Past Events

“Natural Rhythms” Opening Reception with exhibiting artists June 26, 3:00-5:00pm. Natural forms, shapes and patterns will abound in this exhibition. Soft and subtle changes, shadows and movements will be featured in paper, wood, clay, mixed media and paint. The works reference our innate love of nature, materials and beauty. The exhibition, basically devoid of color, […]

“Undercurrents” exhibition Opening Reception with exhibiting artists June 26, 3:00-5:00pm. Water, in its various forms, is captivating, healing, and expansive, but it is also a fundamental need and right for all of the earth’s inhabitants. This exhibition includes work that references the environmental and socio-political issues underlying our relationship to water. It questions who has […]

“All that Glitters” exhibition opening reception with exhibiting artists June 26, 3:00-5:00pm. This exhibition takes its cue from the aphorism “All that Glitters is not Gold”. The dazzling works in this exhibition use embellishments of glitter and gold to question notions of value. These contemporary artists celebrate what is often deemed to be of lesser […]

“The Shape of Things to Come” exhibition opening reception June 26, 3:00-5:00pm. This one-person exhibition with works by Jean Alexander Frater experiments with the materials inherent to painting and then integrates other histories, traditions and language into this form. Her colorful and complex paintings will be shown in all shapes and sizes with woven patterning […]

“Connections I: CVA School of Art Residents Exhibition” opening reception with exhibiting artists July 1, 3:00-5:00pm. One of our most popular exhibitions of the summer will once again be displayed on the second floor of Fowler- Kellogg Art Center. This year each Artist-in-Residence, who will be attending the summer program at the Chautauqua School of […]

“Connections II: CVA School of Art Residents Exhibition” opening reception with exhibiting artists July 21, 3:00-5:00pm. One of our most popular exhibitions of the summer will once again be displayed on the second floor of Fowler- Kellogg Art Center. This year each Artist-in-Residence, who will be attending the summer program at the Chautauqua School of […]

“Wallflowers” exhibition opening reception July 24, 3:00-5:00pm.The elegant sculptures of Rain Harris will be featured in this one-person exhibition. They are refined, domesticated, and shaped into formalized landscapes and still lifes. Set mostly in black porcelain, Harris’s meticulously hand-formed ceramic flowers are composed in lush arrangements. This combination of delicate petals and flowers creates a […]

“Squaring Up Histories” exhibition opening reception with artists July 28, 3-5pm. This group exhibition is meant to coincide with Chautauqua Institution’s week 9 theme highlighting American Folk Art. Featuring textiles as well as video and glass, the work by this eclectic array of artists features various aspects of traditional quilt-making like storytelling, piecework, and the […]

Loretta Pettway Bennett, Gee’s Bend quiltmaker and “Squaring up Histories” exhibiting artist Loretta Pettway Bennett is a fifth-generation quilter from Gee’s Bend, Alabama, and one of the youngest to continue hand-stitching quilts in the renowned Gee’s Bend style. Born December,1960, she is the second of eight children and oldest daughter of Tom O. and Qunnie […]

Hosted by the Friends of CVA, Art in the Park is an open art fair with 70+ vendors held in Miller Park, showcasing art by members of the Chautauqua community, artists-in-residence from the School of Art, and artisans from the region around Chautauqua Institution. Items for sale include ceramics, paintings, prints, Chautauqua-themed trinkets, pieces made […]

“Thinking Green: Open CVA Members Exhibition” Opening reception with artists August 10, 3-5pm. We invite all Exhibiting Members of CVA to submit work related to this year’s theme and title – Thinking Green. The word “green,” known in Latin as “viridis,” may conjure visions of emeralds, viridescent landscapes, garden growth, and verdant hues. It may […]

"Sense of Place" exhibition Opening Reception June 25, 3–5 p.m. Exhibitions runs June 25–July 23. This is a non-traditional landscape exhibition that considers our relationship to place. These works conjure more of an aura than an illustration of a particular location. Through painting, textiles, photography, and ceramics, they explore the interconnectedness of earth, water, and […]

