Calendar

Jan
11
Fri
Opening Reception: French Eyes on Boston at the French Cultural Center
Jan 11 @ 5:14 pm – 6:14 pm

The Center is proud to host the show French Eyes on Boston, a collection of portraits and landscapes painted by Marguerite Wibaux, who moved to Boston from France in 2017.



Marguerite’s landscapes marry the Renaissance perspective tradition with an American expressionist approach. The paintings engage with the artist’s perceptions of various points of view in Boston. From a pictorial standpoint, the landscape series explores various mediums and techniques, mixing oil and spray paint with acrylic and collage.

But what is a city without its people? The second component of Marguerite’s work explores Boston’s youth through portraiture.

These paintings aim to pay tribute to a rich diversity of styles, personalities, genres, origins, and cultures in a visually thriving and energizing series.

The gallery opening will include a presentation of Marguerite’s work and a reception with light refreshments. Registration required.

Jan
16
Wed
Irish Whiskey Dinner at Solas Irish Pub
Jan 16 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Join Solas on Boylston Street for the first dinner of their Whiskey Wednesday series!

Enjoy an evening of dinner, drinks and laughs, while learning about the whiskey we all love, Irish Whiskey! Boston’s finest Irish Whiskey Ambassador, Cathal O’Connor, will share his expansive knowledge; while Solas Sous Chef, Alex Galvis, will speak on the inspiration behind her delicious three course meal. Slainte!

Cocktail (Half) Hour:
Featuring Kilbeggan Single Grain

First Course:
Irish Soda Bread Crostini – local bleu cheese, apricot mostrada, sorrel
Paired with Kilbeggan Single Grain

Second Course:
Coffee Rubbed Rack of Lamb – barley risotto, cirtus bok choy, fig butter
Paired with Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Third Course:
Cinnamon Apple Tart – vanilla bean ice cream, caramel
Paired with Tyrconnell 10yr Sherry Finish

PLUS, a Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey toast to end the night

Lookout for details on part two of their series January 30, where they will sample whiskeys from all around the world!

 

Jan
30
Wed
World of Whiskeys Dinner at Solas Irish Pub
Jan 30 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Join Solas on Boylston Street for the second dinner of their Whiskey Wednesday series!

Why travel around the world to try new whiskeys when we have them all right here at Solas? Come join Solas for an evening of dinner, drinks & laughs! Beam Suntory’s Maggie Sinclair will share her expansive whiskey knowledge; while Solas Sous Chef, Alex Galvis, will speak on the inspiration behind her delicious three course meal. Slainte!

Cocktail (Half) Hour:
Featuring Canadian Club (Canada)

First Course:
Cucumber and Blood Orange Panzanell – pumpernickel crouton, thyme honey
Paired with Toki Japanese Whiskey (Japan)

Second Course:
Smoked Pork Shoulder – farro & stone fruit salad, shaved brussel sprouts
Paired with Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye (USA)

Third Course:
Pear Banoffee Pie – graham cracker, dulce de leche
Paired with Tyrconnell 10yr Sherry Finish (Ireland)

PLUS, a Japenese Gin Roku toast to end the night!

Lookout for details on part three of their series February 6, where they will sample luxury scotch!

Feb
15
Fri
French Eyes on Boston Painting Workshop at the French Cultural Center
Feb 15 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

French artist and Boston resident Marguerite Wibaux will lead a workshop on alla-prima, a technique made famous by Matisse.

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Marguerite will lead this fascinating workshop, which will begin with an explanation of the technique and a presentation of the model. The attendees will then be invited to pick up their brushes and produce their own portraits, alla-prima.  Easels, canvas, brushes and acrylic paint provided will be provided to all attendees.

About Marguerite Wimbaux

A member of the Center since 2017, Marguerite has quite the atypical career. After graduating with an MBA from the prestigious HEC Paris, Marguerite worked in advertising for the most-renowned French Maisons, from Cartier and Hermès to Van Cleef, Hennessy, the Italian Cavalli, and Armani.

