcopal Cottage, Episcopal Cottage

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-22 15:30, 2025-08-15 15:30 | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Russell Moore
2025-08-22 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Russell Moore is Editor in Chief of Christianity Today.
Moore is the author of several books, including Losing Our Religion: An Alter Call for Evangelical America; The Courage to Stand: Facing Your Fear Without Losing Your Soul; Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel and The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home.
The Wall Street Journal has called Moore “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate.” He was named in 2017 to Politico Magazine’s list of top fifty influence-makers in Washington and has been profiled by such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and the New Yorker.
Moore was a Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and currently serves on the board of the Becket Law and as a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum in Washington, D.C.
He also hosts the weekly podcast The Russell Moore Show and is a senior commentator of Christianity Today’s weekly news and analysis podcast, The Bulletin.
An ordained Baptist minister, Moore was President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that role, he served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also taught theology and ethics.
A native Mississippian, he and his wife Maria are the parents of five sons. They live in Nashville, where he teaches the Bible regularly at their congregation, Immanuel Church.

Chautauqua Theater Company presents the world premiere of The Witnesses (formerly titled Tell Me You’re Dying)
2025-08-22 14:00, 2025-08-21 14:00, 2025-08-19 14:00, 2025-08-14 14:00, 2025-08-13 18:00 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater
By C.A. Johnson
Directed by Jade King Carroll
The Witnesses compels us to question not only if we can change but if we have time to do so while the world appears to be ending.
Infused with C.A. Johnson’s brutal honesty, exacting humor, and heartfelt exploration of human relationships, the story pulses with urgency, vulnerability and unexpected warmth.
While an apocalyptic plague rages, five individuals unite in their weekly support group to forge a sanctuary of care and companionship. Centering on the darkly funny and wildly magnetic Millicent and her chosen family of misfits, this play explores the undeniable physical urge for human connection.
This production is recommended for audiences ages 13 and older.

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-22 12:30, 2025-08-20 18:30, 2025-08-15 12:30, 2025-08-13 18:30 | Lutheran House, Lutheran House

Summer on the Steps with Chautauqua Literary Arts: A Tribute to Nikki Giovanni
2025-08-22 12:15 | Alumni Hall Porch, Alumni Hall Porch
Join Chautauqua Literary Arts for an open mic tribute to the late poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator, Nikki Giovanni.

Twelve Step Meeting
2025-08-22 12:15, 2025-08-20 12:15, 2025-08-17 12:15, 2025-08-15 12:15 | Hurlbut Marion Lawrance

Ella Al-Shamahi
2025-08-22 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Ella Al-Shamahi is a National Geographic Explorer, palaeoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist (and stand-up comic) who specializes in Neanderthals, caves, and expeditions in hostile, disputed, and unstable territories. In closing a week dedicated to the ways that past informs present — and the 2025 Chautauqua Lecture Series season — Al-Shamahi will take the audience on a transformative journey into the world of human evolution, using her expertise in our shared human history to explain why we need to understand our recent ancestors’ failures in order to chart a better future.
In addition to her work in the field, Al-Shamahi is a television presenter and producer. Her latest project, produced by BBC Studios Science Unit and co-produced by PBS, is “Human,” the story of how humanity went from being just one of many hominin species to the dominant form of life on earth. Coming to PBS in 2025, “Human” uses a combination of archaeology, storytelling, and reconstruction to tell the story of how we became “us” (modern humans).
Other work includes the BBC’s recently launched seven-year diary titled “Our Changing Planet”; the BBC Two’s science series “Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors,” as well as “Horizon: Body Clock – What Makes Your Body Tick”; a National Geographic show on Viking warrior women; and, with her journalist brother Abubakr Al-Shamahi, a five-part BBC World Service radio series commemorating and reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of the Arab Spring.
The author of The Handshake: A Gripping History, Al-Shamahi holds a Bachelor of Science in genetics from University College London, a Master of Science in taxonomy and biodiversity from Imperial College London/Natural History Museum, and is currently undertaking a Ph.D. in Neanderthal rates of evolution at University College London.

Service of Blessing and Healing
2025-08-22 10:15, 2025-08-21 10:15, 2025-08-20 10:15, 2025-08-19 10:15, 2025-08-18 10:15, 2025-08-15 10:15, 2025-08-14 10:15 | Randell Chapel, UCC Headquarters

Brian McLaren
2025-08-22 09:15, 2025-08-21 09:15, 2025-08-20 09:15, 2025-08-19 09:15, 2025-08-18 09:15, 2025-08-17 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good.
Brian is Dean of Faculty for the Center for Action and Contemplation. and a podcaster with Learning How to See. He is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest books are Faith After Doubt (January 2021), Do I Stay Christian? (May 2022), and Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart (2024). His co-authored children’s book Cory and the Seventh Story was released in 2023. The first book of a new science fiction trilogy, The Last Voyage, will be published in summer, 2025. He is an Auburn Senior Fellow, a contributor to We Stand With Love, and a leader in the Convergence Network, through which he is developing an innovative training/mentoring program for pastors and church planters.
He is an active and popular blogger, a musician, and a songwriter, offering a variety of resources through his website, www.brianmclaren.net.

Chautauqua Prays for Peace though Compassion
2025-08-22 08:55, 2025-08-21 08:55, 2025-08-20 08:55, 2025-08-19 08:55, 2025-08-18 08:55, 2025-08-15 08:55, 2025-08-14 08:55 | Hall of Philosophy Grove

Catholic Mass
2025-08-22 08:45, 2025-08-21 08:45, 2025-08-20 08:45, 2025-08-19 08:45, 2025-08-18 08:45, 2025-08-15 08:45, 2025-08-14 08:45 | Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Chapel of the Good Shepherd

Movement and Meditation with Monte Thompson
2025-08-22 08:30, 2025-08-20 08:30, 2025-08-18 08:30, 2025-08-15 08:30 | Hall of Philosophy Grove
Monte Thompson was a professional dancer, and also spent years as a restauranteur. His life was spent on his feet. Now retired, he is interested in continuing to be able to move easily and gracefully while using breathing and stretching techniques to help quiet his mind and prepare him to face each day with purpose and joy.

Daily Word Meditation
2025-08-22 08:00, 2025-08-21 08:00, 2025-08-20 08:00, 2025-08-19 08:00, 2025-08-18 08:00, 2025-08-15 08:00, 2025-08-14 08:00 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions
(Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua)

Episcopal Holy Eucharist
2025-08-22 07:45, 2025-08-21 07:45, 2025-08-20 07:45, 2025-08-19 07:45, 2025-08-18 07:45, 2025-08-17 09:00, 2025-08-15 07:45, 2025-08-14 07:45 | Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Chapel of the Good Shepherd

CHQ Mystic Heart: Sharon Wesoky
2025-08-22 07:45, 2025-08-21 07:45, 2025-08-20 07:45, 2025-08-19 07:45, 2025-08-18 07:45 | Presbyterian Chapel
Mahanaya Buddhism-Mindfulness Meditation

SORRY, BABY
2025-08-21 20:30, 2025-08-21 15:15, 2025-08-20 20:30, 2025-08-19 14:15 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. “Writer-director-star Eva Victor has made a movie that’s at once approachable, incredibly perceptive, and subtly stirring.” -Carlos Aguilar, IGN Movies “This is the kind of film that sneaks up on you, funny when least expected and affecting without being cloying. And it officially announces the arrival of Victor as a performer and filmmaker to keep on your radar.” -Aisha Harris, NPR “Bittersweet, brilliant, and heartwarmingly funny,” -Kristy Puchko, Mashable (R, 103m)

The Band Perry
2025-08-21 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Kimberly Perry (lead vocals, guitar), Reid Perry (bass guitar), Johnny Costello (mandolin, guitar)
Grammy® Award-winning The Band Perry burst onto the scene as an unstoppable presence in modern Country music, selling two and a half million albums, twelve million singles, and racking up over a billion total song streams. Written by Kimberly Perry, their groundbreaking crossover 9X Platinum #1 single “If I Die Young” off their self-titled debut album (released October 12, 2010) reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Hot AC charts, Top 15 on the Billboard 100 and garnered more than 100 million video views and counting. The album also featured the #1 hit “All Your Life” and Top 5 (#2) hit “You Lie.”
Their follow up album-Pioneer-reached #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard 200 and featured “Better Dig Two,” “Done,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely,” and “Chainsaw,” cementing the band’s status domestically and internationally.
With sold-out world tours, six No. 1 singles, numerous Platinum and Gold singles, award wins and nominations, the Grammy® Award winning band reunited in 2025 with original band members Kimberly and Reid Perry, adding celebrated musician and fellow family member Johnny, and are set to release new music in 2025-timed to the band’s 15th year anniversary since their debut album.

