Jenell Taylor
Staff Writer
Visual Arts kicks off the 2026 Summer Season with five fresh exhibitions featuring works by a diverse collection of 22 accomplished artists.
CVA will hold opening receptions from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday in the galleries of Strohl and Fowler-Kellogg Art Centers, as well as in the Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden.
Coinciding with Chautauqua Institution’s Week One theme “Icons and Instigators: Women Who Change the World,” CVA presents “Here and Now: Contemporary Feminists,” which features works by MacArthur Fellow Judy Pfaff alongside five other acclaimed artists. Together, they bring their unique perspectives to the exhibition while uplifting the women who have paved the path before them. Through the use of mediums such as porcelain, collage, clay, discarded household items and custom artificial intelligence, these artists create their own definitions of expression to tell their stories.
“All of the artists’ work draws on history, insight, tenacity and craftsmanship in each piece,” said Judy Barie, the Susan and John Turben director of CVA Galleries and curator of the exhibition. “Here and Now: Contemporary Feminists” can be viewed in the Main Gallery of Strohl Art Center through July 22.
Through July 23 in Strohl’s Arnold and Jill Bellowe Family Gallery, Chautauquans can view “Lexie Loader: Warm Light, Cool Shadows” curated by Associate Director of CVA Galleries Erika Diamond. “The moments framed by her paintings are casual and devoid of people, yet they remind the viewer of the daily rituals we form in the places where we ourselves have lived,” Diamond said. “Warm Light, Cool Shadows” is a gentle exploration of the relationship held between memories, places and objects.
“Forest for the Trees” is a sylvan exhibition focused on the positive impact of forest ecosystems and humanity’s need to preserve them. The works in this exhibition “remind us to consider the larger context of what is at stake if we disrupt our woodlands,” Diamond, the exhibition’s curator, said. “Forest for the Trees” can be viewed through Aug. 9 in the First Floor Gallery and the Angela Fowler Memorial Gallery at Fowler-Kellogg Art Center.
Housed in the Gallo Family Gallery of Strohl is “Twisted,” a collection of intricately designed sculptures curated by Barie. “This is an exhibition about relationships of materials, combined with sophisticated hand work and intellect,” Barie said. “It makes us think about possibilities that are endless.” “Twisted” can be viewed through Aug. 24.
Through Aug. 26, Chautauquans can also view thoughtful and detailed outdoor works by Paige Henry and Ed Parrish, also curated by Barie, displayed in the Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden.
Barie and Diamond mindfully curated these exhibitions to exemplify Chautauqua’s rich, diverse spirit, and hope the exhibitions will bring community members together to admire the passion of these dedicated artists and to thoughtfully engage with their efforts of creative expression.
