Lecture Series: The Making of the Great Museums of Paris—From 1900 Until Today
with Russell Kelley
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”,
and a brand-new museum still in the making.
This series will begin on Thursday, January 15 at 12:00 p.m. CST in Chicago/1:00 p.m. EST in Miami/7:00 p.m. CET in Paris, and will
continue for the following five Thursdays at the same time. The series was made possible with the support of Solange and
Will Brown.
Guests may register for either individual lectures at $10 for AFMM or AF-Chicago Members/$20 for Non-Members, or for the entire series of
five lectures at $50 for Members/$100 for Non-Members.
Guests will receive a recording of all lectures for which they are registered afterward.
FULL SERIES | The Making of the Great Museums of Paris - 2026
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Zoom Webinar
$100.00 USD
This new webinar series continues our Winter 2024 exploration of Paris’s museums, focusing on their evolution over the past 125 years. Through an introductory lecture and talks by museum curators and directors, we’ll explore a house museum, a presidential museum, a private museum, and a brand-new museum still in the making. Lectures will take place Thursdays at 1:00 PM, from January 15 to February
19.
All lectures are presented in English. One lecture will be presented in French with English subtitles.
#3 | The Making & Remaking of the Louvre Museum
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
What is the most iconic monument in Paris?
The Louvre stands out as a symbol of Paris’s history, evolving from a medieval fortress into the world’s largest museum. From royal palace
to revolutionary museum and modern landmark crowned by I. M. Pei’s Pyramid, the Louvre embodies more than eight centuries of constant
transformation. Lecture in English.
#4 | The Making & Remaking of the Fondation Cartier
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
Béatrice Grenier will explain how the programming and collection of the Fondation Cartier Pour l’Art Contemporain has
evolved since it first opened in Jouy-en-Josas in 1984 as the first major art museum in France created by a private foundation;
then moved to the glass building on Boulevard Raspail designed by architect Jean Nouvel in 1994; and moved again on October 25, 2025, to the
building on Place du Palais Royal next to the Louvre formerly occupied by Louvre des Antiquaires and renovated by Jean Nouvel. Lecture in English.
#5 | La création du Musée du Grand Siècle
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
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 in French with English subtitles
#6 | The Making & Remaking of the Centre Pompidou
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Zoom Webinar
$20.00 USD
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. Lecture in English.
About the Series Curator & Moderator
Russell Kelley
Russell Kelley was the curator and moderator of the past five winters’ Zoom lecture series on the HIstory and
Heritage of France featuring the “Grands Châteaux of the Loire and Île de France”, “The Making of the French Garden”, “The Great Churches of
Paris”, “The Making of the Great Museums of Paris - From the Revolution Until 1900”, and “World Monuments in Paris”. He is the author
of The Making of Paris: The Story of How Paris Evolved from a Fishing Village into the World’s Most Beautiful City (Lyons
Press, 2021) and Walking Through the Ages of Paris - Ten Historical Walking Tours Through the City of Light (Lyons Press,
to be published in 2026), and has lived in Paris for more than 30 years.
Meet the Lecturers
Russell KelleyCurator and moderator of the past five winter Zoom lecture series on the history and heritage of France. He is the author of The Making of Paris (Lyons Press, 2021) and Walking Through the Ages of Paris (Lyons Press, forthcoming 2026), and has lived in Paris for over 30 years.
Ariane James-SarazinChief Curator of 17th and 18th Century Decorative Arts at the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Collections of the Nissim de Camondo Museum.
Béatrice GrenierDirector of Strategic Projects and International Programs at the Fondation Cartier.
Alexandre Gady Directeur de la mission de préfiguration du futur Musée du grand siècle.
Arthur DayrasChief of Staff to the Director of the Centre Pompidou.
