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 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 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.
The French Cultural Center is proud to host the Boston regional competition of the French Founders Worldwide Startup Tour.
The French Founders Worldwide Startup Tour, a global competition for entrepreneurs wanting to expand globally. Join the French Cultural Center to hear pitches from five local startups looking to advance to the final competition in New York.
Selected Boston startups will pitch to a jury comprised of Consul General, Arnaud Mentré; Laurent Audoly, President & Founding CEO of Kymera Therapeutics; Yannick Ouvrard, Chief Financial Officer at Keolis Commuter Services; and Damien Balsan, General Partner at Conexo Ventures.
Event in English, followed by a cocktail reception with complimentary refreshments.
About The Startup Tour
The Startup Tour is a unique opportunity for startups to connect and pitch in 12 cities in front of a powerful audience of business leaders based in Europe, the Americas, and APAC. The three regional competitions are supported by the strong network of the French Founders community with its 3500+ members and leaders.
In the Americas, a French Prize will be awarded to a Francophone entrepreneur willing to expand in the Americas and an Americas Prize is awarded to an Anglophone entrepreneur willing to expand in France.
About French Founders
Founded in 2014, French Founders is a next generation business club that connects global Francophone leaders with one another through a digital platform enhanced by a team of more than 20 relationship managers. Their mission is to facilitate business exchanges within their exceptional community of CEOs, top executives, and entrepreneurs. French Founders is headquartered in New York, New York but exists in San Francisco, London, Paris, Shanghai, Montréal, and São Paulo.
Bastille Day Returns to Back Bay
The French Cultural Center’s signature Bastille Day celebration returns to Marlborough Street on Friday, July 12 with a nod to homegrown French heritage via live NOLA music. Each year, this street party welcomes 2,000 people for dance-worthy music, festive food and drinks, and an emphasis on embracing diversity. After sold-out events for the past five years, this festival is not to be missed.
The musical lineup this year showcases two phenomenal acts straight from New Orleans: acclaimed vocalist and trumpeter Shamarr Allen, who has collaborated with the likes of Patti Labelle, Harry Connick, Jr., and Willie Nelson; and gypsy swing band Bon Bon Vivant, which pays homage to the New Orleans music tradition while infusing an indie/punk edge that attracts both swing dancers and indie-rockers alike.
Back Bay’s beautiful Marlborough Street will be blocked off between Berkeley and Clarendon Streets to accommodate attendees, volunteers, and vendors. Delicious food from some of Boston’s best French restaurants and drinks, including beer and wine, will be available for purchase. New this year, attendees can buy an all-access Garden Party pass, which offers admission to both the street festival and the Center’s private soirée featuring an open bar and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
Bastille Day in Back Bay is fun for all! The event is free for children under 10, who will enjoy the Center’s activity table for kids with face-painting, art-making, and more from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
For tickets and more information, click here.
Event is rain or shine. Tickets non-refundable. Strollers and backpacks strictly prohibited.
An Ephemeral Exhibit with the Lasell Fashion Collection and Boston Fashion Week
Join the French Cultural Center in celebrating Boston Fashion Week with a unique look at curated French pieces from the Lasell Fashion Collection. This unique exhibit and separate private tour of the collection are for one evening only!
Free and open to the public, the general reception will start at 7:00 PM and run through 9:00 PM, with light refreshments.
Ephemeral Exhibit: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The Fashion Collection team at Lasell University have curated an exceptional intimate fashion retrospective spanning two centuries and multiple designers. On display will be 17 pieces from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel, Jeanne Lanvin, and Comme des Garçons among others. These select pieces, including an original 1880 Parisian opera costume, will face each other in an exhibition that tells the story of their eras through their designs and the techniques used in their creation.
Jill M. Carey, Professor and Curator at Lasell University, Stephanie Hebert, Collections Manager, and their team of passionate students will be available to guide guests in this exceptional journey enriched by interactive components.
This event will mark the launching of the website and digital catalog of the University’s own permanent fashion collection.
Private Tour: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Limited tickets to a private tour and presentation of historic French hand fans with fan historian and collector Shelly Goncalves, former president of the Fan Association of North America, are available for purchase.
About the Lasell Fashion Collection
Established in 1996, the Lasell Fashion Collection (LFC) contains approximately 3,000 objects and currently resides in the Donahue Center for Creative and Applied Arts. While the collection spans 200 years of fashion history, the LFC is notable for its 20th century designer fashions, with an emphasis on couture. In 2018, over 1,200 artifacts were transferred to the LFC upon the closure of the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA. This important acquisition enriched the breadth and depth of the LFC’s holdings, specifically in 19th and early 20th century everyday wear, undergarments, and accessories.
About Boston Fashion Week
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Boston Week! Boston Fashion Week was founded as a civic initiative in 1995. The force behind the week has been dedicated to creating opportunities that increase the viability and visibility of the local industry. The series of fashion related events throughout Greater Boston and beyond serves as a platform for both established industry professionals and aspiring newcomers to showcase their work as well as network with peers and the public.
Discover all that the French Cultural Center has to offer.
C’est la rentrée ! The French Cultural Center invites all French speakers, Francophiles, and French-at-heart to join them for their annual Open House. Get a taste of their exciting offerings and take a sneak peek at the fall season. Sip on French wine and savor tasty treats. Come in, mingle, and discover a little piece of France right in the heart of Boston!
