Chautauqua Institution today announces the public launch of Boundless, A Campaign for Chautauqua to coincide with the Institution’s 150th anniversary this year. The $150 million campaign is composed of capital projects and initiatives that elevate the Institution’s traditional Summer Assembly, expand its role as a year-round convener of world leaders and artists, promote science-based conservation of Chautauqua Lake and bolster its endowment. The campaign commenced January 1, 2021 and is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2026. More than $105 million has been raised to date.
“One hundred fifty years ago, a Methodist bishop and a visionary industrialist united to create a sacred place of respite and sparked a movement that changed the world,” said Chautauqua Institution President Michael E. Hill, Ed.D. and Boundless co-chairs Larry and Brenda Thompson in a joint statement. “A century and a half later, we celebrate our inheritance of their legacy of curiosity and commit to stewarding their mission of expanding our horizons together.” The full statement is available at www.chq.org.
Founded in 1874, Chautauqua Institution is a 750-acre community in southwestern New York State, where approximately 7,500 persons are in residence on any day during a nine-week Summer Assembly, and a total of more than 100,000 attend scheduled public events annually. Perhaps best known for the Chautauqua Lecture Series, which has hosted countless world leaders, theologians, and artists, the Institution is also home to the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Theater Company, Chautauqua Opera Company and Conservatory, the Chautauqua Schools of Performing and Visual Arts, and the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle. President Theodore Roosevelt referred to Chautauqua as, “Typical of America at its best.”
Among the projects and initiatives included in Boundless are:
- Restoration of the Athenaeum Hotel, the last operating 19th-century hotel on Chautauqua Lake, that includes weatherization to protect the building’s infrastructure
- Completion of a state-of-the-art facility for Chautauqua Theater Company that includes a 99-seat black box performance venue, administrative offices, prop shop facilities and rehearsal spaces
- Expansion of programs that build on Chautauqua’s reputation as a convening authority, including the establishment of a Chautauqua Fellows Program, extension of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative, and investment in the CHQ Assembly digital platform
- Significant commitments for data collection and “in-lake” interventions to conserve Chautauqua Lake, one of New York State’s most impaired bodies of water, in partnership with The Jefferson Project at Lake George
- Investment in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) initiatives that develop and retain a more diverse patron base, promote more inclusive programming, and ensure a more accessible guest experience
- Renovation of Bellinger Hall, which houses hundreds of students in Chautauqua’s Schools of Performing & Visual Arts each summer and serves as a base for out-of-season gatherings
- Construction of a flexible, scalable village to house essential seasonal staff and increase operational capacity during the Summer Assembly
- Contributions to the Chautauqua Foundation exceeding $50 million to endow programmatic leadership roles, programmatic excellence, flexible support and scholarships
“In Boundless, Chautauqua Institution has an opportunity to both make a larger impact on the world beyond our historic grounds and preserve the aspects of the experience that our returning patrons love,” said Senior Vice President & Chief Advancement Officer Geof Follansbee. “We are calling on a wide coalition of individuals, institutional funders, and government agencies to invest in this place and its purpose. In this special sesquicentennial year, it is our responsibility to ensure that the Institution thrives and changes lives for its next 150 years.”
The full Case for Support is available at https://boundless.chq.org.
Chautauqua Institution was founded in 1874 as an educational experiment in out-of-school, vacation learning. The Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC), a four-year correspondence course, was started in 1878 to provide those who could not afford the time or money to attend college the opportunity of acquiring the skills and essential knowledge of a college education. With the success of the CLSC, many new Chautauquas were created, known as “Daughter Chautauquas,” giving rise to what was called the “Chautauqua Movement.”
