This Year’s Past Highlights (for pictures, see slideshow):
• Curated tour of the Cezanne exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago and apéritif in the park, Aug 2022
• Rosa Bonheur and the Château de By, Virtual talk & tour, June 2022
• Third Annual Members’ Midwestern trip to Prairie du Chien, WI
• Third Annual Gala honoring Josephine Baker, June 2022
• Second French Heritage Corridor Conference, Lafayette, IN, May 2022
• Illinois & Michigan « I & M » Canal 2nd Annual Clean-Up, in observation of Earth Day, April 2022
• “Wine & War” Tasting & Author talk, Nov 2021
View the FHS Chicago-Midwest Steering Committee
FHS Chicago-Midwest 2022 Sustaining Sponsors: Reed Centracchio, Raila & Associates and Traen, Inc.
Weaving the past into the future: preservation, collaboration, celebration!
Through various activities and educational opportunities, we are dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and promotion of French heritage throughout the United States’ Midwest and France.
In addition to fostering Franco-American friendship (Amitié) and cross-cultural exchange through select tours throughout the Midwest, lectures, conferences, galas and other events, FHS Chicago-Midwest Chapter also plays an active role in the Midwest through FHS’s Franco-American Student Exchange Internship Program. The Chicago-Midwest Chapter recognizes the deep roots of French heritage throughout the Midwest and is proudly knitting together a network of stakeholders. French Heritage Corridor, an initiative conceived and led by the French Heritage Society Chicago-Midwest Chapter, comprises seven states in the Midwest (IA; IL; IN; MI; MN; MO and WI). This network, joined by waterways connecting with the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, transcends borders to recreate in the Midwest what was once la Nouvelle France. For more information, please visit: frenchheritagesociety.org/fhc/
Lisa Kahn and Pascale Kichler are Co-Chairs of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter. If you are interested in becoming involved with FHS Chicago-Midwest Chapter or learning more about our events, please contact us at [email protected], find us on Facebook at ChicagoFrenchHeritageSociety or follow us on Instagram @chicago_fhs.
Events
Join FHS for a memorable evening celebrating Esther da Costa Meyer and her book, Dividing Paris: Urban Renewal and Social Inequality, 1852-1870. Caroline Weber, Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Barnard College and author of Proust’s Duchess (recipient of the Third Annual FHS Book Award) will moderate the discussion, which will be followed by an elegant dinner.
Please join French Heritage Society's Philadelphia Chapter on May 7 at the Acorn Club for a fascinating luncheon with Christopher Kelly. Mr. Kelly will lead us on an exploration of the stunning Basilica of Vezelay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Burgundy, France.
Please join French Heritage Society’s New York Chapter on May 9 at a private club in Manhattan for a fascinating evening with Christopher Kelly. Mr. Kelly will lead us on an exploration of the stunning Basilica of Vezelay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Burgundy, France, followed by a wine reception.
Please join French Heritage Society's Boston Chapter on May 11 at the Concord School of Philosophy on the grounds of the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House for a fascinating evening with Christopher Kelly. Mr. Kelly will lead us on an exploration of the stunning Basilica of Vezelay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Burgundy, France, followed by a champagne reception.
Grants
The Chicago-Midwest Chapter has sponsored the following grantees:
2023 Château de Fontariol
2023 Bolduc House, MO
2022 Château de By-Rosa Bonheur (Seine et Marne)
2022 Château du Clos de Vougeot (Burgundy)
2022 Château de Millet (Allier)
2022 Village of Bourbonnais First Log Schoolhouse (Bourbonnais, IL)
2021 Château de Sambucy (Aveyron)
2021 Chatillon-DeMenil House (Saint Louis, MO)
2020 Château de Bouzols (Haute Loire)