Art Exhibit & Symposium

Franco Fine Fine Arts Exchange presents

CORRESPONDANCE : A Reflection of the Movement of the Acadian People Throughout Time

Acadian artists from multiple countries gather over 250 years after a mass deportation to reflect on their lineage, resiliency, and unwavering joie de vivre. Please join us at The Hilliard Art Museum on October 9th at 5 pm for opening night.

This exhibit will run until November 8th, 2025, and will feature these artists, who will recall their experiences:

Melissa Bonin
Bob Borel
Kristie Cornell
Nicholas Curran
François Gaudet
Abigail Guillory
Le Blank
Gaven LeCompte
Rozalyn LeCompte
Dege Legg
Zachary Richard Band
Erin Segura
Francis X Pavy
Andrew Perrin

FRANCO FINE ARTS EXCHANGE is a Louisiana nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the visual arts connection between Acadian descendants across the globe. A central online directory will identify, promote, and connect artists by facilitating a penpal network producing art collaborations, group exhibitions, and immersive residencies. These efforts will nurture an ongoing visual dialogue that bridges centuries and geographies as a profound act of healing generational scars. By hosting exchanges during international festivities in Francocentric regions, this initiative seeks to strengthen communities by exploring shared history through contemporary artistic expression. The long term vision is to establish permanent Franco FAE galleries, creating distinct spaces for enduring cultural connection.

Et asteur, quoi?
(Now what?)

Countercultural Currents and
Artistic Intersections in French Louisiana

Friday, October 10, 2025 • 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Hilliard Art Museum • 710 East St. Mary Boulevard
Hosted by:
The Center for Louisiana Studies
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles
The Hilliard Art Museum

About the Symposium:
Join us for a day of music, stories, and creative energy as we explore how Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole cultural movements have shaped, challenged, and metamorphosized popular culture. From radio waves and folk festivals to modern art and language revivals, this event brings together artists, educators, and community leaders working at the crossroads of tradition and innovation.

Schedule

9:00 – 9:15
Coffee & Welcome

9:15 – 10:30
Part 1 – Looking Back: Cultural Activism in Popular Culture, moderated by Philip de Mahy

  • Le moment Réveille: Filmed interview with Zachary Richard, archival photos presented by Barry Ancelet

  • En l’honneur / Remembering Richard Guidry with Amanda LaFleur

  • Radio Zarico / Early Zydeco Radio with Herb Wiltz

10:30 – 11:00
Musical Interlude – FLEE Project
Pasé Bèl Tan: Francophonies & Creolities in Louisiana

Part 2 – Building Communities and Reviving Language through the Arts

11:00 – 11:45
Session 1 – FrancoFAE: Community Building in the Diaspora, moderated by Drake LeBlanc
With Roz LeCompte, Andy Perrin, Melissa Bonin, and FAE Artists

11:45 – 12:45
Lunch On Your Own

12:45 – 1:15
Musical Interlude – Nous Foundation
Musiques project and featured artists

1:15 – 2:15
Session 2 – Creole Language Revitalization through Museum Education, moderated by Jonathan J. Mayers

• Mitoloji Latannyèr | Mythologies Louisianaises and Kamp Kréyol,

featuring Clif St. Laurent, Adrien Guillory-Chatman, and Henry Barconey.

•Angelique Bergeron on Kont Kréyol-yé

2:15 – 2:45
Musical Interlude – Dry Bones Episode #2: “Grandfather’s Waltz”
Web series sneak peek by the Center for Louisiana Studies

2:45 – 4:00
Part 3 – Unearthed Footage: Dewey Balfa and Friends at the 1964 Folk Festival, presented by the Helis Foundation John Scott Center
Screening and discussion with Barry Ancelet, Jerry Devillier, and Wade Falcon

4:00 – 4:30
Closing Conversations & Farewell

View Symposium lineup