Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine

09/14/2026

Are you a Franco-American artist or writer? Would you be interested in presenting at the Collection’s Petit rassemblement this coming November? Here’s the link to apply to present and lead a workshop:

09/04/2026

Check it out! French language film in Portland next Wednesday, 9/8.

Alliance Française du Maine and Kinonik have joined forces to present "Enfants Terribles" a four-film series of French films drawn entirely from Kinonik’s 16mm collection. All of the films will screen in French with English subtitles, on film, at Kinonik’s Cassidy Point projection room. The series runs from September through December 2026.
From poetic realism to the French New Wave, ENFANTS TERRIBLES traces how French filmmakers reinvented what cinema could be. Across wartime childhood, restless youth, impossible love and theatrical spectacle, these films turn rebellion, desire and survival into a living history of modern cinema. Seen from 16mm prints, grain, flicker and projection become part of the experience - cinema as event, not content.
These are prints, not files. The projector is in the room with you. You will hear it. Come hear cinema breathe.

Masculin Féminin
(Godard, 1966)
New Wave: Youth, Politics, Pop Culture
September 8th

09/02/2026

Check out the latest episode of Franco-American Pathways!

08/27/2026

More information about the Center for French Colonial Studies conference at USM Lewiston this October! We hope you will join us.

You won't want to miss this!

Registration is now open for the annual conference of the Center for French Colonial Studies. This will be the first time the CFCS comes to the Northeast. It will be held in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, October 2-4.

This year’s conference is being held in association with the Archives, the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine, and the Maine State Museum.

Conference speakers include:
- Brett Walker, master shoemaker, "Head Over Heels: Exploring Fashion Choices in New France and Her Borderlands"
- Terrence J. Martin, Ph.D., Curator Emeritus of Anthropology, Illinois State Museum, "Use of Animals at French Heritage Archaeological Sites in the Pays d’en Haut and the Illinois Country"
- Denis Ledoux, author and historian, "Here to Stay: Lives in 17-Century Canada"
- Patrick Lacroix, Ph.D., Director of the Acadian Archives, "The Making of Acadie in Maine and the Maritimes"
- Leslie P. Choquette, Ph.D., Professor of History, Côté Professor of French Studies, and Director of the French Institute at Assumption University, "After New France: French-Canadian Immigration to the United States in the 19th and 20th Centuries"

Please go to the Center's website for additional information on the conference and to register:

https://www.frenchcolonialstudies.org/conference-2026

08/14/2026

Interested in learning more about history, archeology, music, and culture in French North America? Join us at USM Lewiston this fall for the Center for French Colonial Studies 2026 conference!

Registration for the Center for French Colonial Studies Annual Conference in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine is now open.

This is not a strictly academic conference. The conference features lectures by noted scholars, tours, musical performances, and great meals. All events are centered on the Franco-American experience in North America, and anyone can sign up.

Primary sponsors include the Acadian Archives, the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine, the Maine State Museum, PoutineFest USA - Maine, and Arbre Croche Cultural Resources.

We hope to see you there!

For conference information, visit our website:
https://www.frenchcolonialstudies.org/conference-2026

To register for the conference:
https://www.frenchcolonialstudies.org/conference-registration

08/04/2026

New episode out now from Franco-American Pathways! Join us in hearing from Joe Boucher about growing up Franco in Biddeford and his career as a musician. Listen using this link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ox2hQ7YEANlj3R0WtuW4o?si=h7zdoVYyTE61UOu6cp70pA&utm_source=copy-link, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Franco-American Pathways · Episode

06/18/2026

Ticket purchase deadline extended! You can now grab your tickets until Saturday.

06/16/2026

Tickets close tomorrow: make sure to grab yours ASAP!

WEDNESDAY, June 24
Doors & Cash Bar 5pm
Event 6pm

TICKETS: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=321811

In collaboration with the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine, the Franco Center’s final La Rencontre of the 2025-26 season will celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste day on Wednesday, June 24, with dinner and dancing.

Celebrate St. Jean Baptiste Day with music, food, and community spirit at this festive gathering! Honoring French-Canadian heritage, the event features traditional songs, lively entertainment, and plenty of camaraderie. Join friends and neighbors for a joyful tribute to culture and tradition that brings generations together in celebration.

Tickets for this extra special La Rencontre must be purchased by 5 PM on June 17 so we can plan the number of meals to prepare.

06/15/2026

Had a great time presenting our walking tour to Bates College’s 1976 50th class reunion attendees! Thank you to all my fellow presenters from Scontras Center , Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Denis Ledoux, & Father Mike Seavey!

06/12/2026

Missed our oral history event with the Bates students but still interested in listening to their audio exhibit? Check it out at this link: https://mainesoundandstory.com/story/franco-american-stories-by-bates-purposeful-work-class-2026/!

This audio exhibit is the culmination of a three week intensive at Bates College in May 2026. Students in the Short Term course “Purposeful Work: Community-Engaged Audio Storytelling” worked with instructor Galen Koch and archivist Anna Faherty at the Franco-American Collection to create this li...