"Prisms & Paradigms" exhibition Opening Reception June 25, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs June 25–August 2. This exhibition brings together sculpture, photography, and textiles that focus on the use of iridescence and color gradients. Filling the gallery with rainbows, these works collectively speak of change and transformation and the magic of existing in more than one […]

"Body Language" Opening reception June 25, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs June 25–August 20. Body Language focuses on all desires, moods, interpretations, and wonder that each of us possess. Paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs are featured in this thematic exhibition, including two Chautauqua School of Art Alumni. Realistic based work abounds with a strong sense of […]

"Mutual Attraction" exhibition Opening Reception June 25, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs June 25–July 20. Welcome to the world of Yeon Soo Kim and Jiye Han, who are partners in life as well as collaborators in their artistic practices. These ceramic sculptures blend beautifully together, highlighting their personal styles and ambitions. Both artists have risen to […]

“Washed Ashore — Art to Save the Sea” is centered on plastic pollution and its impact on sea life. The exhibit will consist of 14 elaborate sculptures that represent marine life affected by plastic pollution. They are made by artisans who use debris found washed up on beaches. Mixing art and science, the exhibit aims to […]

Hosted by the Friends of CVA, Art in the Park is an open art fair with 70+ vendors held in Miller Park, showcasing art by members of the Chautauqua community, artists-in-residence from the School of Art, and artisans from the region around Chautauqua Institution. Items for sale include ceramics, paintings, prints, Chautauqua-themed trinkets, pieces made […]

"Positive Change: CVA Alumni" exhibition Opening Reception July 5, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs July 5–August 13. As the School of Art takes a pause this summer, we want to acknowledge the positive change that the Chautauqua Visual Arts has made on the lives of hundreds of artists during many stages of their careers over the […]

Posters for Positive Change with Brett Taylor. Watch and learn as visiting CVA School of Art Alumni artist Brett Taylor demonstrates how to pull a silkscreen print. He will talk about his own creative process and the motivation behind similar works on view in the exhibition "Positive Change: CVA Alumni" at Fowler-Kellogg Art Center. There […]

In the hopes of fostering and growing our Friends of CVA community, we are hosting two Social Evenings on the porch of Fowler-Kellogg Art Center on July 12 and August 9 from 6:00-8:00pm. Kick back and join us for a glass of wine and conversation – the galleries will be open late especially for you! 

"Untitled 7" exhibition Opening Reception July 23, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs July 23–August 20. Jeremy Boyle and Mark Franchino began a collaborative practice in 2012, exploring common interests in their individual studio practices and artwork. Their forthcoming exhibition / installation at CVA’s Bellowe Family Gallery will be their seventh solo exhibition of collaborative work, with […]

"In Conversation" exhibition Opening reception July 26, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs July 26–August 21. While quite distinct in form and material process, each of these mostly monochromatic works evoke a sense of transformation or "becoming" through pattern and repetition. While creating very different objects regarding form and tone, these artists generate conversation around layering, ornamentation, […]

Gallery Talk and Q&A with exhibiting artists Donté Hayes and Gabe Brown. Please join us for a discussion in the gallery among exhibiting artists Donté Hayes and Gabe Brown joined by co-curators Judie Barie and Erika Diamond. They will briefly discuss the exhibition "In Conversation" and answer questions from the audience. Gabe Brown holds her […]

Party on the Art Quad. In lieu of the annual Stroll through the Arts Gala and Auction, this one-time only event is presented by Friends of CVA and Chautauqua Visual Arts in the heart of the CVA Arts Quad. All proceeds benefit much needed renovations to the CVA School of Art facilities.

Hosted by the Friends of CVA, Art in the Park is an open art fair with 70+ vendors held in Miller Park, showcasing art by members of the Chautauqua community, artists-in-residence from the School of Art, and artisans from the region around Chautauqua Institution. Items for sale include ceramics, paintings, prints, Chautauqua-themed trinkets, pieces made […]

"Into the Blue: Open CVA Members Exhibition" Opening Reception August 7, 3–5 p.m. Exhibition runs August 7–August 23. We invite all Exhibiting Members of CVA to submit work related to this year’s theme and title – Into the Blue. These works can reference the soothing color of the sea, the sky peeking through clouds, or […]

In the hopes of fostering and growing our Friends of CVA community, we are hosting two Social Evenings on the porch of Fowler-Kellogg Art Center on July 12 and August 9 from 6:00-8:00pm. Kick back and join us for a glass of wine and conversation – the galleries will be open late especially for you!