Chautauqua Theater Company presents the world premiere of The Witnesses (formerly titled Tell Me You’re Dying)
2025-08-21 19:30, 2025-08-20 16:00, 2025-08-19 19:30, 2025-08-17 19:30, 2025-08-16 19:30, 2025-08-14 19:30 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater
By C.A. Johnson
Directed by Jade King Carroll
The Witnesses compels us to question not only if we can change but if we have time to do so while the world appears to be ending.
Infused with C.A. Johnson’s brutal honesty, exacting humor, and heartfelt exploration of human relationships, the story pulses with urgency, vulnerability and unexpected warmth.
While an apocalyptic plague rages, five individuals unite in their weekly support group to forge a sanctuary of care and companionship. Centering on the darkly funny and wildly magnetic Millicent and her chosen family of misfits, this play explores the undeniable physical urge for human connection.
This production is recommended for audiences ages 13 and older.
This performance offers:
Pick Your Price (PYP)
CTC’s PYP program ensures theater remains accessible to all by allowing patrons to choose ticket prices based on their budget. This flexible pricing model fosters inclusivity and encourages greater community participation.
Live Audio Descriptions (LAD)
LAD provides narrated descriptions of key visual elements during pauses in dialogue, enhancing accessibility for blind and visually impaired audiences. This complimentary service also benefits neurodiverse patrons and those with attention or processing challenges.

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-21 18:30, 2025-08-14 18:30 | Disciples of Christ House, Disciples of Christ House

FAMILIAR TOUCH
2025-08-21 18:00, 2025-08-20 18:00, 2025-08-20 15:30, 2025-08-19 19:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s coming-of-old-age feature compassionately follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth’s (Kathleen Chalfant) shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective. “Ruth is merely, momentously human: an older woman in need, but no less expressive of life’s fullness because of it. It’s a portrayal to remember, for as long as any of us can.” -Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times “A gorgeous drama with an open, aching heart.” -Jourdain Searles, RogerEbert.com (NR, 91m)

Guest Chef Dinner
2025-08-21 17:30 | Athenaeum Parlor, Athenaeum Parlor
Join President’s Cottage Chefs Ben Shropshire & Dan Wongprapan for a tasting dinner. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with passed hors d’oeuvres with dinner seating at 6 p.m.
Ben Shropshire and Dan Wongprapan have spent years working together in a diverse array of food service establishments throughout the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. This is their third season devising, preparing, and executing events at the President’s Cottage of the Chautauqua Institution. They prioritize fresh ingredients, creativity, and a comfortable environment for their staff and co-workers. In the fall they will be going to Louisville, KY as private chefs and are available for delicious and personable private events.
Menu:
First: Bahn Mi Toast, Smoked Mussel Pâté, Pickled Roots, Cilantro, Jalapeño Crema
Second: Bucatini Pad Kee Mao, Hanging Beef Tenderloin, Garlic Braised Broccolini, Wild Mushroom
Third: King Crab Coconut Lime Ceviche
Fourth: Lobster Yellow Curry, Orzo, Cauliflower, Roasted Corn, Tomato Jam
Fifth: Matcha Panna Cotta, White Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Coulis, Lemon Torta
Our Chef’s Tasting Menu is a thoughtfully curated experience that highlights the creative vision of our culinary teams. We are unable to accommodate modifications or dietary restrictions for this menu.

Play CHQ: Get your Game On!
2025-08-21 16:00, 2025-08-14 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park
Play CHQ invites families to discover, create, and play together all season long! Enjoy a variety of engaging activities including games, crafts, STEM experiments, and more at pop-up locations throughout the Chautauqua grounds.
In case of inclement weather, all Play CHQ events will be relocated to Sheldon Hall of Education, Room 202.

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-21 16:00, 2025-08-14 16:00 | AAHH African American Heritage House
The Dialogue is devoted to the AAHH Lecture on Wednesday at 3:30pm

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-21 15:30, 2025-08-14 15:30 | Baptist House, Baptist House

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-21 15:30, 2025-08-14 15:30 | United Methodist House, United Methodist House

Debra Magpie Earling
2025-08-21 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Presentation — The Lost Journals of Sacajewea: A Novel by Debra Magpie Earling
Among the most memorialized women in American history, Sacajewea served as interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history.
Here, the young Sacajewea is bright and bold, growing strong from the hard work of “learning all ways to survive.” When her village is raided, Sacajewea is kidnapped and then gambled away to Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trapper. Heavy with grief, she learns how to survive at the edge of a strange new world. When Lewis and Clark’s expedition party arrives, Sacajewea knows she must cross a vast and brutal terrain with her newborn son, the white man who owns her, and a company of men who wish to conquer and commodify the world she loves.
Written in lyrical, dreamlike prose, The Lost Journals of Sacajewea is an astonishing work of art and a powerful tale of perseverance—the Indigenous woman’s story that hasn’t been told.
Debra Magpie Earling was born in Spokane, Washington. She received her BA from the University of Washington in Seattle and her MA and MFA in Fiction from Cornell University. From 1991 to 1998, Earling held positions in both Native American Studies and Creative Writing at the University of Montana in Missoula. Currently, she is an associate professor in the English Department there and teaches Fiction and Native American Studies.
Perma Red (Blue Hen Books 2002) was her first novel. It received the Western Writers Association Spur Award for Best Novel of the West in 2003, the Mountain and Plains Bookseller Association Award, WWA’s Medicine Pipe Bearer Award for Best First Novel, a WILLA Literary Award, and the American Book Award. It is a Montana Book Award Honor Book and was chosen by Barnes & Noble as part of its Discover Great New Writers series.
Her latest novel (May 2023), The Lost Journals of Sacajewea is a devastatingly beautiful novel that challenges prevailing historical narratives of Sacajewea.

CVA Two Week Residency exhibition reception
2025-08-21 15:00 | CVA: Arts Quad
We are excited to invite you to celebrate our 2-week resident artists at the Resident Group Exhibition! Join us to see the work our residents have created during their time at Chautauqua Visual Arts. This event is free and open to the public.

CVA Open Studios
2025-08-21 14:00 | CVA: Arts Quad
We are excited to invite you to CVA Open Studios, occurring prior to the annual 2-week Resident Group Exhibition. Celebrate the work our resident artists have created during their time at Chautauqua Visual Arts. This event is free and open to the public.

Haroon Moghul
2025-08-21 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Haroon Moghul is the Founder and President of Queen City Diwan, a company that educates and empowers people of all ages and backgrounds through global tours, retreats and leadership journeys. With Joey Taylor, he co-hosts a new podcast, Avenue M, that explores meaning, masculinity, culture and family from the perspective of two Midwestern men of faith.
In 2023 and 2024, EqualityX named him one of the fifty most influential Muslims in the Americas. A one-time standup comic in New York City (literally, just that one time) and award-winning journalist and opinion columnist, Haroon has been published by The New York Times, NPR’s Fresh Air, CNN, NBC News, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, and The Guardian, among many others.
Haroon has appeared on all major US news networks as an expert commentator on Islam, the Muslim world, and U.S. foreign policy. He has taught at universities, conferences, think tanks, and houses of worship on five continents. Haroon is the author of How to be a Muslim: An American Story (2017) and Two Billion Caliphs: A Vision of a Muslim Future (2022), which was recently translated into Albanian.
Previously, he was the Fellow in the National Security Studies Program at the New America Foundation and a Fellow in Muslim Politics and Societies at the Center on National Security at Fordham Law. Haroon lives with his wife and family in Cincinnati, where he teaches classes on leadership, literature, and character for more than three dozen middle and high school students You can follow his teaching on his Substack, Sunday Schooled.

Duplicate Bridge
2025-08-21 12:45, 2025-08-14 12:45 | Sports Club, Sports Club
Don’t have a partner? One will be provided. Game managed by Shelley Dahlie. $10/person.

