APRIL 2020
Cultural Newsletter

In response to COVID-19, cultural and educational institutions in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas had to close their facilities and cancel or postpone their April events. Thankfully, digital resources can help us go through these uncertain times together in sharing ideas and contents.
We hope that this month’s special newsletter will find you well.
#StayHomeSaveLives!

Warmly,
The Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Houston
Marie, Marion and Amandine

Stay informed and do not forget to check the French Consulate in Houston's page dedicated to COVID-19 information.

Thank you to all of you who attended the French Cultures Festival Kick-off concert on Friday, March the 6th in Houston, TX and made it such a successful event! [See Photos]

The festival promised to be particularly rich this year with more than 50 events being held in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, a number never reached by the festival before! A few days after the kick-off concert however, the festival took a very different turn. In an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, security decisions had to be taken by cancelling, temporarily closing, or postponing a high number of events. We would like to thank all of our festival partners for all of the work they have put into their events and to confirm our support to them by continuing to promote their work, whether they decide to go virtual or to reschedule their events.

Please keep on following our Facebook page for more updates!

In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, many of us are home-bound this Spring. But culture can provide a thrilling escape, even from your couch.

Here are some of our favorite podcast episodes, videos, playlists, and more so you can take a deep dive into contemporary and classic French and Francophone cultures––without leaving your apartment.

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VISUAL ART

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON | VIDEO

Were you able to join the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston for the lecture about Francis Bacon: Late Paintings on opening day? If not—or if you’d like to see it again—check out the video. Curator Alison de Lima Greene explores Francis Bacon’s depiction of the human form and the major themes that dominate his later works.

This exhibition, from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, features some 40 canvases from the British artist and opened on February 23 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, before a temporary closure.

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MOODY CENTER FOR THE ARTS | VIDEO

In conjunction with Houston Public Media, the Moody's executive director, Alison Weaver, offers you a behind-the-scenes look at Radical Revisionists: Contemporary African Artists Confronting Past and Present. The exhibition features works by artists from Africa and the Diaspora. Francophone artists represented in the exhibition include Omar Victor Diop (Senegal), Pascale Martine Tayou (Cameroon) and Sammy Baloji (Congo). The exhibition was part of the 2020 French Cultures Festival.

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GALERIE FRANK ELBAZ | ONLINE VIEWING ROOM

Galerie frank elbaz, located in both Dallas, TX and Paris, France, is happy to annonce the launch of its own Online Viewing Rooms, starting with the gallery's current exhibition: Acteur by French artist Bernard Piffaretti.

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THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON | VIDEO

Last summer, the MFAH became part of the much-discussed story surrounding a startling discovery in Paris. A long-lost painting by revered 19th-century artist Eugène Delacroix had surfaced from a Parisian apartment. In this video, MFAH Director Gary Tinterow discusses the Museum’s acquisition of the painting, Women of Algiers in Their Apartment.

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DALLAS CONTEMPORARY | ONLINE EXHIBITION

Since 2000, French artist JR has pasted his large-scale photographs in streets throughout the world as a method of exploring personal identity. In 2011, he launched the world’s largest participatory art project Inside Out. The Inside Out Project photobooth truck parked inside the Dallas Contemporary Museum between January 11 and March 9, 2014: visitors were able to enter the photobooth in the rear of the truck to get their photo taken and watch it print immediately. The exhibition is now available online!

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TX OK AR MUSEUMS | ONLINE COLLECTIONS

French art represents an important part of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas museums’ permanent collections. Museums may be closed, many of them however have opened their collections to their online visitors.

Take the time to (re)discover the numerous French or France-based artists featured in the various museum galleries such as the Arkansas Arts Center, the Gilcrease Museum, the Kimbell Art Museum, the MFAH, the Nasher Sculpture Center and many more.

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TEXAS MUSEUMS | VIDEOS AND PODCASTS

The archives of the museums in Texas preserve audio and video recordings of lectures, talks and exhibition tours dating back to decades ago. Here is a selection of recordings around French art and temporary exhibitions related to French artists you may enjoy listening or watching from the comfort of your home!

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MUSIC

ARS LYRICA | VIDEO

Ars Lyrica presents: Musical Moments: family edition | Tour de France with educational extras, on air this Monday, April 6 at 10am (Facebook / Youtube), in the framework of its new Community Through Music virtual program.

