SALON DE JEANNE D'ARC THIS WEEKEND: Press Release

THE JOAN OF ARC PARADE

GOES INDOORS AND ON-SCREEN!

Panels, Workshops, Discussions, Theater & Films will be offered this weekend by the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc

Conference and Workshops:     MAY 19 from   10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Film Screenings:                     May 20th  10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Saturday events will be held at The Bienville House Hotel at 320 Decatur Street

Sunday films will be shown at Bobet Hall, Main Campus, Loyola University, just off St. Charles Avenue

 

(New Orleans, LA--May 16, 2012)--The Salon de Jeanne d'Arc will be held this weekend in honor of Joan of Arc's many significant May dates: her lifting of the Siege of Orleans on May 8th; her canonization on May 16th; and her Feast Day on May 30th.

Brought to you by the folks who bring you the annual JOAN OF ARC PARADE, this two-day free conference is dedicated to offering the public a taste of all things Joan of Arc and the Joan of Arc Parade. The programs include a panel of our "Joans” talking about their experiences riding as Joan in the annual Twelfth Night parade, to presentations by Tulane and Loyola professors about perceptions of Joan of Arc from Shakespearean  times to modern-day France.  Costume workshops and a French language workshop are also offered on Saturday; on Sunday, three movies with three very different portrayals of Joan of Arc will be offered for free at Loyola University, back to back.  Donations to the krewe are welcome and encouraged.

The Salon de Jeanne d'Arc, now in its third year, is produced by the Joan of Arc Project, which oversees the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc and The Joan of Arc Parade.  Decidedly "more than just a parade", the Joan of Arc Project is dedicated to celebrating all things related to Joan of Arc, including honoring French culture and offering New Orleanians' a way to show their love towards their unofficial patron saint. 

See overview below.  You may request the full schedule by emailing joanofarcparade@gmail.com.

 SATURDAY, MAY 19TH AT THE BIENVILLE HOUSE HOTEL, VIEUX CARRE SALON, FIRST FLOOR

1    10:00-10:45 a.m. Meet and Greet the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc. Coffee & Croissants.

11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. OUI! OUI! French Language Workshop conducted by a teacher from Alliance Francaise New Orleans.

            12:00-12:45 p.m. Joan in Literature: Portrayals in Shakespeare's Henry VI. A presentation by Director of Medieval Studies at Loyola, Dr. John T. Sebastian.

1-1:45 p.m. Being Joan of Arc: A discussion about what it's like "playing" Joan in the Joan of Arc Parade and its life-altering results.

      2-2:45 Joan as a Political Symbol: From history to modern French politics. A presentation by Dr. Mark Vail, Associate Professor, Tulane University.

3-3:30 p.m. STAGED READING of Je m'appelais Jeanne d'Arc, "My Name Was Joan of Arc" by local French instructor William Gautreaux.

      3:40-4:00  p.m. Q& A with student actors and playwright/teacher William Gautreaux.

****In the nearby board room at the Bienville House Hotel, costume workshops will be occurring simultaneously. Questions? Email Antoinette at dealteriisa@bellsouth.net.*****

12 noon to 2 p.m. MEDIEVAL COSTUME PRESENTATION: . This is a discussion only program designed to walk you through what is appropriate and guide you through the process of defining your place in the parade. Materials, images from history, sample costume pieces, patterns, and thrift store bargains will all be discussed.  

2:30 to 4:30 p.m. HANDS-ON WORKSHOP: CONSTRUCTION OF KREWE FAVORS AND COSTUMES...WELCOME TO KREWE MEMBERS AND KREWE-MEMBERS-TO BE!

FIRST ANNUAL JOAN OF ARC FILM FESTIVAL

SUNDAY MAY 20, 2012 10 A.M. TO 6 P.M.

Cosponsored at Loyola University New Orleans by the Film Buffs Institute

and the Medieval Studies Program

Films will be shown in Room 332, THIRD FLOOR, BOBET HALL

(BOBET HALL IS JUST OFF ST. CHARLES AVENUE, ON THE MAIN CAMPUS)

FILMS:

10 a.m. to 12 noon   SAINT JOAN (1957, B&W) Directed by Otto Preminger, starring Jean Seberg-- Running time 110 minutes.

