Chautauqua, NY

Imagine a quaint village built in the late 1870’s, with small wooden cottages decorated with Victorian trim… Now populate that village with people from the 21st Century… Question: Would the people transform the village, or would the village transform the people?

Based on what I’ve seen at Chautauqua, New York, the transformation works both ways.  

Chautauqua was founded in 1874 as a lake-side summer place where hard-working Sunday school teachers could go for rest, relaxation, and of course, religion. Few had a college education, which was rare in those days, yet many yearned for intellectual stimulation. Chautauqua Institution set up a challenging reading group, and invited speakers on lively topics. Chautauqua was broadly ecumenical from the start, and developed a flourishing arts program in music, dance, and visual arts.

Chautauqua is still a small village, with a summer population of about 7,500 that changes week to week. It attracts a variety of people, most of whom stay in guest houses that eschew air conditioning, but there are other facilities available. Some people cook their meals in community kitchens or private apartments, others eat out. Automobiles are rarely seen on the grounds and in fact are forbidden in many areas. The daily newspaper carries news of arts programming, nature walks, announcements of special studies, and synopses of remarks by featured speakers. No mention is made of anything happening outside Chautauqua. 

Welcome back to the late 1800’s. A week at Chautauqua is addictive, with first-time visitors invariably vowing to return year after year. Slava and I just completed our seventh visit.

Aiding the transition from the 21st Century to the 19th Century are some modern features that various people can’t live without. Starbucks coffee, for one. Internet connection, for another. We found several Wi-Fi networks we could use, one of which required a password. The password was “whatever.” A nice choice for the laid-back atmosphere of the place!

No two people experience Chautauqua the same way. The planned program, with simultaneous events throughout the day, is augmented by special interest groups that pop up on their own. If there are three people out of 7,500 who share a particular passion, they’re likely to find each other at a “brown bag lunch” or some other event.  

The theme for the main lectures of the week we visited Chautauqua was “From Asia to the Middle East: Energy, Capital, and Conflict.” Here’s what we have to choose from in 2011:
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“Global Health as Foreign Policy”-- June 26 - July 2

“Applied Ethics: Government & the Search for the Common Good” – July 3 - 9

 “American Intelligence: Technology, Espionage, and Alliances” – July 10 - 16

 “A Case for the Arts” – July 17 - 23

 “Women in Crisis: The Road to Social and Economic Growth” – July 24 - 30

 “Iran: From Ancient Persia to Middle East Powder Keg” – July 31 – August 6

 “The U.S. Economy: Beyond a Quick Fix” – August 7 - 13

 “Sparking a Culture of Creativity and Innovation” – August 14 - 20

 “The Path to the Civil War” – August 21 – 27

For more information about this wonderful puzzle of a place, go to www.ciweb.org