CHQ Dialogue
2025-08-21 12:30, 2025-08-14 12:30 | Everett Jewish Life Center, Everett Jewish Life Center

CHQ Mystic Heart: Sharon Wesoky
2025-08-21 12:30, 2025-08-19 12:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions
Mahanya Buddhism-Mindfulness Meditation

Decision Making in the Age of Plastics: A choose-your-own-adventure style guide to purchasing while balancing your health, the planet and your budget.
2025-08-21 12:15 | Alumni Hall Ballroom, Alumni Hall Ballroom
Did you know that microplastics are in our food, in our water and in our brains (among other places)?! Have you sat staring at a shopping cart on your screen or at an item in a shop and experienced a moment (or several moments) of a modern sort of existential panic thinking, “Should I buy this?”
In Decision-Making in the Age of Plastics, Cora Ball Co-inventor, National Geographic Explorer and Chief Ocean Lover, Rachael Zoe Miller takes you through an easy-to-use, interactive process that mixes knowledge with practical considerations about items that present frequent conundrums, from fleece jackets to take-away food packaging, laundry detergent, and more. You will be guided through a 5-question framework that helps you make purchases (or decisions not to purchase) that you will feel good about.
The goals of this choose-your-own-adventure style guidebook are to help protect you and your family’s health, to protect the ocean, to protect the planet, to save you money or help you spend it wisely, to eradicate buyer’s remorse, and to inject a heap of learning and some fun along the way.
This event is the official launch of this high-impact book. Copies will be available at the Chautauqua Bookstore by August 13 and on the day of the event.

CTC Theater Chats
2025-08-21 12:15, 2025-08-14 12:15 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Theater Chats (formerly known as Brown Bags)
On selected Thursdays at 12:15 p.m., bring lunch to Smith Wilkes Hall and join special guests, including actors, designers, playwrights and more, for a look at our upcoming productions and discussions on the craft of theater-making. Free and open to the public.

Sabrina Lynn Motley & Jeffrey Rosen
2025-08-21 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Sabrina Lynn Motley
Director, Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Jeffrey Rosen
President and CEO, National Constitution Center
10:45 a.m. Thursday, August 21, 2025
Frequent Chautauqua collaborators Sabrina Lynn Motley and Jeffrey Rosen return to Chautauqua for the penultimate Chautauqua Lecture Series program of 2025. They will contribute to our discussion of “Past Informs Present: How to Harness History” by sharing in conversation their two prominent national institutions’ approaches to considering, commemorating and celebrating America’s semiquincentennial, as the birthday year approaches in 2026, along with their perspectives generally on the curation and presentation of history in physical spaces.
Sabrina Lynn Motley is the director of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Before joining the center in 2013, she was the senior director of programs and exhibitions at Asia Society Texas Center in Houston. Under Motley’s leadership, the Texas Center expanded its public offerings and strengthened its collaborative approach to program creation and implementation. Through performances, lectures, exhibitions, and workshops, its programming reflected Houston’s rapidly changing demographics and its role as a gateway to Asia. While at the Texas Center, Motley oversaw the mounting of several critically acclaimed exhibitions, including “Universe Is Flux: The Art of Tawara Yusaku,” organized by the Indianapolis Museum, and “Weavers’ Stories from Island Southeast Asia,” organized by the Fowler Museum at UCLA.
Motley’s most recent exhibitions speak to her interest in the creative lives of women and the role of traditional arts in contemporary life. As a world music aficionada, for more than five years she was a popular host of “The Global Village,” KPFK 90.7 FM’s flagship music program. As a teacher, she has taught cultural anthropology at the Art Center College of Design and the Otis Institute for Art and Design. Motley earned her bachelor’s degree from the World Arts & Cultures Program and master’s degree in African studies at UCLA. She is a doctoral candidate in anthropology at UCLA, where she conducted research on the interplay between religious faith, doubt and social activism.
Jeffrey Rosen is president and chief executive officer of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the U.S. Constitution. His latest book, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America, was the basis for his most recent Amphitheater appearance in 2024; he also appeared as part of the 2025 Chautauqua Forum on Democracy in June, where he was publicly announced and recognized for the first time as the newly appointed 2025–26 Chautauqua Perry Fellow in Democracy.
In addition to his roles of president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, which he has held since 2013, Rosen is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic. He was previously the legal affairs editor of The New Republic and a staff writer for The New Yorker. At the National Constitution Center, he is the host of “We the People,” a weekly podcast of constitutional debate.
Rosen’s forthcoming book The Pursuit of Liberty How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America, to be published in October. He is the author of seven other books, including the New York Times bestseller Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law, as well as biographies of Louis Brandeis and William Howard Taft. He is a graduate of Harvard College; Oxford University, where he was a Marshall Scholar; and Yale Law School.

Nicole Zuraitis
2025-08-20 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Nicole Zuraitis is a 2X GRAMMY® winning and 4X GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole is a trailblazing artist who is redefining vocal jazz, earning her a place as one of the top artists and “prolific songwriters” (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.
As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as a leader, and her sixth album, How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, features all original music and was awarded the 2024 GRAMMY for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM. Nicole is the only artist ever to have won this award who wrote and arranged the entire album herself. In addition to leading her quartet, Nicole performed and recorded with the Birdland Big Band as premier vocalist before taking off as a large ensemble leader of her own, co-producing the Dan Pugach Big Band and guesting for major European big bands. She has headlined the Newport Jazz Festival, along with iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony, and Macon Pops and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss, and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.

Microfibers in a whole new light: See what you're breathing and how to protect yourself. Workshop by Rachael Miller
2025-08-20 17:00 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
You are invited to investigate your own clothing at this workshop! Please bring a garment you think is high-shed and one you think is low shed (dark colors work best) as well as any you’d like to see up close (through a microscope). This is not a requirement to attend, but a fun way to get to know your own wardrobe!

CHQ Mystic Heart: Therapeutic Gong Meditation with Kim Hehr
2025-08-20 16:45, 2025-08-13 16:45 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary
Kim Hehr is a lifelong Chautauquan and a certified level 2 teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. She has been a yoga and meditation practitioner for 30 years and has been teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation for 25 years. A retired hospice nurse, she is presently the coordinator of the CHQ Mystic Heart Meditation Program. Kim specializes in healing addictive patterns through yogic technology. Passionate about teaching meditation, performing Gong Baths, and pranayama (breath work), her objective is to help others with their anxiety and everyday stress. Her goal is to facilitate bringing more peace and self-acceptance into people’s lives.

Play CHQ: STEM by the Water
2025-08-20 16:00, 2025-08-13 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-20 15:30, 2025-08-13 15:30 | Catholic House, Catholic House

Microplastics: Solutions to Save Our Seas
2025-08-20 15:30 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Microplastics: Solutions to Save Our Seas
Rachael Zoe Miller is the Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean and it is for her grandmother that the project is named. She is an expedition scientist, inventor, National Geographic Explorer, Explorers Club Fellow and co-inventor of the Cora Ball, the world’s first microfiber-catching laundry ball. Rachael leads teams on expeditions whose scientific results are published in peer-reviewed journals and education programs that inspire thousands of people of all ages.