This event is free. No prior experience with French is necessary. An RSVP is recommended but walk-ins are welcome.
About this Event
BROWSE THE LIBRARY
Check out the latest arrivals, learn more about upcoming library programs, and visit their book sale with a large variety of books ready for your own personal French library.
EXPLORE CLASSES
Take a placement test and register for a fall class- at a discount! Meet their teachers and learn more about their classes for kids, teens, and adults.
DISCOVER OUR COMMUNITY
Join or renew your membership and explore their member perks and member-exclusive events. All those who join at the event will receive a free giveaway!
HAVE FUN
Enjoy complimentary refreshments (guests +21 receive 2 drink tickets/each), a mini wine tasting, a French conversation corner, tours in English and French, and BINGO with prizes. They truly have something for every Francophile!
TAKE A TOUR
Explore the beautiful historic brownstone with a guided tour- in English or en français. You’ll even get a sneak peek into their newly renovated space!
6:00 PM Tour in French
6:10 PM Tour in English
6:30 PM Tour in French
6:40 PM Tour in English
7:00 PM Tour in French
7:10 PM Tour in English
Join the French Cultural Center and the Boston / Strasbourg Sister City Association for a gallery opening.
“In the fields of science and art, new paradigms emerge only when we dare to go beyond what is established.” – Irene Georgakoudi, Tufts University, Biomedical Engineering
The French Cultural Center is exploring science as the catalyst for artistic expression and art as the catalyst for scientific observation! Join them for the launch of their fall cultural programs with an intriguing gallery opening presented in partnership with the Boston/Strasbourg Sister City Association. The gallery opening will include a reception with light refreshments.
Free and open to the public, registration required.
Event in English with French transcripts.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Art on Science: 26 études (AS26) is a collaborative international art project sponsored by the Boston/Strasbourg Sister City Association (BSSCA) that crosses the lines between art, science, and culture. Thirteen artists from Boston and Strasbourg each were paired with scientists from their home city to explore a scientific theme. The result? A testament to the power of curiosity and creativity and 52 incredible works of art accompanied by written scientific commentaries.
Artists took tours of laboratories. Scientists made studio visits. Some pairs worked shoulder-to-shoulder with live specimens, while others communicated virtually to share ideas and resources. Come explore the fields of art and science with us as we unveil these intriguing works!
The French Cultural Center presents an evening of French and Bostonian composers.
American artists Matthew Hoch (baritone) and Aaron Larget-Caplan (guitar) present an Art Song Recital by French and American composers, including a world premiere by Boston composer Francine Trester.
The concert is a journey from a poetic French café and countryside, to the gardens and landscapes of Spain and America. This concert marks the celebration of Larget-Caplan’s recent award from the Société Académique Arts–Sciences–Lettres. It will be a dramatic and intimate event by two splendid artists.
Composers: Reynaldo Hahn, Roland Dyens, Joaquin Rodrigo, John Cage, Matyas Seiber, and Francine Trester.
Join the French Cultural Center for a wine tasting and dinner with La Voile.
Epicureans rejoice! To kick-off the French Cultural Center’s season of wine tastings, they will explore the lovely wines of Alsace with a wine tasting, followed by a separate three-course pairing dinner.
Come discover the lesser-known wines of Alsace, presented by Alexandre Sojfer, Resident Sommelier at La Voile and 1855 Bar à Vins. Alex will share his expertise working with vineyards from Alsace and why this region’s grounds are so prolific yet less available to the American market than other varietals.
Event in English. Advance RSVP strongly recommended. The general tasting is a standing event – this is not a sit-down seminar. Please email culture@frenchculturalcenter.org to request a seat/chair, if needed.
The following dinner is a sit-down three-course dinner in the French Cultural Center’s Library.
Holiday lovers rejoice! This tasting will prolong the holiday atmosphere at the French Cultural Center!
To kick-off their tasting season, the French Cultural Center will explore the different hot beverages that you can sip during the winter time!
Join them for a warm and new tasting presented by Alexandre Sofjer, resident sommelier at La Voile and 1855 Bar à vin.
Event in English. Advanced RSVP strongly recommended. The general tasting is a standing event – this is not a sit-down seminar. Please email culture@frenchculturalcenter.org to request a seat/chair, if needed.
On the Menu
- Mulled wine
- Mulled apple cider
- Irish coffee
- Grog
- Russian punch
For more about the French Cultural Center, please click here.
Join the French Cultural Center for a cooking and wellness women’s workshop.
Is living healthy at the top of your resolutions this year? Join physician and Certified Health and Wellness Coach Martine Vounatsos for a discussion and cooking workshop, en français and in English. The discussion will include ways to incorporate wellness into every aspect of a woman’s mental and physical health, from exercise and supplements to sleep habits and cooking methods.
Participants will craft and enjoy a traditional and healthy French meal with Martine in a convivial environment.
Aprons, ingredients, and kitchenware will be provided. Please note, this event is intended for women only.
On the Menu:
Entrée: Soupe de légumes et croûtons
Plat de résistance: Pavé de saumon sur son lit de poireaux
Dessert: Salade de fruits de saison et son rocher coco
To learn more about the French Cultural Center, please click here.
