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The AMERICAN CLUB of PARIS NEWSLETTER

    Spring 2022


To our American Club of Paris community,

Reminiscing over the past few months since our last newsletter fills our hearts with happiness and immense gratitude. For long-standing, as well as new friendships, for the variety of events that have brought us joy and inspiration and finally, for the return to a “new normal” in which we can once again enjoy life to its fullest. And with days getting longer, April showers promising May flowers, an events calendar chock full of excitement including our Gala Dinner Dance in May, we hope you will join us often.

For now, we invite you to read on for our Spring newsletter includes our member spotlight feature, a walk down memory lane highlighting some of the events that made this quarter so memorable as well as Club and member news and a preview of some of the exciting events coming up in the next few weeks.

Happy Spring!

Member Spotlight

In this edition of our Member Spotlight, we are excited to introduce you to Alexandra Douville

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you come to live in Paris?

I have always wanted to live in a different country, and traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I grew up in San Francisco, and I went to college in New York City, so naturally, I love city life. Paris is an incredible European city– a fantastic choice to satiate a wanderlust. My husband is French, and we decided that we would live in France and travel around Europe for an unknown period of time. After we were married in the Summer of 2019, I moved to Paris (with my adorable dog) from Hawaii. We thought we'd be in Europe for a couple of years, but without a solid plan. During Covid, we decided to start my French residency process, and our unknown plan became more permanent. I am thrilled to be here, and I've learned a lot about myself regarding the humility required when integrating as an adult into a new society. As they say, everything happens for a reason, and I'm so excited for the future:)

What brought you to the American Club of Paris?

This is pretty random but cool. My Dad is a member of a couple of associations in San Francisco. He suggested that I look into an association in Paris for joining art events with museum-goers– as the arts are one of my passions. I thought about Inter-Nations but settled on the fact that it was geared toward younger adults and job networking. I wanted to find a more interesting group with more mature events, and I came across ACP on LinkedIn. I eventually landed on the club website, and I enjoyed reading about the club's history and past events. Next, I subscribed to the newsletter and followed the communication for about 6-months or so before making a step. When I read the email about the Georgia O'Keefe event, I decided to go for it and attend as a non-member. I thought, why not? Maybe I'll make some new friends, and at the very least, I'll have the opportunity to see O'Keefe's paintings in the 'art capital of the world.' What a fabulous idea it was!

Please share a memory of an event that stood out for you. What made it special? 

This question is hard to answer because I have truly enjoyed all of the events I've attended. What continues to stand out is that I keep meeting such interesting and genuine people. Hands down, this is a great club for making new friends.

What three things do you love most about Paris?

  1. Art Galleries & Museums
  2. Getting lost exploring
  3. The incredible and diverse history

What three things do you miss about the US?

  1. Kombucha
  2. Target
  3. Driving (currently studying for my Permis de Conduire)

    A Few Memories From Past Events

    Luncheon with former Russian Ambassador Alexandre Orlov - January 10th, 2022

    We kicked off the new year with dear, returning guest The Honorable Alexandre Orlov who candidly spoke to us about his impressive journey from the former Soviet Union to Strasbourg and ultimately Paris. And as Frédéric Mitterrand once said about the Ambassador - “vous faites aimer la Russie” - we couldn’t agree more!

     


    Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies: Zoom Discussion - January 17th, 2022

    In an interesting Zoom presentation Gate.io CMO Marie Tatibouet educated us on all things cryptocurrencies – what they are, how they are traded and how to best to choose which ones to invest in! Thank you, Marie, for the wealth of information!

    Musée Carnavalet - January 22nd, 2022

    After more than four years of extensive renovations we were thrilled to offer our members a private guided tour of the museum’s Oeuvres Incontournables with unique artifacts from prehistoric and Gallo-Romanian cultures, to antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, from Lutèce to Paris. The lunch that followed was just as wonderful as the visite!

    African Americans in Paris: Zoom Conference - February 10th, 2022

    In honor of Black History month, we welcomed Julia Browne from Walking the Spirit Tours – Black Paris and Beyond, for a fascinating presentation on the incredibly rich history of how African Americans greatly influenced French culture, beginning in the 1920’s when Paris became the center of a vibrant cultural exchange between the two. This conference definitely left a mark on all of us!

    Luncheon with Mezzo-Soprano Jeanne Ireland - February 16th, 2022

    A one-of-a-kind luncheon with the stunning and vivacious American mezzo soprano Jeanne Ireland who opened up to us about her life, both on and off stage. Jeanne, lauded for her colorful voice and honest character portrayal, candidly talked about the (sometimes difficult) choices she made at a young age that ultimately led to today’s successful career on stages all over the world.


    Steve McCurry at Musée Maillol - February 19th, 2022

    Without a doubt one of the most remarkable, living American photographers, this exhibition showcased over 150 of Steve McCurry’s spectacular photographs - from conflict and wars to ancient traditions, vanishing cultures and contemporary society - with the human element always as the work’s focal point. A private guided tour to remember!