African American Heritage House Lecture: Sheffield Hale
2025-08-20 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
As president and CEO of the Atlanta History Center, Sheffield Hale maintains the 175,000-square-foot museum with dedication and enthusiasm to preserve and explore Atlanta’s history. Under Hale’s leadership the center has led the Confederate Monument Initiative, and Hale has served as co-chair of the Advisory Committee on City of Atlanta Street Names and Monuments Associated with the Confederacy.
Prior to joining the Atlanta History Center in 2012, Hale served as chief counsel of the American Cancer Society and was a partner practicing corporate law in the firm of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. He is chair of the advisory board of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, an ex-officio member of the board of the Old Salem Museums and Gardens, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Center for the Study of the American South. He is a past chair of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the Atlanta History Center.
In 2021, Hale received the Georgia Governor’s Award for Arts & Humanities. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Georgia and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Becca Stevens
2025-08-20 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Becca Stevens is a nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, priest, survivor, and founder and President of Thistle Farms. She has founded 12 nonprofits and justice enterprises, mentored another 70, and has raised over $75 million to support them. Becca has authored 12 books and sold over 300,000 copies. She has served as chaplain at St. Augustine’s Chapel on Vanderbilt’s campus for almost 30 years. Becca has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, named a CNN Hero, and White House Champion of Change, and holds seven honorary doctorates. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, Becca leads important conversations across the country with an inspiring message that love is the strongest force for change in the world.
Stevens founded Thistle Farms in 1997 with a single home for survivors of trafficking and addiction. Over twenty-five years later, it is a global movement for women’s freedom and a 13-million-dollar organization. Today the Nashville flagship includes a residential program that serves as a national model for women’s recovery, and three justice social enterprises that provide jobs to survivors. Stevens developed the Thistle National Network to provide tools, workshops, and conferences to support young organizations wanting to follow its holistic recovery model. There are now 92 organizations, providing over 500 beds to survivors, in its network. She also created Thistle Farms Global Shared Trade which supports 1,400 artisan survivors through 39 partners in 21 countries.
Additional enterprises Stevens has helped establish include the Center for Contemplative Justice and Larkspur Conservation in the U.S.; Escuela Ann Stevens and Sibimbe, Ecuador; Moringa Madres, Mexico; Forging Love, Israel; Love Welcomes, UK, and Love Rises, Ukraine, among others.
Stevens has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, GMA, CNN, ABC World News and in The New York Times. Her many awards include CNN Hero, White House Champion of Change, Humanitarian of the Year by the Small Business Council of America, Tennessee Human Rights Outstanding Service Award, and induction into The Entrepreneur Center’s Hall of Fame, and Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame. Becca attended the University of the South and Vanderbilt Divinity School, receiving alumnae distinction awards from both. Stevens has also been conferred seven honorary doctorates.
Stevens speaks to a broad range of non-profit, religious, and business audiences—often in bare feet to show solidarity with those she serves. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, the courageous stories of women survivors, and wisdom from nature and healing traditions, Stevens inspires and motivates audiences everywhere with practical and loving steps to inspire change in individuals and communities. Her latest book, “Practically Divine,” is available on Harper Horizon.

CHQ Dialogue
2025-08-20 12:30 | Catholic House, Catholic House

CHQ Dialogues
2025-08-20 12:30, 2025-08-19 12:30, 2025-08-13 12:30 | Presbyterian House, Presbyterian House

CLSC Young Readers Book Discussion
2025-08-20 12:15 | Alumni Hall Porch, Alumni Hall Porch
Presenters Amber Sipior and Margaret Edwards will lead a community discussion on our Week Nine CLSC Young Readers selection Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell

Women in Ministry
2025-08-20 12:15 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Organ Recitals
2025-08-20 12:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater

Jonathan Zittrain
2025-08-20 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Jonathan Zittrain is the co-founder and director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and an expert on the exquisitely difficult problems of technology governance. He joins the Chautauqua Lecture Series in a week dedicated to the ways that “Past Informs Present” to share his perspective on digital history and preservation, and lessons — and losses — from the early internet as society enters the era of AI.
At Harvard, Zittrain is also the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School, a professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a professor of computer science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, director of the Harvard Law School Library, and formerly the vice dean for Library and Information Resources. His research interests include the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence; battles for control of digital property; the regulation of cryptography; new privacy frameworks for loyalty to users of online services; the roles of intermediaries within internet architecture; and the useful and unobtrusive deployment of technology in education.
A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Board of Directors of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Zittrain is the author of 2008’s The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It — predicting many contemporary digital issues — and is currently working on its sequel, Well, We Tried. He holds a bachelor’s in cognitive science and artificial intelligence from Yale University; his J.D. from Harvard Law School; and his Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Morgan Freeman Presents: Symphonic Blues with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
2025-08-19 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Martin Gellner, conductor
Morgan Freeman Presents: Symphonic Blues is a live concert experience that bridges the soul-stirring roots of the Mississippi Delta Blues with the richness of a symphony orchestra. This unique performance, narrated on video by cultural icon Morgan Freeman, takes audiences on a transformative journey through the music, culture and legacy of the Mississippi Delta – the birthplace of the Blues. Through cinematic storytelling, performances by authentic Blues musicians, and symphonic arrangements, audiences will explore the deep cultural roots of the Delta and its lasting impact on global music. This performance also highlights the Delta’s vibrant heritage and the vital role of Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a cornerstone of Blues preservation.
Morgan Freeman appears in conversation on the Chautauqua Lecture Series on Tuesday, August 19, and serves on a panel with blues musicians in a master class on Wednesday, August 20.

Labyrinth History and Meditation
2025-08-19 18:30 | Turner (Outside of Building)
Bring gate pass. Adjacent to Turner Community Center

GIANTS RISING
2025-08-19 17:00 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Chautauqua Bird Tree and Garden Club Special Event! Free Admission! The deeper you venture into a coast redwood forest, the more your imagination runs wild. The tallest and some of the oldest living beings on Earth, these trees are a gateway to experiencing an unparalleled sense of awe and connection. Directed by Lisa Landers and narrated by Michael Franti this documentary reveals the secrets, superpowers and saga of the redwoods. (NR, 82m)

Play CHQ: Crafting by the Water
2025-08-19 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

Heritage Lecture Series - Jari Villanueva
2025-08-19 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
As part of the Oliver Archives Center’s 2025 Heritage Lecture Series, Jari Villanueva will present “A Blast from the Past: The Bugle in History”.
Jari Villanueva retired from the United States Air Force where he spent 23 years with The USAF Band in Washington DC. He is considered the country’s foremost expert on military bugle calls, particularly the call of Taps which is sounded at military funerals. While in the Air Force he was the Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge of The USAF Band’s State Funeral Plans and was the NCOIC of the command post at Andrews AFB which oversaw the arrival and departure ceremonies for the late Presidents Reagan and Ford. As a ceremonial trumpeter, Villanueva participated in well over 5,000 ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, served as an assistant drum major leading The USAF Ceremonial Brass in funerals at Arlington. He was responsible for all the music performed by the USAF Bands for state funerals. Between 1998-2002 Villanueva created a display at Arlington National Cemetery highlighting the history of the military bugler. He was responsible for moving the bugle used at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral from the Smithsonian to Arlington where it is currently on display. In 2007 Villanueva was inducted into the Buglers Hall of Fame, the first active duty military bugler to be so honored.

Social Hour at Denominational Houses
2025-08-19 15:15 | Denominational Houses (Selected)
Social hour at the Baptist House, Catholic House, Christian Church, Everett Jewish Life Center, Episcopal Cottage, Lutheran House, Unitarian House and United Methodist House

Wendy Horwitz
2025-08-19 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Wendy A. Horwitz is the author of Milkweed and Honey Cake: A Memoir in Ritual Moments. Her essays have been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Afterimage, Neurology (Humanities Section), Jewish Literary Journal, Intrepid Times, and McClatchy-Tribune News Service, among others.
Originally trained as a pediatric psychologist, she has taught at Swarthmore College, Penn State Abington, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple, and Penn.
Wendy lives in Philadelphia and teaches writing and health humanities in the Philadelphia area and on Cape Cod.

Hovey Brock: The Art of Invasive Species
2025-08-19 12:15 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
BTG Brownbag: Hovey Brock: The Art of Invasive Species

Sold out: From Delta Roots to Symphonic Heights: Inside Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience
2025-08-19 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Experience the magic behind the music with an exclusive conversation featuring the visionary minds and passionate artists who brought the soul-stirring Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience to life. Explore the creative process with the owners of the nation’s number one blues club, Ground Zero Blues Club, the music director and conductor of this extraordinary concert series, and celebrated Delta Blues musicians. Gain unique insights into the inspirations that moved Morgan Freeman and others to shape this remarkable concept. This special session offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the artistry, collaboration, and deep musical roots driving the Symphonic Blues Experience, setting the stage for its highly anticipated performance with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra on the evening of August 19 in the Amphitheater.

