Photos & Words by George Koloski
The creative process seemingly never ends for President’s Cottage Executive Chef Ben Shropshire. With a focus on both culinary experimentation and laying a brush to canvas, Shropshire spends his summers in a constant flow of creativity.
Shropshire first came to Chautauqua in 2016 to work at the President’s Cottage; this is his sixth (non-consecutive) summer on the grounds.
At his side is the cottage’s sous chef, longtime friend Dan Wongprapan — whom he met in 2010 while working in a tapas kitchen in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. The two developed an immediate bond and have been best friends ever since. They are now in their third summer together, composing intricate menus and providing smooth service for events at the cottage, which is by no means dark even without a Chautauqua Institution president this summer. The cottage still serves as the setting for regular receptions and dinners, with a rotating line-up of Institution trustees and executive staff, and Foundation directors, playing host.
While tasting their food is often limited to those private events, Chautauquans will have an opportunity to try Shropshire and Wongprapan’s dishes for themselves during an already sold-out guest chef dinner this Thursday in the Athenaeum Hotel. The five-course tasting menu — carefully curated by Shropshire and Wongprapan — features Asian-inspired dishes.
“When Dan and I are here for the summer, we always crave Asian food and there’s not many options for that, so we made a very accessible, semi-Asian menu for people who maybe feel the same as us,” Shropshire explained. This event is part of the Chef Series presented by the Athenaeum, which hosts various guest chefs throughout Week Nine.
At the beginning of the season, Shropshire and Wongprapan found themselves not only in the kitchen of the President’s Cottage but in the kitchen of the Greene Family Commons, the building in which Schools of Performing and Visual Arts students reside. There, the two provided guidance and training to a primarily younger kitchen staff, which was found to be especially helpful during busy first weeks of the season.
After his time in the kitchen for the day is over, Shropshire returns to his apartment — which doubles as his studio — and paints until he falls asleep. As a vivid dreamer, he uses symbols and motifs that he experiences while dreaming in his work.
“Dreams are important to me, maybe more important than most things,” he said.
As a mixed media artist, he primarily uses acrylic paint, oil pastel and pen and ink to portray elements of his dreams, such as boot silhouettes and archways.
Shropshire also documents his art on Instagram (@bens101010) in addition to participating in exhibitions in Charlotte — though, upon the conclusion of this season, both Shropshire and Wongprapan are moving to Louisville, Kentucky, where they’ll be working as private chefs.
There are obvious connections between the visual beauty he creates while both plating a dish during a dinner service or putting down a line of paint on a canvas. However, Shropshire enjoys the freedom from time constraints while in his studio. Despite this contrast, he explained that his instincts are an important factor in both sides of his work: “I feel most comfortable working on instinct, because I trust it.”
