The Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art will celebrate its 38th annual event September 27 & 28, 2008. The original Chautauqua in Madison dates back to 1901, when ten-day camp meetings gave Sunday school teachers a chance to mix their religious studies with recreation. The Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle provided correspondence schooling to adults in rural areas. The outdoor Chautauqua grew to include not only morally inspiring sermons but informative lectures, scientific demonstrations, political speeches, dramatic readings, theatrical presentations, magic acts, and musical performances. These annual camp meetings were held until 1929.
In the early 1970s, local high school teachers and students participated in a sidewalk art sale with the aim of bringing more business to the downtown area. The event grew, adopted the name Madison Chautauqua, and continues to thrive and grow today. On the last full weekend in September of each year, Madison’s historic district welcomes thousands of visitors during the two-day Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art. The festival is a juried fine arts and crafts show with approximately 275 exhibitors.
In addition to the fine artists and craftsmen showcasing their handmade work, the festival also features continuous live entertainment, a riverfront food fest, a kid’s activity tent, and a Saturday Evening Concert with “Music in the Park.”
The event coordinator and a volunteer committee meet monthly to plan and produce this event. The Mayor, City of Madison employees and hundreds of volunteers work together to make the entire Chautauqua weekend a success. As visitors to the annual event will attest, the Madison Chautauqua is certainly bringing business into the downtown – just as the art show originators had hoped!
I used this form with my class for their recent speeches. It worked really well! It is ...