Chautauqua Science Group: Allison Hrycik, Ph.D., Research Scientist Darrin Freshwater Institute and The Jefferson Project
2025-08-19 09:15 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary

F1: THE MOVIE
2025-08-18 20:45, 2025-08-17 17:00, 2025-08-16 17:00, 2025-08-15 20:00 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula1’s most promising driver of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) convinces Sonny to come back for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. “This movie is entirely about the driving, and the speed.” -Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times “It’s a plot as old as the horseless carriage, but in F1 it’s fuel-injected by an exceptionally appealing cast.” -Ann Hornaday, Washington Post “Exactly what summer blockbusters are supposed to be, exciting, romantic, funny, glamorous, and purely entertaining.” -Nell Minow, RogerEbert.com (PG-13, 155m)

Pilobolus: Other Worlds Collection
2025-08-18 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Pilobolus’s Other Worlds Collection traverses the spaces we inhabit—from the realms within ourselves, society, and the universe—with wit, wisdom, and whimsy.
This collection features collaborations with visionaries who see the world through the lens of theatre, music, and dance, including award-winning playwright and director Aaron Posner, multi-instrumentalist and composer Stuart Bogie, choreographer and former Pilobolus dancer Gaspard Louis, original Pilobolus member Lee Harris, and composer Paul Sullivan.
Let Pilobolus take you on a journey through the multitudes of the human condition, seamlessly fusing sensuality, humor, and extraordinary physical prowess into a performance that will leave you spellbound.

Taize' and Tea Meditation Worship
2025-08-18 19:00 | Randell Chapel, UCC Headquarters

THE LIFE OF CHUCK
2025-08-18 18:00, 2025-08-17 20:30, 2025-08-17 14:15, 2025-08-16 20:30, 2025-08-15 17:15 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
From childhood to adulthood, Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained within all of us in director Mike Flanagan’s life-affirming, genre-bending film. “Feels like the coziest of blankets enveloping you in the theater. However, you should expect a few jolts of static…this touching, beautiful film is based on a novella by Stephen King.” -Odie Henderson, Boston Globe “A story of profound humanity, ultimately spirit-expanding.” -Nell Minow, Movie Mom (R, 110m)

Play CHQ: Art and Nature Meet
2025-08-18 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

CHQ @ 150 - ALL RISE
2025-08-18 16:00 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Celebrate the sesquicentennial of our iconic institution, while exploring the ever-evolving definition of democracy through powerful stories and performances that have unfolded here, with a stirring performance of Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise and appearances by Kathryn Hahn, Kwame Alexander, Misty Copeland and more. (NR, 55m)

Chautauqua Chamber Music: Parker Quartet
2025-08-18 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Internationally recognized for their “fearless, yet probingly beautiful” (The Strad) performances, the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet has distinguished itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation, dedicated purely to the sound and depth of their music. They are renowned for their fresh and unique approach to the great classics while being passionate ambassadors for music of our time. Inspired performances and exceptional musicianship are hallmarks of the Quartet, having appeared at the world’s most illustrious venues since its founding in 2002.
Program:
John Adams: Fellow Traveler
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, “Rosamunde”
Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F major, M. 35

Lecture Overflow
2025-08-18 14:00 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary

Elan Babchuck
2025-08-18 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Rabbi Elan Babchuck is committed to leaving behind a world that is more compassionate and connected than the one he found. In pursuit of that commitment he serves as the Executive Vice President at Clal, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and the Founding Director of Glean Network, which partners with Columbia Business School. He was ordained in 2012, and earned his MBA that year, as well.
A sought-after thought leader, he is the co-author of Picking Up the Pieces: Leadership After Empire (2024, Fortress Press), and Meaning Making – 8 Values That Drive America’s Newest Generations (2020, St. Mary’s Press), as well as the forthcoming Move Slow and Fix Things (2026) and Tech in Search of Meaning (date TBD). He has delivered keynotes at stages ranging from TEDx to the Pentagon to innovation conferences and business schools around the world, he has been published in The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Washington Post, and Religion News Service, and he has a column for The Wisdom Daily.
He is a Founding Partner of Starts With Us, a movement to counteract toxic polarization in America, and a founding Board Member of Springtide Research Institute, which focuses on spirituality, mental health and Gen Z. He has incubated more than 200 startup companies over the past 20 years, and launched 3 of his own in that time, as well.
He lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his wife, Lizzie Pollock, and their three children: Micah, Nessa, and Ayla. In his spare time, he is an avid rock climber and constant gardener.

CLSC Book Discussion
2025-08-18 12:15 | Alumni Hall Porch, Alumni Hall Porch
Presenters Ruth S. Becker and Kathryn O’Neal will lead a community discussion on our Week Nine CLSC selection The Lost Journals of Sacajewea: A Novel by Debra Magpie Earling

Doris Kearns Goodwin
2025-08-18 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times No. 1 best-selling author, most recently of An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, published in April 2024. With five decades of scholarship studying Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, Goodwin returns to the Chautauqua Lecture Series to open a week dedicated to the theme “Past Informs Present: How to Harness History.”
Goodwin’s previous books include the critically acclaimed and New York Times best-selling Leadership: In Turbulent Times, which incorporates her five decades of scholarship studying Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Leadership inspired the young readers book The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, which published in September 2024, and the History Channel’s miniseries events “Abraham Lincoln,” “Theodore Roosevelt” and “FDR,” which Goodwin executive produced through her production company, Pastimes Productions.
Goodwin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in history for No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. Her Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln was awarded the Lincoln Prize and was in part the basis for Steven Spielberg’s highly acclaimed film “Lincoln.”
Goodwin’s interest in presidential leadership was inspired by her experience as a 24-year-old White House Fellow, working directly for President Johnson in his last year in the White House, and later assisting him in the preparation of his memoirs. Her first book was the widely praised and enormously popular Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream.
Goodwin graduated magna cum laude from Colby College. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in government from Harvard University, where she taught government, including a course on the American presidency. The first woman to enter the Boston Red Sox locker room in 1979, Goodwin lives in Boston and is a devoted fan of the World Series-winning team.

Pilobolus Open Dance Class
2025-08-18 09:00 | Carnahan-Jackson: Verdy

Sacred Song Service - Ever Living, Ever Striving, Ever Forming
2025-08-17 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater

Hebrew Congregation, Shirley Lazarus Sunday Evening Lecture Series
2025-08-17 19:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall

Palestine Park Tour
2025-08-17 17:00 | Palestine Park, Palestine Park
“A Journey Through the Holy Land in the times of Jesus”

Orientation for New Chautauquans
2025-08-17 16:30 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
Join us for lemonade and cookies at the Orientation for New Chautauquans, where we warmly welcome you to our vibrant community. This event is designed to acquaint you with the rich history, diverse programs, and unique experiences that Chautauqua has to offer. Meet fellow newcomers, engage with staff, and learn about the array of cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities available. Whether you’re here for a day, a week, or the entire season, this orientation will help you make the most of your visit and feel right at home.

Church of the Wild
2025-08-17 16:00 | Outdoor Classroom
Kriss Young Miller and her husband Gary manage the Quaker House. Kriss is a 2022 graduate of Earlham School of Religion with her Master of Arts in Peace and Social Transformation. Kriss is currently a student of Victoria Loorz in the Seminary of the Wild Earth at the Center for Wild Spirituality. She has completed Wild Church Leadership training and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to work to build connections with Chautauquans in the sacred wild.

Ellen Crosby and Alan King
2025-08-17 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Writers’ Center Faculty Reading — Week Nine — Featuring Ellen Crosby (Mystery Fiction) and Alan King (Poetry)
Ellen Crosby is the author of 18 mystery novels; Deeds Left Undone, her most recent book, is the 13th book in a mystery series set in a vineyard in Virginia and will be out in August 2025. She also wrote four mysteries about an international photojournalist and a standalone, Moscow Nights. Her books have been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award. Before writing fiction full time, she was a freelance regional reporter for The Washington Post, Moscow correspondent for ABC Radio News, and an economist at the U.S. Senate. She is on the national board of Mystery Writers of America and is also a member of the Literary Society of Washington, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
Alan King is a Caribbean American poet, husband, father, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. The son of Trinidadian immigrants, he has published two poetry collections, Point Blank (Silver Birch Press, 2016) and Drift (Willow Books, 2012), as well as the chapbook Crooked Smiling Light (Plan B Press, 2021). His work delves into themes of family, identity, and social justice and has earned multiple nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net awards.
King’s poetry caught the attention of former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, who remarked, “Alan Kingis one of my favorite up-and-coming poets of his generation. His poems are not pop and flash, rather more like a slow dance with someone you’re going to love forever.”
A Cave Canem graduate fellow, King holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Stonecoast Program at the University of Southern Maine. He was the 2018/19 Writer-in-Residence for the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society. King lives with his family in Bowie, Maryland.