Get your passport ready for a trip to France. Learn the steps to dance a minuet and some historically informed detective skills that helps artists decide how to interpret the notes on the page.

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HOUSTON SYMPHONY | PODCAST

Listen to a performance by Houston Symphony of Berlioz's Overture to Béatrice et Bénédict, Dutilleux's Les Citations, Ravel's Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet, Roussel's Suite from Le festin de l’araignée and Debussy's La mer, conducted by Ludovic Morlot and recorded in March 2019. (Click on Houston Public Media Broadcasts > MARCH 22 & 25)

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MUSIQA | VIDEO

Étude for 11 Faces uses a synchronized video with some of Florent Ghys's friends' faces doing noises, singing notes and telling a story.

Watch the 9-minute performance of Étude for 11 Faces presented by Musiqa at Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston in February 2019.

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FILMS & DIGITAL MEDIA

FrenchFlicks has gathered for you a list of 65 French films to watch online for free, and close to 70 French films available on Netflix.

Launched in July 2013 by the former Télérama and Sofilm correspondent in New York, FrenchFlicks.com lists all year long all French films screened in theatres and streaming platforms in the U.S.

MyFrenchFilmFestival - The STAY HOME edition is accompanying you in the weeks ahead and invites you to discover or again enjoy the best that French short films have to offer from the past 10 editions of MyFrenchFilmFestival. The STAY HOME edition is a selection of more than 50 short films, subtitled in many languages, available for free throughout the world until April 27, 2020.

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The Coronavirus pandemic has many of us home-bound with our children. While we all try to find activities and great content to keep them busy, we thought you might enjoy a few recommendations of movies to watch together.

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Go online to view the best of short films for chidren ages three and up. The free access French website FILM POUR ENFANTS offers the possibility to view online at no cost over 2,800 short films.

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Here is a selection of past and recent podcasts about French cinema, available in English for free.

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Find out our selection of conferences, talks and masterclasses and enjoy your time home learning about the works and thoughts of major filmmakers.

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The coronavirus epidemic is highly disrupting the calendar of this Spring’s cultural events. Several festivals cancelled or postponed their 2020 editions, including Cannes and Tribeca film festivals.

Nevertheless many of them are working on online alternatives to offer streaming services to their audience at home, organize virtual meetings, showcase innovative contents and support the fillm industry. Find out our selection of the best initiatives to cope with this situation.

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If you have already watched all Netflix series, read all those books you bought but had not read yet, now is the perfect time to play videogames! French entertainment companies Ubisoft and Ankama make some games free for a few days. You can benefit also from discounts on your favorite platforms. We picked the best French video games and applications you can play for free right now. Enjoy!

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HIGHER EDUCATION

APPLICATION DEADLINE: APRIL 10

Established as a partnership with the Embassy of France in the United States, the France-UT Endowed Excellence Fund program supports scholarly collaborations in all disciplines between The University of Texas at Austin and institutions of higher learning in France.

In response to France’s Make our Planet Great Again initiative and UT’s Bridging Barriers: Planet Texas 2050, specific topics have been chosen, click bellow to read more about them.

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APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 29

Together with APLU and NAFSA, the Cultural Services and the Office for Science and Technology of the Embassy of France in the U.S. launch the Transatlantic Mobility Program with the aim to provide grants to colleges and universities which prioritize student mobility. Six to eight U.S. colleges and universities will be allocated a maximum of $20,000 for the completion of their project.

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BOOKS

VOTE BETWEEN MAY 1 AND 15

Albertine has launched its 2020 edition of Prix Albertine Jeunesse, a reader’s choice award in which children ages 3 to 14 years vote for their favorite book from a selection of works of Francophone youth literature available in English translation. The theme of this year's prize selection is “growing up.”

Parents, children, teachers, and students can explore the collection of books and vote for their favorites between May 1st and 15th, 2020.

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APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 15

The Book Department of the Cultural Services works to promote French and Francophone literature and to encourage English translations of French works. It oversees three grant programs to help publishers and translators with acquisition of rights cost and translation cost.

The deadline for French Voice Award, Hemingway Grant and Acquisition of Rights program is May 15, 2020 for the current session (Expected date of printing: no sooner than March 2021 for this session.)

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