These past experiences in the realm of couture translate into Marguerite’s art. There is a passion for patterns and an obsession with composition and structure, while staying true to the energy and character of her subjects.

The colorful diversity of Marguerite’s artwork is also influenced by her childhood. Marguerite was born in Argentina, and has lived in Peru, Italy, China, France, and the USA.

Currently, Marguerite’s pieces are commissioned and sent to galleries across the globe, from Milan to New York. 

To learn more, visit Marguerite’s website: https://margueritewibaux.com/

Mar
5
Tue
Francophonie 2019: Launch Celebration
Mar 5 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Francophonie 2019: Launch Celebration @ French Cultural Center

Mix and mingle with Boston’s Francophones at the French Cultural Center

March is le mois de la Francophonie! Join the French Cultural Center as they celebrate the launch of this annual celebration of the French language and Francophone cultures. This is a great opportunity to meet Boston’s Francophone institutions and sample delicious drinks and light bites from their respective cultures!

Come meet representatives from business, governments, and nonprofits and learn more about their community offerings, calendar of events, travels, studies, and work and visa programs.

Come one, come all for what promises to be a festive evening!

FREE – RSVP REQUIRED

Mar
20
Wed
Social Media Seminar at Joe’s American Bar & Grill
Mar 20 @ 8:00 am

Learn from industry leaders how social media can help you successfully build your business.

PANEL SPEAKERS

Hannah Huke, Marketing Director of the Briar Group

JQ Louise, Lifestyle Influencer and Fork Lift columnist at the Boston Herald

Lauren Metter, Founder of Metter Media

SEMINAR SCHEDULE

8 a.m. | Registration

8:30 a.m. | Panel Begins

9:15 a.m. | Networking

10 a.m. | Event Ends

Mar
30
Sat
Open House at School of Fashion Design
Mar 30 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Learn more about the School of Fashion Design’s opportunities to continue your fashion education.

Meet faculty the School of Fashion Design, tour their studio classrooms, and see sketching, pattern making, sewing, and draping in action!  This open house can serve as a guided journey through the fashion design learning process from concept to finished garment!

Please note that the program begins promptly.
10 a.m. Welcome | 10:20 a.m. Tour and demos

May
23
Thu
From the Royal Court to Active Textiles at French Cultural Center
May 23 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

French Cultural Center’s French Innovation series looks at French fashion innovations.

Fashion plays a significant cultural, societal, and economic role in France. The second program in the French Cultural Center’s French Innovation series will explore this French staple, from the fashion of its royal courts to the country’s indefatigable status as a pioneer in fashion and luxury innovation today. 

Gwen van den Eijnde, of RISD, will enlighten us on French contributions to the world of fashion, from the first mentions of style in the fifteenth century to the liberation of women by Chanel and Dior. 

For a peek into new innovations in the fashion world, Christophe Guberan will introduce us to his Active Shoes research project, which explores the future of shoe production and performance with self-transforming textiles. 

Event in English. A reception with refreshments will be provided after the discussion.

Guests are welcome to explore our eye-opening French Innovation exhibition in our gallery, featuring sketches, models, and more related to this series’ programs.

About the Panelists
guberan

Christophe Guberan is a Swiss industrial designer who teaches product design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The buzzing and innovative ecosystem of the Greater Boston Area allows him to augment his practice while experimenting with new research and technological development.

