Our Chautauqua School of Art Alumni are truly the heart of our international Chautauqua Visual Arts community. The work and conversations they engage in during their time at Chautauqua sparks change and growth within their artistic practice. We are dedicated to promoting and sustaining this growth over time by showcasing their important work as community-builders, change agents, and contemporary thinkers. Please join us in learning more about the current work of our alumni, and help us to offer continued support of their talents.

The Chautauqua Visual Arts is propelled by our CVA Faculty & Staff – an interconnected community of inspiring mentors, dedicated educators, innovative curators, and multi-cultural thought leaders. Many of us are also “Makers,” artists with active creative practices that compliment our dedication to the visual arts programming at Chautauqua Institution. We invite you to learn more about and support the work of our diverse group of Makers.

The Bridge Gallery is situated in Strohl Art Center just between The Gallery Store and the curated exhibitions of the Main Gallery. We offer a selection of rotating works on view and available for acquisition for the duration of the summer season (now available online year-round!), hand-made by a select and growing roster of extraordinary craftspersons from around the country. You will find smaller works and functional objects in ceramics, glass, and so much more. We are always on the lookout for innovative techniques and exceptional objects to enliven your home and spirit.

New this year! CVA is laying the groundwork for an off-season Residency program beginning in 2021, sharing our School of Art resources and community with professional artists beyond the nine-week summer residency. Artists who might benefit from our unique environment and facilities in the Printmaking and Ceramics areas will be invited by the Chautauqua School of Art to make work and share space with us. For now, we offer you a preview of the work of School of Art Alumni Melissa Joseph and Ashante Kindle whom we look forward to hosting as our inaugural 2021 Artists-In-Residence.

This inaugural Alumni Exhibition includes a diverse group of Chautauqua School of Art Alumni from various years, personal backgrounds, and studio techniques. Each of the works in this exhibition focus on the details, using processes and compositions that are highly detailed or by rendering the details of our everyday lives. They highlight the meaningful minutiae we often overlook – ubiquitous trash, the coziness of a hand-made quilt, comfort food, the subtleties of gerrymandering, or a single line repeated. Spend some time with meticulous and contemplative works by Hannah Chalew, Yewen Dong, Chris Friday, Bryan McGinnis, Anna Muradyan, Rachel Rickert, Matt Smith, Taro Takizawa, and Jenny Wu.