Paris Art Studies was founded in the summer of 2007 as a new cultural and teaching venue for the English speaking community of Paris and as well as for visitors to the city.  Its goal is to provide a year-long comprehensive program of lectures on the history of Paris and French art. The participants examine in detail and in-depth the painting, sculpture, architecture, furniture and design of one of the world’s greatest artistic cities, a center of culture and civilization from the Middle Ages to the present. Slide lectures are held in the Galerie Beckel Odille Boïcos, a contemporary art gallery established since 1999 in the historic district of the Marais near the Bastille. Past and present complement each other in this environment in which art and photography exhibitions change throughout the year providing a constantly evolving artistic background to the lectures. Chris Boïcos and Pascal Odille are the principal lecturers for the opening season. Chris Boïcos has been teaching art history in Paris since 1985 in a great number of institutions notably the Women’s Institute of Continuing Education (WICE), Center for University Programs Abroad (CUPA), the University of Delaware, the University of Southern California and other American undergraduate programs in Paris. Pascal Odille is a registered French national art expert of post-war art and teaches at the École d’Art et de Communication (EAC) and the University Paris IV -Sorbonne at Abu-Dhabi. They are also gallery partners and co-founders with Daniel Beckel of Galerie Beckel Odille Boïcos. Paris Art Studies has a good website.

Canal St-Martin. Stretching from the Square Frederick Lemaître, near the Place de la Republique, to the Rue Lafayette and the charming pool of the Parc de la Villette, this canal enables boats to take a shortcut through the 10th arrondissement past a long loop of the Seine. Since its creation in 1825, the canal has been made famous by artists and film directors. It was notably featured in Jeunet's Amelie. The 4.5km Canal St. Martin runs south from here, descending four sets of double locks on its way to the Seine. First are the Jaurès Locks, followed immediately by the La Fayette tunnel, which takes boats under the Métro lines and boulevards. The tunnel has no towpath, and originally boats were hauled through manually. Pulleys installed in the 1920s and electric capstans beside the locks shortened the travel time between the Bassin and the river by an hour and a half. Today, tourists in Paris love to walk along the banks to watch the barges float by and navigate the nine locks along the length of the canal. You can stop at the Hotel du Nord , and reminisce about the fascinating day spent along the canal. 
 

 

DOMAINES & TERROIRS was founded by Debbi Baron as a cultural, learning and culinary tour company, offering journeys that explore regions in France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and eventually the United States that are known for their regional artisanal products.  For Debbi and her partner, Jean-Paul Bignand, the ever mutable cheese has always been a shared passion.  With cheese as their starting point, they began to investigate the people and their environment and cultures that create this extraordinary foodstuff.  In the process, their search expanded to the multitude of other specialties within each of these significant regions or areas.

The mission of Domaines & Terroirs is one of discovery and learning.  They are becoming ambassadors of all things artisanal and have created these journeys to allow others who share our interest to experience it through discovery.