In 2014, Guberan began collaborating with the MIT Self-Assembly Lab and Founder & Director Skylar Tibbits, a pioneer in 4D printing, to create “active shoes” under the Minimal Shoe project for Design London Museum. Guberan has continued his exploration of material interactions, digital manufacturing, and self-assembly processes. His projects include Hydro-FoldLiquid to Air, and his most recent collaboration with Tibbits, Rapid Liquid Printing, which tackles speed, scale, and quality challenges in 3D printing technology by printing objects suspended in a gel-like medium.

gwen

Gwen van den Eijnde is a Dutch-French designer working in the disciplines of fashion, fine art, and theatre. Through his expressive, avant-garde clothing and costume designs, he creates captivating characters and tells enthralling stories that stretch the imagination. A professor at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), van den Eijnde’s multi-layered approach is informed by his deep knowledge of fashion history and theory; his work is a commentary on the peculiarities of life, often finding subversive humor and fantasy rooted in fact. Van den Eijnde has studied and worked with some of the most esteemed practitioners in his field, including artist Edith Dekyndt in the Atelier Textile of the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg, costume designer Olivier Bériot, choreographer Robyn Orlin, and the revered Hermès atelier, Petit h. Before joining the faculty at RISD, he was visiting professor at the Fashion department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Head of Textile Design at the Haute École des Arts du Rhin in Mulhouse.

May
28
Tue
Gardens of the Arts & Crafts Movement, Judith B. Tankard at NEHGS
May 28 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

In this illustrated lecture, landscape scholar Judith B. Tankard surveys the inspiration, characteristics, and development of garden design during the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Tankard presents a selection of houses and gardens of the era from Britain and the United States, with an emphasis on the diversity of designers who helped forge a truly distinct approach to garden design. Her lecture is the first event in a series of exhibition programming for The Gardens of Rose Standish Nichols, 1890-1935 opening May 16, 2019 at the Nichols House Museum.

Judith B. Tankard is a landscape historian, award-winning author, and preservation consultant. She taught at the Landscape Institute of Harvard University for more than twenty years. She is the author or coauthor of ten books on landscape history, including Gardens of the Arts & Crafts Movement, Ellen Shipman and the American Garden and Beatrix Farrand: Private Gardens, Public Landscapes. A popular lecturer in the United States and Britain, Judith is a speaker at symposia and conferences devoted to the preservation of historic landscapes.

Image: the garden at Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire; © National Trust Images Nick Meers

Jun
6
Thu
Hot Air Balloons and the Sonic Boom at the French Cultural Center
Jun 6 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Learn about France’s contributions to aerospace.

It has been 50 years since the supersonic Concorde took flight, and France’s significance in the aerospace industry continues today. In fact, last year the French aerospace industry was ranked second in the world.

For the culmination of our French Innovation series, we invite you to learn more about this top-ranking industry. Specifically, we will focus on French on aeronautic advancements, from hot air balloons and a plane shaped like a bat to current efforts to reduce aircraft emissions.

Aaron Lewis of Ariane­space, the world’s leading commercial satellite launch provider, will tell us what it takes to reach for the stars. Vik Kachoria of Spike Aerospace will uncover the secrets of the next generation of supersonic commercial jets.

Event in English. A reception with refreshments will follow the discussion.

Guests are welcome to explore our eye-opening French Innovation exhibition in our gallery, featuring sketches, models, and more related to this series’ programs.

About the Panelists
Aaron Lewis


Aaron Lewis
 is Vice President Corporate Communications & Government Relations at Arianespace, a leading satellite launch company. Aaron is also Associate Director of Future Space Leaders, a foundation aiming to advance learning and professional enrichment of young space professionals and future leaders pursuing careers in the fields of space and satellites.

Prior to joining Arianespace, Inc., Aaron was a press secretary and legislative assistant for U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher – who is Chairman of the Space and Aeronautics subcommittee. Aaron graduated from St. John’s College Annapolis, Maryland where he studied the History of Math and Science, and Philosophy.


vik


Vik Kachoria
, CEO of Spike Aerospace, Inc., is a seasoned aerospace executive with 30 years of industry experience. Vik’s career has included management of, and consulting for, high-growth ventures including supersonic jets, VLJs, air taxis, charter flights, sub-orbital rockets, and solar-powered satellites.


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