Pilobolus: Family Friendly Performance
2025-08-17 15:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Pilobolus’s performances for families and students captivate young minds, with child-friendly costuming and a soft start to accommodate those unexpected delays. Audiences become part of the action with interactive engagement and enjoy laughter-filled moments that spark creativity and connection. With Pilobolus, artistry and fun take center stage—a perfect outing for students and families alike!

Chautauqua Theater Company presents Best for Baby (a CTC Commission)
2025-08-17 14:00, 2025-08-16 14:00, 2025-08-15 18:00 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater
by Sharyn Rothstein, Directed by Oliver Butler, Bratton Theater
After the birth of her child, a woman returns to work at Johnson & Johnson — America’s most trusted brand — and maker of the powder she uses on her own little girl. But can she trust it? Best for Baby portrays corporate personhood with in-your-face theatrical absurdity and blistering wit, unflinchingly examining the cost of valuing profits over people.
Best for Baby is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Unitarian Universalist Service
2025-08-17 09:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Quaker Worship Service
2025-08-17 09:30 | Quaker House
Quaker Worship Sevice

Unity Service
2025-08-17 09:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Catholic Mass
2025-08-17 09:15 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary

United Church of Christ Worship Service
2025-08-17 09:00 | Randell Chapel, UCC Headquarters

Song, Prayer, Communion & Meditation
2025-08-17 08:30 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary

Episcopal Holy Eucharist
2025-08-17 07:45 | Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Chapel of the Good Shepherd

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Gershwin’s Concerto in F
2025-08-16 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aaron Diehl, piano
One hundred years ago, composer George Gershwin, fresh off the successful premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, holed up in a practice cabin at Chautauqua Institution to work furiously on what became his Concerto in F. This summer, pianist Aaron Diehl joins Rossen Milanov and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the concerto’s premiere. Come hear a piece of Chautauqua’s history performed by a celebrated pianist who is redefining the lines between jazz and classical today.
Program
Antonin Dvorak: The Water Goblin, Op. 107
Carlos Simon: Four Black American Dances
George Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F

Catholic Mass
2025-08-16 17:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Contemporary Issues Forum: Maureen Lichtveld, M.D.
2025-08-16 15:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Maureen Lichtveld is an epidemiologist and the dean of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health, where she studies environmental public health, focusing on environmentally induced disease, health disparities, environmental health policy, disaster preparedness, public health systems, and community resilience. At the University of Pittsburgh, Lichtveld is also the Jonas Salk Professor of Population Health and professor of environmental and occupational health. The topic of her Contemporary Issues Forum program for the Chautauqua Women’s Club is “Lessons from COVID, the Imminent Avian Flu Threat, and the Certainty of Future Pandemics.”
Before joining Pitt in January 2021, Lichtveld chaired Tulane University’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She also directed Tulane’s Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership, and Strategic Initiatives. She spent 18 years with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
A member of the National Academy of Medicine and a member of the board of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Lichtveld earned her Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Hygiene and Public Health and her medical doctorate from Anton de Kom University of Suriname and the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.

Kiddish Luncheon
2025-08-16 11:30 | Hurlbut Truesdale

Sabbath Morning Worship, Hebrew Congregation
2025-08-16 10:30 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary

Chabad Jewish House, Community Shabbat Service, Rabbi Zalman Vilenken
2025-08-16 09:30 | Chabad Jewish House

Torah Study
2025-08-16 09:30 | Hurlbut Marion Lawrance

CHQ Mystic Heart Meditation: Carol McKiernan
2025-08-16 07:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Carol McKiernan grew up at Chautauqua and says that her love of mystical practices began here on the grounds. She was formally introduced to meditation many years ago at an off-season yoga and meditation retreat led by Subagh Singh Khalsa and has been practicing Centering Prayer daily ever since. She has attended many seminars, workshops, and retreats offered by Contemplative Outreach, founded by the late Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist Monk who was instrumental in the creation of Centering Prayer. Carol practices Centering Prayer with weekly groups in Campus Ministry at Villanova University and at St. David’s Episcopal Church outside of Philadelphia. She has led and participated in many Centering Prayer workshops and groups in the areas surrounding her hometown of Philadelphia. She is a member of the Augustinian Affiliates, the lay order of the Augustinian Friars and volunteers for the Friars in the Villanova Province. Carol is a past board member and treasurer of the Chautauqua Catholic Community.

Chautauqua Theater Company presents Bratton Late Night
2025-08-15 22:00 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater
CTC’s favorite late-night talent showcase is back by popular demand! An evening of sketches and songs featuring the extraordinary talents of our 2025 conservatory.

Los Lobos
2025-08-15 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Over the course of their 50-year career, Los Lobos have crafted an unprecedented body of work and unparalleled legacy. With 100+ gigs a year, 17 studio albums, 7 live LPs, and numerous accolades—including 4 Grammys, an Austin City Limits Hall of Fame induction, and Congressional recognitions—their accomplishments are staggering. But beyond the numbers, their legacy is rooted in the tremendous heart of five blood brothers who’ve dedicated their time off-stage to helping others. Together they have penned some of the most important music of their time, turning stories of struggle into songs of hope and resilience.
Influenced by soul, R&B, blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and their Mexican and Latin American roots, Los Lobos blend diverse musical styles, spreading cultural richness around the globe. From Antwerp to Luxor to Bulgaria, their music has connected people across continents. For half a century, they’ve done it all on their own terms, with the same founding members—David Hidalgo, Louie Pérez, Jr., Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano, and Steve Berlin—solidifying their place as one of the tightest, most prolific bands in history.
Experience their vibrant, genre-defying sound live at the Chautauqua Amphitheater on August 15!

A Service of Compline
2025-08-15 19:30 | Episcopal Chapel

Elizabeth O'Connor
2025-08-15 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
The Chautauqua Prize Award Ceremony and Presentation – Whale Fall: A Novel by Elizabeth O’Connor
Chautauqua Institution presents author Elizabeth O’Connor with the 2025 Chautauqua Prize for her book Whale Fall: A Novel. Awarded annually since 2012, The Chautauqua Prize celebrates a book of fiction or literary/narrative nonfiction or a full length collection of poetry that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and to honor the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts.
Whale Fall is a striking and sensual debut that defies simple genre classification. While it is a beautiful bildungsroman and work of historical fiction, it is also a study in anthropology, ethnography and folklore. It is a rich, metaphorical examination of the bones of what makes us human — history, culture, storytelling — against a backdrop of the literal bones of a decaying whale carcass washed ashore on the coast of Wales.
In a seafaring community with a population that is slowly diminishing in the wake of industrialization and a world on the brink of World War II, it is the whale that sets the events of Whale Fall in motion. The changing tides bring not just a whale, but two ethnographers interested in recording the quiet way of life in — and preserving the traditions of — the small island town the main character, a young woman named Manod, calls home.
Since first appearing on bookshelves in May 2024, Whale Fall has been named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker and NPR, an ALA Notable Fiction Book, and was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award.
O’Connor lives in Birmingham, England. Her short stories have appeared in The White Review and Granta, and she was the 2020 winner of the White Review Short Story Prize. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Birmingham, specializing in the modernist writer H.D. and her writing of coastal landscapes.

Drew Jackson
2025-08-15 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Drew Jackson is a poet, speaker, and public theologian. He is the author of God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming, which was a finalist for the Christian Book Award, and Touch the Earth: Poems on The Way. His work has appeared in Oneing from the Center for Action and Contemplation, The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad, Christianity Today, Made for Pax, The Journal from the Centre for Public Christianity, Fathom Magazine, and other publications. Drew was a contributing artist on Jon Batiste’s Grammy-nominated album World Music Radio and also appeared in the award-winning documentary American Symphony on Netflix. Drew is also a co-host of the Everything Belongs podcast from the Center for Action and Contemplation.
Drew received his B.A. in Political Science from the Univ. of Chicago and his M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He currently works as the Managing Director of Mission Integration for the Center for Action and Contemplation, and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and daughters.