12 noon to 1:00 p.m. BREAK: Meet and Greet the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc

1:00 to 3:00 p.m. JEANNE LA PUCELLE: LES BATAILLES (1994) Directed by Jacques Rivette, starring Sandra Bonnaire--Running time 112 minutes

3:30 to 6:00 p.m. JOAN OF ARC (1948, Technicolor) Directed by Victor Fleming, starring Ingrid Bergman--Running time 145 minutes

6:00-6:30 p.m.  Informal reception with the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc

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WALKING TOUR ADDED TO SALON FOR THIS WEEKEND

Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc comrade James Geraghty has offered to host a Francophile walking tour during the Salon de Jeanne d'Arc this Saturday May 19th. The tour will begin at 10:45 a.m. at The Bienville House Hotel, 320 Decatur Street, in the front lobby.

French Quarter Tour led by James Geraghty, licensed tour guide and Francophile. Experience the storied streets of the Vieux Carré and three hundred years of French presence in the Crescent City. Your tour includes such sites as New Orleans’ birthplace, the Mississippi River; early colonial history at the Ursuline Convent and Madame John’s Legacy; the French Market (America’s oldest public market); Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral; the identical, block-long Pontalba Buildings; the statue of Joan of Arc; and unique locations covering topics such as Degas in New Orleans, French Opera, Jazz, and Creole cuisine.  This tour is limited to 10 people, first come, first served.

Join us May 8th!!! In honor of Joan's lifting of the Siege!

Contact: Amy Kirk Duvoisin, Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc (504) 251-5046 joanofarcparade@gmail.com

LONGTIME JOAN FAN? 

JOAN OF ARC PARADE WANNABE MEMBER?

OR JUST PLAIN CURIOUS ABOUT JOANIE ON THE PONY AND HER STORY?

...THEN YOU SHOULD JOIN US FOR THE...

Salon de Jeanne d'Arc  on Saturday & Sunday May 19 and 20th, 2012

 Lectures & Workshops on Saturday----Movies on Sunday

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day (open door policy..come and go as you wish... donations are encouraged but event is free and open to the public)

A full weekend of all things Joan of Arc--plus opportunities to join the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc, organizers of THE ANNUAL JOAN OF ARC PARADE! 

(New Orleans, Louisiana--May 1, 2012)--- The Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc proudly presents their third annual conference exploring all things Joan of Arc, including lectures, costume workshops and movies about Joan.  The event is free and open to the public, but donations to the krewe are welcome--and new members are especially encouraged to attend!  Any donation offered that day will go towards krewe membership for the January 2013 parade.   The Salon will be held for 2 consecutive days this year, at one French Quarter (The Bienville House Hotel) and one Uptown location (Loyola University). See full schedule & locations below.  Refreshments will be for sale both days as a krewe fundraiser.  Attendees are welcome to come for one or as many presentations as they wish!

BACKGROUND

The Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc was founded in 2008, with the first walking parade held on Joan's birthday, January 6th, 2009.  The Joan of Arc Project, LLC, was formed in 2009 as a way to combine all krewe events and programs, from book clubs to community events, conferences, The Maid of Honor contest,  our annual Twelfth Night walking parade (always held on Joan's birthday Jan. 6th), and other celebrations of Joan. The krewe  contains approximately 60 members and welcomes new members.

www.stjoankrewe.blogspot.com    www.joanofarcparade.com

Find us on facebook as "Joan of arc project"

 The first conference, "The Joan of Arts Fete" was held in conjunction with the 2010 annual Joan of Arc Parade and was sponsored by the Arts Council of New Orleans. The second such annual gathering was held in May 2011, inspired by so many of Joan's notable May dates (May 8--Lifting of the Siege of Orleans (1429); May 16--Joan's canonization by Catholic Church (1920); May 30--Joan's Feast Day (1431)
and as an opportunity for a mid-year krewe event.  Last year's and this year's events are completely volunteer-driven, from the presenters to the performers and organizers.  Donations are welcome!!!

EVENT SCHEDULE:   

      All presentations are inside The Vieux Carre Salon at the Bienville House Hotel, 320 Decatur Street, in the French Quarter.  Reservations are not required but seating is limited. All presentations are free and open to the public. Questions? Email Amy at joanofarcparade@email.com or call (504) 251-5046.  The krewe gratefully acknowledges the donation of meeting space by The Bienville House Hotel, the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc's official hotel sponsor.

      10:00-10:45 a.m. Meet and Greet the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc. Share croissants and coffee with the krewe and discuss our history, membership levels, and how you and your family can get involved! We'll answer any question--in English or French! This is an informal opportunity to chat with us before the presentations begin, but krewe members will be at the Salon all day at an information table as well.

