CHRC - Clinton Human Rights Committee

You are cordially invited to the Fifth Annual Clinton Old Fashioned Chautauqua Series -- a co-production of the Henry Carter Hull Library and the CHRC - Clinton Human Rights Committee. The 2026 series will be held on four Wednesday evenings this summer beginning July 8th. Please join us as we continue to celebrate this community tradition through a series of fascinating presentations on topics related to Human Rights.

Popular in late 19th and early 20th century America—and now nearly forgotten—the Chautauqua (Shaw-taw-kwa) was a series of community programs featuring noted speakers, music, poetry and storytelling. They were often held under tents, and it brought civic-minded dialogue to rural towns. The name comes from the Iroquois word describing the lake in upstate New York where the movement began.

Our WEEK 1 Program July 8, 2026 features our Main Speaker, Filmmaker, Producer & Editor Patrick Shay. His presentation, "Artificial Intelligence: Opportunity, Risk, and the Future of Human Creativity," draws from his professional life and will discuss how AI is transforming work, communication, education, and creativity. He will examine practical AI applications, common misconceptions, emerging concerns, and the questions we face. To begin the evening the singer/songwriter duo of Jim and Cara Sheehan return with their wonderful treatments of songs you may know by heart. And joining us again this Summer -- a Chautauqua regular to share some of her poetry and her own guidelines for AI usage for parents and students will be Cathy Weiss, Clinton Poet Laurette Emerita.

REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED! Please sign up for any or all 4 weeks at the HCH Library Events pages.
for the 5th Annual 2026 Chautauqua Week 1
events.hchlibrary.org/event/chautauqua-50015