    Station F - February 24th, 2022

    ACP Corporate Members David Nahmani and Stéphane Bunouf invited members for an exclusive visit of Station F, the world’s largest startup incubator. Following a tour and a fascinating talk on crowdfunding and how best to diversify one’s investments, the group was invited for cocktails at Station F’s La Felicità. Thank you, David and Stéphane, for this memorable evening!

    Bowling Night - March 9th, 2022

    What fun was had at ACP’s first bowling tournament! Some spares, several strikes, a few misses but loads of laughter shared with new and old friends. So much so that an independent group has been formed outside of ACP so watch out for the next tournament, we might have a few more champions amongst us. Oh, and calling out to the winners who haven’t yet claimed their prizes!


    March Happy Hour - March 15th, 2022

    Following a two-month forced hiatus, we were finally back at our favorite Parisian bar Le Gatsby for our legendary Happy Hour and as always had a fantastic evening with members and wonderful new friends (some who have now become members).


    Special Evening with photographer Yegan Mazandarani - March 22nd, 2022

    A thought-provoking evening with French-Iranian photographer Yegan Mazandarani who shared with us his experience of living and photographing in the Donbass in 2018. All proceeds of the evening have been donated to a Ukrainian Relief Fund. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported this event, in person or via a donation. 


    Art Heart Walking Tour - March 26th, 2022

    On a beautiful Spring afternoon 14 ACP members joined member Eric Remmen and his colleague Zara Sajid for the second installment of Atelier Tours Paris’s Art Heart Walking Tour. Private visits to some of the most prestigious art galleries in Paris’s 8tharrondissement, including Galerie Perrotin and Gagosian, made this a particularly memorable event. The bomb threat was just an added bonus of the afternoon!



    April Happy Hour - April 19th, 2022

    Steadily becoming the victim of its own success with a record-breaking number of walk-ins, we enjoyed another memorable Happy Hour with friends and so many new faces. Fingers crossed Le Gatsby receives their permit for the terrace…Make sure to mark your calendars every 3rd Tuesday of the month, 6:30-8:30 pm, registrations appreciated, walk-ins always welcome!



    Luncheon with French-American Journalist Laurence Haim - April 21st, 2022

    On the day following the Macron-Le Pen debate and mere days ahead of the 2nd round of the French presidential elections, French-American journalist hors pair Laurence Haim gave a thought-provoking talk about the future of France, and by extension that of Europe and the US. She even gave us a scoop or two.




    BFC Benjamin Franklin Circle

    Over half-way into the 2021/2022 Club season and almost half-way to our annual donation goal of €20,000. Today more than ever we kindly ask for your support: the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Circle plays a vital role in ensuring that our Club continues to build the French-American friendship by encouraging political, intellectual and cultural exchanges between the US and France. Your active participation and passion are what make the American Club of Paris such a singular organization. Please consider joining!

    We thank you in advance for your consideration.

    You may make a donation here.


    Member News

    We warmly welcome the following new members

    Tony Abraham, Julia Claire Bates Lahondé,Jane Callaghan-Honig, Patrice Cochy de Moncan, John Fredenberger, Brian Hall, Philippe Hardy,Sharri Harmel, Christiane Jauch,Deirdre Marie Jones,Diane Kane, Yousr Khalil, Cécile Laffont,Monika Rab, Leigh Schlegel, Nisreen Sachee, Christiane Seelinger, Joanne Spencer, Johanna Stobbs

    Member Profiles

    Please take a moment to review, and if necessary, update your member profile and contact information! Having your complete contact information allows us stay in touch with you - and while you're there, make sure to upload a photo and to share your birth date (year optional).

    In Memoriam 

    In deep sadness the American Club of Paris mourns the passing of former member John Davidson. John was also very active in AARO and his dedication to the expat community will be greatly missed.



    Upcoming Events

    Wednesday, May 4th at 6:30 pm: Zoom Conference with Charles MacKay, Click here to register

    Thursday, May 12th at 6:30 pmCharles Ray at the Centre Pompidou, Private Guided Tour (in English), Click here to register

    Tuesday, May 17th, 6:30 - 8:30 pm: May Happy Hour, Click here to register

    Friday, May 20th at 7:30 pm: Gala Dinner Dance, Click here to register

    and much more to be announced soon…

    Affiliate Club Event News

    Travelling to the south of France? On the occasion of their 60th anniversary the American Club of the Riviera cordially invites you to join them Sunday, May 8th at 7 pm for their Greek American Odyssey Gala, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Hellenic community of Monaco. The evening will include an authentic Greek dinner and live entertainment featuringdancers and a band from Greece. For more information please click here. While the event is officially sold out, tickets for affiliate members are still available! Interested in joining? Please contact the American Club of the Riviera’s president Timothy Molyneux at president@americanclubriviera.com.




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     A non-partisan, non-profit social Club under the French Association Law of 1901

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