Bonjour mes Amis,

I've had the luxury of spending some of the spring in my hometown of Houston. If you're in the area before May 6th, be sure to visit the Museum of Fine Arts. They're currently hosting the Met's French Impressionist paintings while the museum undergoes renovations. There are some beautiful pieces from the New York collection including works from Van Gough, Degas, Monet, Picasso, and Modigliani, among others. Visit their link for more information.
http://mfah.org/main.asp?target=home

Another taste of French culture in Texas is the French Canadian troupe Cirque du Soleil that is circulating with their show Corteo. Currently installed on the pavement of the Sam Houston Racetrack, the blue and yellow big top offers up a nightly cabaret-esque circus experience. While Corteo is not my favorite of their many spectacles I've attended because it seemed centered around a younger audience, I never miss a performance. Highlights were the opening act where women dangled from glittery chandeliers and a midget that bounced around the audience suspended by balloons. Visit if you're able.

Here are links to the most recent articles...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Affordable Seats at the Paris Opera
Infuse your next visit to Paris with music, drama, and dance during a memorable soiree. Tickets to an opera or ballet performance entitle their holder to a red velvet seat within a grandiose espace. In divulging the secret of securing affordable seats, your access to the arts is augmented.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48513.asp

Art, Chocolate and Taxidermy on Rue du Bac
Currently at the Musée Maillol, Pascin´s exhibition showcases warm portraits shrouded in Impressionism and watercolor-washed pen and ink caricatures. Exiting the Paris Metro at Rue du Bac, stop along the way for decadent chocolates and browse the most bizarre shop in Paris, a menagerie of taxidermy.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49842.asp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please visit frenchculture.bellaonline.com to learn more about French Culture.

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. Have fun passing this message along to family and friends who share your interests.

A bien tot-
Melissa Demiguel, French Culture Editor
http://frenchculture.bellaonline.com