Julia Weber
Staff writer
Chautauqua Visual Arts opens its final exhibition of the 2025 season at 1 p.m. today with “Inside/Outside,” its annual members’ exhibition. An opening reception will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. today at Fowler-Kellogg Art Center. Curated by Susan and John Turben Director of CVA Galleries Judy Barie and Associate Director of CVA Galleries Erika Diamond, the exhibition is on view through Aug. 21.
For both Barie and Diamond, the members’ exhibition offers an opportunity to support the individuals who offer so much of their own support to CVA.
“A lot of these people are supporters of ours, so we want to be supporters of their work as well,” Barie said.
Returning artists see the exhibition as a chance to celebrate visual art within the gates of the Institution each year.
“I think people really look forward to it, and they like to support each other just as we like to support them,” said Diamond.
Both curators said that they find it rewarding to showcase the talent of Chautauqua’s artists through the exhibition and that they enjoy fostering a community of artists both on the grounds and in the region.
“It’s a nice way for us to end the season, by highlighting our local talented artists,” Barie said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
Like Barie, Diamond said the exhibition is a nice end to the season because it brings the theme close to home and elevates homegrown talent.
“While it’s important for us to bring in artists from all over the country, it’s important to also let people know that there’s a lot of talent right here,” said Diamond.
When tasked with establishing a theme for the exhibition, the curators knew they would need to find a theme broad enough to encompass many mediums and subjects, while still relaying a message specific enough to unify it.
“Inside/Outside” pays homage to the many landscapes of picturesque Chautauqua scenery, but extends to the conceptual grapplings of perspective and how we define the spaces in which we exist.
“It was a way to keep it open enough, but it could welcome the themes that I know people are excited about and working on as well,” Diamond said. “At the same time, because it sets up this dichotomy, quite a few artists have run with that and are trying to think about perspective. ‘Am I on the inside looking out, or am I on the outside looking in?’ ”
By leaving the theme open to many different interpretations, the curators can draw connections and create conversations among the many artworks. Diamond likened this to drawing a “thread” that the curators can “pull through all the work.”
Ahead of the exhibition’s opening, Barie said Chautauquans might be surprised by the wealth of artistic talent at hand in their midst.
“I think they’re going to be surprised with how much talent we have,” Barie said. “There’s a lot of very talented people with beautiful pieces in the exhibition.”
