Lecture Programs

G. James Sammarco still remembers the thrill of singing as a boy soprano, at the age of ten, with the Columbus Boy Choir. Being selected by Gian Carlo Menotti, he had the chance to perform in the world premiere of the opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, stepping into the shoes of the curious young shepherd boy. It was his first experience of storytelling through music. The Columbus Boy Choir spent summers at Chautauqua, rehearsing for their…

Aja Barber is a writer and sustainability consultant focusing on the intersections of sustainability, fashion, and the textile industry. Her work explores the traditions of privilege, wealth inequality, racism, feminism, colonialism, and how these systems of power affect our buying habits. Consumed is her debut book, a treatise on the state of fashion, climate change, and social justice. The book reveals the endemic injustices in our consumer…

Lloyd Peters was a man of many talents. From holding a private pilot license to professional firefighter and first aid instructor, as well as a family man – his years of military service were long and varied and mysterious. Come find out what Barbara Cessna, Fenton's Vets Finding Vets Coordinator, has uncovered. The 2026 Fenton History Center Lecture Series features evening lectures between April and October. This event is free and open to…

Ron Gonen is the founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, a firm at the forefront of building the circular economy. Closed Loop Partners is comprised of an asset management business, innovation center and operating group that builds and operates circular economy infrastructure, including the largest privately held recycling company in the U.S. It is this work that will inform his presentation during Week Four of the Chautauqua Lecture Series,…

Katharine K. Wilkinson is a human on Earth. As a bestselling writer, teacher and climate expert, she has inspired hundreds of thousands of climate journeys through transformational projects that shift our cultural narratives about what’s possible and nurture engagement in renewing our world. Her books include Climate Wayfinding — called “invaluable” by frequent Chautauqua lecturer Bill McKibben — the bestselling…

Drawing on his experience as a cultural commentator and advocate for spiritual renewal, Rainn Wilson closes Chautauqua’s Week Four theme “Wasted: Our Era of Disposability” in conversation, weaving humor with a sense of moral urgency to discuss how disposability affects not only our environment but also erodes our sense of meaning, relationships and community. Wilson is an Emmy-nominated and SAG Award-winning actor best known for…

Join Janet Wahlberg for a tour of Allen Park where you will learn about the Allen family, the Bandshell, the Allen Park Women's Club, the swimming pool, the ice arena and much more. Participants will meet at the Allen Park band shell at 10:00 a.m. The Fenton History Center conducts historic walking tours from June to August. The cost is $8 for members and $12 for non-members. Participants can pre-register online, at the Fenton, or by phone at…

SPEAKER:Pedro ReisFounder, Production & Artistry Strategist at The Circus Arts Conservatory TOPIC:There’s a heightened quality to the Circus world, where acrobats and aerialists put their lives on the line every single performance. And yet, generation after generation keeps doing it over and over again. Join Circus artist and impresario Pedro Reis, as he shares about his own death-defying feats in the air and around the globe, as well…

The highly anticipated musical adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s Newbery medal-winning novel, The Crossover, was commissioned and is being developed for the stage by the Chautauqua Theater Company. Hosted by Jade King Carroll, the producing artistic director of the Chautauqua Theater Company and director of The Crossover musical, the dynamic creative team behind the musical will gather on the Amphitheater stage for a conversation about the…