Chautauqua Institution this week launches a new endowed lecture series with a presentation by Jill Snyder, Executive Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa Cleveland), at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 28, in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution. This event is free and open to the public. 

The Leon and Gloria Plevin Family Museum Director Lecture Series was established to present the unique personal and professional perspectives of institutional leaders from around the country by examining the innovations, challenges, and changing landscapes of museums today. This new endowment for the visual arts was established in honor of the late Leon Plevin, Gloria Plevin’s husband, who was an advocate and supporter of visual arts, especially at Chautauqua and in Cleveland, where Gloria and her family spent most of their lives.    

“The Plevin Lecture Series enables us to learn the important work of museums in curation, development, community engagement and their relevance in society today,” said Sharon Louden, the Sydelle Sonkin and Herb Siegel Artistic Director of the Visual Arts at Chautauqua.  “This is an important part of our students’ and communities’ educational development, and we are deeply grateful to the Plevin family for helping us to establish this series, and to Jill Snyder for giving the inaugural lecture.” 

Snyder’s talk, “Are You An Artist? Reflections of a Museum Director” will explore the museum of the future as an activist entity, laying a foundation for civil and civic discourse. At a time of great change in our society, when issues of equity and inclusion present challenges to the status quo, artists act as valuable role models. Their openness to experimentation and risk are essential tools to confront the daily complexities our world presents.  By engaging artists as core to this endeavor, MoCA Cleveland presents a road map to build trust with museum visitors and develop sustained and meaningful relationships. 
 
The Leon and Gloria Plevin Family Museum Director Lecture Series is presented by the Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution (VACI), which offers artist lectures throughout the summer assembly season as well as open studios where guests can visit with students in the School of Art to witness their works in progress. VACI also presents several art exhibitions each summer, and galleries and the Gallery Store are open every day, including from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. 

Admission to Chautauqua’s grounds and programming is free every Sunday.