Introduction to Jumu'ah Muslim Prayer
2025-08-15 12:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
Jumu’ah introduction for visitors is at 12:30 PM. Jumu’ah Service is at 1:05 PM

CLSC Unbound Book Discussion
2025-08-15 12:15 | Alumni Hall Ballroom, Alumni Hall Ballroom
Presenters Stuart Blerch and Mary Weiser will discuss our CLSC Unbound selections, Harlem Rhapsody: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray and The Queens of Crime: A Novel by Marie Benedict

Thomas Friedman
2025-08-15 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Thomas Friedman is the bestselling author of The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century and foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times. Renowned for his direct reporting and accessible analysis of complex issues shaping the world, Friedman is the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes — two for international reporting from the Middle East and a third for his columns written about 9/11 — and has covered monumental stories from around the globe for The New York Times since 1981. It is this extensive reporting and analysis that will inform his remarks as he closes our Chautauqua Lecture Series week exploring “The Middle East: The Gulf States’ Emerging Influence.”
Friedman has written seven books since 1989 that have sold 10 million copies in 40 different languages. They include From Beirut to Jerusalem (which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction), The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization, The World is Flat and, most recently, his latest bestseller Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations, in which Friedman offers a blueprint for overcoming the stresses and challenges of a world being transformed by technology, globalization and climate change.
Friedman was featured in Showtime’s climate change documentary series “Years of Living Dangerously,” executive produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Rev. Dr. J. Peter Holmes
2025-08-15 09:15, 2025-08-14 09:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
The Rev. Dr. J. Peter Holmes has served since 2001 as the Minister of the Congregation of the historic Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in the heart of Toronto. During this time the congregation has grown into an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural family. While the church has a long history of excellence in music, liturgy and preaching, it has also become a community centre for culture and the arts as well as many missional endeavours focussed on relieving food insecurity, providing shelter and offering housing for those who are homeless and support for refugees.
While Peter’s family roots are in Ontario, as a child of the manse he spent most of his formative years in Victoria, British Columbia where he graduated from the University of Victoria and served as Ombudsman of the university. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto, and a Doctor of Ministry from Acadia University in Nova Scotia. Prior to his call to Yorkminster Park, he served churches in Toronto and Montreal.
Peter approaches the pulpit as a gifted story teller with a pastoral heart. He has often led pilgrimages of sacred spaces in both Canada and the USA and is the host of Yorkminster Park’s Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship which attracts clergy from far and wide. Peter has contributed to Biblical commentaries and preached in churches in Europe, the Middle East and in both Canada and the United States.
In recognition of Peter’s leadership in ecumenical and interfaith endeavours in the city and beyond, the Toronto Commandery of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem named him as the recipient of their 2022 Marjorie McKinnon Ecumenical Lifetime Achievement Award. Peter was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth ll Diamond Jubilee medal and the King Charles Coronation medal, both awarded to “honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.” In 2016 Peter was named an Honorary Lifetime Fellow of Acadia Divinity College and in 2024 awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the same school. He serves as Chaplain to the Royal Commonwealth Society, and a board member of the House of Compassion
Peter is married to Janet and they have two daughters, a son and one delightful granddaughter. In his spare time Peter loves to garden, cycle, walk and cheer for the Leafs, Blue Jays and Buffalo Bills.

CHQ Mystic Heart: Larry Terkel
2025-08-15 07:45, 2025-08-14 07:45 | Presbyterian Chapel
Larry Terkel, along with his wife Susan, founded The Spiritual Life Society, an inter-denominational center for spiritual and holistic studies, where he teaches yoga and meditation and gives weekly talks. As its licensed minister, Larry has officiated at over 2,000 weddings for couples of all faiths. He is also the founder of Temple Beth Shalom, in Hudson, Ohio. Larry and Susan are co-authors of the book, Small Change: It’s the LITTLE Things in Life That Make a BIG Difference! (Tarcher/Penguin) a finalist for the 2004 National Books for a Better Life Award.

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Symphonie fantastique
2025-08-14 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Embark on a thrilling musical journey through Berlioz’s groundbreaking Symphonie fantastique. This dramatic, five-movement masterpiece will take you through the fevered imagination of an artist, filled with sweeping romance, dark fantasies, and powerful orchestral colors. Don’t miss this chance to experience one of the most vivid and exhilarating works in the classical repertoire!
Program:
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

SOULEYMANE'S STORY
2025-08-14 19:15, 2025-08-13 20:30, 2025-08-13 15:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Souleymane a Paris food delivery cyclist and asylum seeker, has two days to prepare his story for a make-or-break interview to secure his legal residency. “Abou Sangaré is magnificent as Souleymane…He is on screen for virtually every second, and he holds your attention without fail.” -Karl Quinn, Sydney Morning Herald “If the hero’s dire situation is a ticking clock, Boris Lojkine’s intelligent and empathetic film places us right alongside him, with each cog of circumstance and each gear of good fortune grinding against him at every turn.” -Jessica Kiang, Variety “Refreshingly human.” -Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com (NR, In French with subtitles. 92m)

GARLAND JEFFREYS: THE KING OF IN BETWEEN
2025-08-14 16:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Meet the Filmmaker Special Event! Free Admission! Hubris, anger, prejudice…doo-wop, reggae, rock…expectations, heartbreak, transformation… An enigmatic performer since his start in the Greenwich Village clubs, Garland Jeffreys never quite reached the success predicted for him. Director Claire Jeffreys film asks why, and explores how his commitment to writing about race in America is more relevant now than ever. Claire will host the screening and discussion following the film. (NR, 70m)

Naomi Shihab Nye and E. Ethelbert Miller
2025-08-14 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Presentation — The Tiny Journalist by Naomi Shihab Nye and the little book of e by E. Ethelbert Miller
The Tiny Journalist
Internationally beloved poet Naomi Shihab Nye places her Palestinian American identity center stage in her latest full-length poetry collection inspired by the story of Janna Jihad Ayyad, the “Youngest Journalist in Palestine,” who at age 7 began capturing videos of anti-occupation protests using her mother’s smartphone. Nye draws upon her own family’s roots in a West Bank village near Janna’s hometown to offer empathy and insight to the young girl’s reporting. Long an advocate for peaceful communication across all boundaries, Nye’s poems in The Tiny Journalist put a human face on war and the violence that divides us from each other.
Award-winning Palestinian American poet, essayist, and educator, Naomi Shihab Nye, describes herself as a “wandering poet.” She has spent more than 40 years traveling the country and the world to lead writing workshops and inspiring students of all ages. Nye was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio. Drawing on her Palestinian American heritage, the cultural diversity of her home in Texas, and her experiences traveling in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.
Naomi Shihab Nye is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes of poetry, essays, and fiction for adults and children. Naomi Shihab Nye was a Lannan Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a Witter Bynner Fellow (Library of Congress). She has also been the recipient of many awards and prizes including a Lavan Award, Isabella Gardner Poetry Award, four Pushcart Prizes, Robert Creeley Prize, NSK Neustadt Award for Children’s Literature, May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award, Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement, two Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards, the Ivan Sandrof Award for Lifetime Achievement, the 2024 Texas Writer Award and the 2024 Wallace Stevens Award. In 2021 she was voted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Nye was affiliated with The Michener Center for writers at the University of Texas at Austin for 20 years and was also poetry editor at The Texas Observer for 20 years. In 2019-2020 she was the editor for New York Times Magazine poems. She is Chancellor Emeritus for the Academy of American Poets and is Professor of Creative Writing – Poetry at Texas State University.
the little book of e
In the little book of e poet E. Ethelbert Miller embraces the Japanese poetic form of haiku to comment on our contemporary world in a collaboration with translator Rafi Ellenson. Haiku presented in English and Hebrew is symbolic of how language can bring people together. Miller and Ellenson have given us a book that shows how Black and Jewish relations can continue to be a beacon of hope. This book is filled with words that blossom like flowers.
E. Ethelbert Miller is a literary activist and author of two memoirs and several poetry collections. He hosts the WPFW morning radio show On the Margin with E. Ethelbert Miller and hosts and produces The Scholars on UDC-TV which received a 2020 Telly Award. Miller is Associate Editor and a columnist for The American Book Review. He was given a 2020 congressional award from Congressman Jamie Raskin in recognition of his literary activism, awarded the 2022 Howard Zinn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Peace and Justice Studies Association, and named a 2023 Grammy Nominee Finalist for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Miller’s latest book is the little book of e published by City Point Press. Recently Miller was awarded the Furious Flower Lifetime Achievement Award.
Exploring the various ways in which language and story bring us together, Naomi Shihab Nye and E. Ethelbert Miller will be featured together in conversation during our Week Eight CLSC lecture on Thursday, August 14, 2025, in the Hall of Philosophy.

