Lecture Series: The Making of the Great Museums of Paris—From 1900 Until Today

Following our previous Zoom series during the winter of 2024 tracing the history and heritage of the extraordinary museums that were established in Paris starting during the Revolution and continuing through the end of the 19th century, we continue the story over the past 125 years with, after an introductory lecture, presentations by the curators and directors of a “house museum”, a “Presidential museum”, a “private museum”, a brand-new museum still in the making, and by a “universal museum.

Book Talk: Everything is Photograph with Patricia Albers

Join us for a conversation with author Patricia Albers on her new book, Everything is Photography: A Biography André Kertész, the first full biography of the innovative “father of modern photography” vividly depicts his life and works, from Hungary to France and America, across the 20th century.

Conférence: La création des grands musées de Paris—La création du Musée du grand siècle (in French with English or French captions)

[English follows] Alexandre Gady décrira les nombreuses étapes de la création d’un musée entièrement nouveau, le Musée du Grand Siècle—le XVIIe siècle de Louis XIII et Louis XIV—dont l’ouverture est prévue fin 2027 : la constitution de sa collection, la construction du bâtiment pour l’exposer, le recrutement d’une équipe de conservateurs et autres professionnels pour gérer sa collection et organiser sa programmation ainsi que le financement d’un projet aussi ambitieux.

Lecture: The Making of the Great Museums of Paris—The Making & Remaking of the Centre Pompidou

Arthur Dayras will explain how the Pompidou Center of Contemporary Art, located in its iconic building on the Beaubourg plateau designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, came to be the first “presidential museum”, the reasons for the renovation of the museum that will start in 2026 and continue until 2030, how the museum’s ambitious cultural program “Constellation” will enable it to operate during the five years of renovation works, and how the museum will be transformed after the works have been completed.

Author Talk: Véronique Le Bris—Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionners du cinéma

As part of Festival de la Francophonie 2026 and in partnership with Villa Albertine, the Alliance is honored to welcome French journalist Véronique Le Bris for a presentation of her book Alice Guy, la plus audacieuse des pionniers du cinéma : la biographie de la première femme réalisatrice au monde.

Présentation de livre : Petite-Ville avec Mélikah Abdelmoumen

Avec nos amis à l’Alliance Française Minneapolis/St. Paul, rejoignez-nous en ligne pour une discussion autour du roman Petite-Ville (2024) de l’autrice québécoise Mélikah Abdelmoumen. L’autrice présentera son livre et en lira quelques extraits.

Lecture: Your Alberto—Giacommetti at the Art Institute of Chicago

Join us for the fourth and final installment of our Your Giacometti series, exploring Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman, and printmaker Alberto Giacometti. As part of Festival de la Francophonie and in partnership with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago and the Swiss Benevolent Society, the Alliance is thrilled to welcome Caitlin Haskell, Gary C.

Lecture: 17–19th Century French Art with Chloé Glass

The Alliance is pleased to welcome Franco-American art historian Chloé Glass for a lecture on 17–19th century French art. The program will be followed by a reception, where guests can continue the conversation with the scholar and mix and mingle with their fellow Francophiles and art history lovers, all over a complimentary glass of French wine.

Author Talk: Laure Gouraige—Le Livre que je n'ai pas écrit

The Alliance is honored to partner with Villa Albertine to welcome French writer Laure Gouraige for a talk about her 2024 novel *Le livre que je n’ai pas écrit (The Book I Didn’t Write).