Enjoy this exhibition featuring seven talented artists who work with paper. Working with paper requires a special set of skills and a steady hand as it is known to be unforgiving. Passion for Paper, a thematic exhibition, features seven talented artists that have mastered their techniques and personal styles, resulting in a series of beautiful […]

This exhibition is a nuanced exploration into woven structures including jacquard weaving, pulled warp tapestry, and basketry. While distinct in style and perspective, these works collectively address notions of containment, transformation, and connection to place through abstraction. They make space for and carry our stories. Exhibition runs June 23 - August 4, 2024. Curated by […]

Off the Walls is an exhibition featuring a dozen contemporary artists who create small sculptures, and are at the peak of their careers, showing nationally and internationally.  As the title implies, all works will be hung from the ceiling or displayed on pedestals. Works in wood, glass, clay, metal, and concrete will be featured. Exhibition […]

Robert Villamagna grew up in the Rust Belt in Ohio and started making art as a young child with materials he found in his home. He now passionately works with colorful found materials, especially items that have language, show use and are rusted. These discarded metal items breathe life into his colorful sculptures and two-dimensional […]

Simpatico: characterized by shared attributes or interest, compatible. It is an honor to introduce you to the work of the new Chautauqua School of Art faculty and also paintings by our new Artistic Director, Erika b Hess.  These nationally recognized artists will spend time teaching at the School of Art this summer, as well as […]

You are invited to join the CVA artist residents during the CVA Open Studios on July 13 from 3-5 PM at the Art Quad. This event gives you the chance to meet with our artists displaying work in their studios. This event is free and open to the public. 

CVA is honored to share our exhibition, Continuum: Alums of CVA, with an opening reception on July 13 at the new CVA School of Art Gallery located at the Art Quad. The exhibition runs June 24-July 17. Join us to celebrate the work of our esteemed alums in our newly dedicated exhibition space. This event […]

Ash Eliza Williams, born in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Southwest Virginia, makes work about interspecies communication and alternative languages found in the natural world. Their work is “driven by a deep sense of wonder and curiosity about the non-human world.” Their paintings and sculptural investigations into the sentience of nature connect with Chautauqua Institution’s […]

Inspired by what we learn from the garden, this exhibition reflects the complicated histories and often tenuous futures of flowers and food. It also digs at our relationship to them, as those charged with tending the garden. Through media ranging from still life painting to glass pâte de verre, these works tackle diverse subjects such […]

Drop in on this hands-on jewelry workshop led by CVA exhibiting artist Brian Fleetwood. Participants will each make a brooch that is designed to help them contribute to local ecosystems. This workshop is generously sponsored by the Kay Hardesty Logan Foundation in conjunction with the exhibition "In the Garden". Participation in this workshop is free […]

Following the success of last year's Party on the Art Quad, the Friends of CVA and Chautauqua Visual Arts will once again host our annual ticketed fundraising event in the heart of the CVA Arts Quad. The proceeds benefit CVA School of Art residency program scholarships. This event provides an opportunity to connect with fellow […]

We are excited to invite you to CVA Open Studios, occurring prior to the annual 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. 

CVA is honored to share our annual Resident Group Exhibition. Please join us to celebrate our 6-week resident artists at the CVA School of Art Gallery on the Art Quad. 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 […]

We are once again happy to host our annual Member exhibition. This year our members will show work that they have created this past year, inspired by nature. As always, there will be watercolors, paintings, sculptures, and more for all to enjoy. Exhibition runs August 7 - 22, 2024.

We are excited to invite you to CVA Open Studios, occurring prior to the Resident Group Exhibition opening. Celebrate the work our resident artists have created during their time at Chautauqua Visual Arts as they display work in their studios. This event is free and open to the public. 

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.