SECRET MALL APARTMENT
2025-08-14 14:00, 2025-08-13 18:00 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
In 2003, eight Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall and kept it going for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret mall apartment became an incredibly meaningful act for all the participants, at once an act of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and a 750 square foot space that sticks it to the man. “A profoundly humane portrait of creativity and community.” -Ann Hornaday, Washington Post (NR, 91m)

Dr. Tamara Gray
2025-08-14 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Dr. Tamara Gray is a founder of Rabata, an organization dedicated to promoting positive
cultural change through creative educational experiences. As President and CEO, she focuses on
uplifting Muslim women within community and without. She has a special interest in digital
spaces in faith communities.
Dr. Gray holds a doctorate in leadership from the University of St. Thomas, a master’s degree in
Curriculum Theory and Instruction from Temple University and spent twenty years in traditional
learning spaces studying Islamic sciences, Quran, and Arabic in Damascus, Syria.
Dr. Gray is also an author and translator. Her publications range from several culturally
appropriate English language curriculum programs to translations of sacred texts. She has
authored two books: Joy Jots: Exercises for a happy heart & Project Lina: Bringing our whole
selves to Islam and co-translated the Mukhtasir al-Jami’ fi al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya by Shaykha
Samīra Zayid [Compendium of the Collection of Sources on al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya]. She is
currently working on a third book about theology and creed.
In addition to her work at Rabata, Dr. Gray also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Yaqeen Institute
and is a member of the Fiqh Council of North America. She has recently taken on the position of
Board Chair for the Minnesota Multifaith Network. Dr. Gray is Full Focus Certified Pro
exemplifying her commitment to productivity and impactful leadership.
She is a mother of three, grandmother of two, an avid reader and a lover of cultures, coffee, and road trips.

CHQ Mystic Heart: Larry Terkel
2025-08-14 12:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Suzi Mirgani
2025-08-14 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Suzi Mirgani is editor and assistant director for publications at Georgetown University in Qatar’s Center for International and Regional Studies, where her research lies at the intersection of politics and popular culture. She joins the Chautauqua Lecture Series in a week exploring “The Middle East: The Gulf States’ Emerging Influences” to discuss art, culture and identity in the region, and her work as both a scholar and an artist in this field.
Mirgani is the author of Target Markets: International Terrorism Meets Global Capitalism in the Mall; editor of both Informal Politics in the Middle East, and Art and Cultural Production in the Gulf Cooperation Council; and co-editor of Bullets and Bulletins: Media and Politics in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings, and Food Security in the Middle East. Recent publications include “Peeking behind the Curtain: Gulf Filmmakers Imagine the Lives of Female Migrant Domestic Workers in the Arabian Peninsula,” in Reorienting the Middle East: Film and Digital Media Where the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean Meet and “Consumer Citizenship: National Identity and Museum Merchandise in Qatar” in Middle East Journal.
Mirgani served as book review editor for the Journal of Arabian Studies from 2015 to 2022, and she publishes short stories and poetry, some of which have appeared in Mizna; International Feminist Journal of Politics; and Journeys Home: An Anthology of Contemporary African Diasporic Experience.
As a complement to her academic work, Mirgani is an award-winning filmmaker whose works include “Kamala Ishag: States of Oneness,” “Virtual Voice,” “Al-Sit,” “Caravan” and “Hind’s Dream.” She holds degrees in media studies and museum studies from University College London Qatar, and her Ph.D. in communication and media studies from Eastern Mediterranean University.

Chautauqua Chamber Music: Canadian Brass
2025-08-13 20:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Canadian Brass, the world’s most famous brass quintet, returns to Chautauqua this summer. Celebrated for their virtuosic performances and engaging stage presence, the group seamlessly blends classical, jazz, and contemporary music, making their concerts both diverse and accessible. Since its founding in 1970, Canadian Brass has released over 130 recordings, earning accolades for their artistry and creativity. Their signature style, complete with humor and flair, has delighted audiences worldwide, from grand concert halls to intimate venues. With their iconic gold-plated instruments and passion for music, Canadian Brass continues to redefine the brass ensemble experience.
Program to be announced.

CVA Lecture Series: Jessica Pinsky
2025-08-13 18:30 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
CVA Lecture Series: School of Art faculty
Jessica Pinsky: “Weaving pixels: Using technology to weave across generations”
Jessica Pinsky is an artist whose work bridges painting, weaving, and sculpture. Born in Akron, Ohio, Pinsky moved to Cleveland in 2011 after receiving a BFA from New York University in 2006 and an MFA from Boston University in 2009. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including a recent solo show at Hedge Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio. Her work can be found in several collections including Whidden Hospital, Everett, MA and Metro Health in Cleveland, OH. In 2012, she partnered with Cleveland Institute of Art to found Praxis Fiber Workshop, a 5,000 sq. ft studio featuring 27 floor looms, 3 large print tables, a full dye lab, and assorted equipment to meet every fiber related need. She is currently the Executive Director at Praxis and teaches at Cleveland Institute of Art. She is represented by Hedge Gallery in Cleveland, OH.

African American Heritage House Lecture: Asha Castleberry
2025-08-13 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Asha Castleberry is an adjunct fellow at the American Security Project, with more than a decade of experience in Middle East policy. In addition to being a national security and foreign policy expert, she is a U.S. Army veteran, author of Why National Security Matters, and former U.S. Congressional candidate. She served as a senior adviser in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs under the Biden-Harris Administration and held key roles in Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan.
Castleberry has participated in high-level forums, including the Erbil Security Forum and the Foreign Policy Institute Black Sea Conference. Currently a Cyrus Vance Visiting Professor at Mount Holyoke College, she has also taught at Fordham, George Washington, and Baruch College. A major in the Army Reserves, Castleberry is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and founder of the Diversity in National Security Network. Her work has garnered numerous honors, including the Middle East Policy Council’s 40 Under 40.
Castleberry is a graduate of Hampton University and Columbia University, with studies at Oxford and in China.

Kat Armas
2025-08-13 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Kat Armas is a Cuban American writer and podcaster from Miami, FL. She holds a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she was awarded the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing, and is currently pursuing a ThM at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Kat’s writing explores the intersections of women, decolonialism, faith, and identity.
Her first book, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength, delves into the stories of marginalized women and how they offer transformative wisdom. Her second book, Sacred Belonging is a 40-Day “decolonized” devotional that focuses on creation, wisdom, spirit, the body, and the feminine. Kat’s third book, Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World is set to release in November 2025.
Kat is the creator and host of The Protagonistas, a podcast that amplifies the voices of Black, Indigenous, and other women of color in theological spaces. She is also a contributor to Voices of Lament: Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice and has written for the National Catholic Reporter, Plough Magazine, RELEVANT, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Sojourners, Christians for Biblical Equality, Missio Alliance, and more. Her work continues to center decolonial thought, women’s voices, and the intersection of faith and identity.

"How Sweet the Sound: A Visual Interpretation by Charly Palmer" Exhibition
2025-08-04 15:00 - 2025-08-15 17:00 | CVA: Arts Quad
“How Sweet the Sound: A Visual Interpretation by Charly Palmer” exhibition runs August 4–15. Charly Palmer’s illustrations are featured in the book “How Sweet the Sound,” written by Kwame Alexander, Chautauqua’s Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts and Writer in Residence.
Charly Palmer is a renowned award-winning fine artist and illustrator known for his compelling artwork that reflects African ancestry and contemporary experiences. Through his paintings, Palmer creates rhythmic visual narratives that challenge viewers’ perceptions. His innate ability to capture the nuances of Blackness is expressed through rich depth, intricate patterns, symbols, and textures. Notable achievements include designing the Black Heritage Stamp honoring Judge Constance Baker Motley, creating the album cover for John Legend’s “Bigger Love,” and illustrating the cover for TIME Magazine’s “America Must Change.” He also co-authored the award-winning “New Brownies Book: A Love Letter To Black Families.”
