Quaker House is located on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution in western New York.
The most recent nine-week season ended August 23, 2024. Friends in Residence, Kriss and Gary Miller, filled the house with community, thoughtful conversations, and music.
Each Saturday evening, a simple community meal gave guests an opportunity to connect with one another. Over 216 people attended Sunday worship, many attending a Quaker meeting for the first time. Kriss offered Church of the Wild every Sunday afternoon with Institution support. Over 178 people attended.
Weekly Friends offered two brown-bag talks each week: one about their work in the world, and the other a discussion on how Quakerism intersected the weekly theme. Over 339 people attended these talks.
At Bestor Plaza, the “village green” of the Institution, Gary’s music jams included musicians and handheld instruments for onlookers. Participants in Kriss’s “Knitting Us Together” workshops appreciated her skill as both host and deep listener.
Quaker House also hosted participants from Homeboy Industries, Father Greg Boyle’s gang rehabilitation and re-entry ministry. Quaker House continues its ongoing relationship with the African American House.
This year, rooms were renamed for famous Quakers, and books by the room’s namesake were left in each room. Staff added new artwork to the house depicting influential Quakers such as Benjamin Lay and Bayard Rustin.
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