Tea & Talk | The Story of Festival House in the 1950's | June 24 at 4 pm
Cost:
$22.00 – $45.00 per personDuration:
2hAbout this experience
The story of culture and inclusive community during the Festival House era at Ventfort Hall 1950 – 1961, presented by Chelsea Gaia, Director of Programming and Events at Ventfort Hall. A tea will follow her presentation.
The Berkshires haven't always been so open and celebratory of diversity. In fact, it's a fairly recent development with an obscure catalyst. During the 1950's, Ventfort Hall did not exist as the Gilded Age Museum it is today, but instead, an inclusive resort open to all who wished to stay, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic class or status. In 1949, after realizing the lack of places welcoming to Jewish patronage, Bruno & Claire Aron transformed an abandoned Ventfort Hall into a haven and gatehouse for anyone who wanted access to Tanglewood performances or to experience the splendor of the Berkshires who may not have previously based on identity.
While not many tangible relics remain from the Festival House era - it is the Spirit of the decade that remains strong today in the Berkshires. Join Ventfort Hall Director of Programming & Events, Chelsea Gaia, to learn more about the Aron Family and how their dream of an inclusive Berkshires was realized through Festival House.
Chelsea Gaia is the Director of Programming & Events for Ventfort Hall. An avid researcher and student of life, Gaia is openly neuro-divergent and finds joy and fulfillment executing in-depth study and research in many disciplines, as well as the history of each particular study. Among her skills, she is a native plant expert for flora of the Pacific Northwest region of North America, a stained glass restoration specialist, a visual artist, a 20-year photojournalist, a seasoned graphic designer, and a multi-disciplined application scientist.