11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. OUI! OUI! French Language Workshop conducted by Sandrine Vigouroux-Crouch of our local French cultural & educational center Alliance Francaise. Start the day off learning a few key French phrases, as well as some fun Joan of Arc related phrases to use during the parade. Meet Alliance Francaise members firsthand to learn more about this worldwide network’s local branch and how you can get involved. 

          12:00-12:45 p.m. Joan in Literature: Portrayals in Shakespeare's Henry VI. A presentation by Director of Medieval Studies at Loyola, Dr. John T. Sebastian. He is the author of articles on medieval English poets Geoffrey Chaucer and John Lydgate, medieval drama, and the Arthurian legend.  He is also one of two editors of a forthcoming anthology of medieval drama from Broadview Press.  At Loyola he teaches the literatures and cultures of the medieval world

1-1:45 p.m. Being Joan of Arc: A discussion about what it's like "playing" Joan in the Joan of Arc Parade and its life-altering results. Featuring women and girls who ride as Joan in our parade, including student winners of our annual Maid of Honor contest, including our 2012 Maid Aggie Bell, our longtime and original Joan of Arc, Caye Mitchell, and Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer, who has ridden as one of our Joans for the past two years.

      2-2:45 Joan as a Political Symbol: From history to modern French politics. A presentation by Dr. Mark Vail, Associate Professor, Tulane University,  International and Comparative Political Economy . A discussion of perceptions of Joan in her native France, and how she has been used as a metaphor by political parties for centuries.

3-3:30 p.m. STAGED READING of Je m'appelais Jeanne d'Arc, "My Name Was Joan of Arc" by local French instructor William Gautreaux. This new play, based on Jean Anouilh's 'THE MAID" won FIRST PLACE at Southeastern Louisiana University's Foreign Language Festival.  Presented in English.

      3:40-4:00  p.m. Q& A with students and playwright/teacher William Gautreaux about his new play about Joan of Arc and the students' perspectives on the process and the piece.

COSTUME PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS in The Bienville House Hotel BOARD ROOM, on the other side of the hotel, near the front desk lobby

12 noon to 2 p.m. MEDIEVAL COSTUME PRESENTATION

Become a part of the pageantry by designing your very own Medieval costume, be it peasant, knight, or noble. This is a discussion only program designed to walk you through what is appropriate and guide you through the process of defining your place in the parade. Materials, images from history, sample costume pieces, patterns, and thrift store bargains will all be discussed. From head to feet, you can bring your personality to the parade in a way that honors St. Joan and entertains those who come to watch.

2:30 to 4:30 p.m. HANDS-ON WORKSHOP: CONSTRUCTION OF KREWE FAVORS AND COSTUMES...WELCOME TO KREWE MEMBERS AND KREWE-MEMBERS-TO BE!

One of the many delights of this parade are it's handmade and hand modified throws all connected thematically to St. Joan's life and legacy. Come on by to discuss, design, and define what makes our throws so endearing and collectible. This is a mixed display, discussion, and hands-on construction workshop. Please feel free to bring ideas, supplies, and materials to donate to the krewe. The throw committee will meet after this workshop including any members, or prospective members, interested in having a voice. Questions? Email Antoinette at dealteriisa@bellsouth.net.

FIRST ANNUAL JOAN OF ARC FILM FESTIVAL

SUNDAY MAY 20, 2012 10 A.M. TO 6 P.M.

See the various portrayals of our golden "Joanie on the Pony" on the silver screen...

Cosponsored at Loyola University New Orleans by the Film Buffs Institute and the Medieval Studies Program

Films will be shown in Room 332, THIRD FLOOR, BOBET HALL

(BOBET HALL IS JUST OFF ST. CHARLES AVENUE, ON THE MAIN CAMPUS)

Free and Open to the Public--Snacks and beverages will be for sale as donations to the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc. Suggested public parking is on St. Charles Avenue along Audubon Park.  Doors open 9:30 a.m.

FILMS:

10 a.m. to 12 noon   SAINT JOAN (1957, B&W) Directed by Otto Preminger, starring Jean Seberg-- Running time 110 minutes.

12 noon to 1:00 p.m. BREAK

1:00 to 3:00 p.m. JEANNE LA PUCELLE: LES BATAILLES (1994) Directed by Jacques Rivette, starring Sandra Bonnaire--Running time 112 minutes

3:00 to 3:30 BREAK

3:30 to 6:00 p.m. JOAN OF ARC (1948, Technicolor) Directed by Victor Fleming, starring Ingrid Bergman--Running time 145 minutes

6:00 p.m.  Informal reception and Meet and Greet with Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc

We are...blessed!

Thank you to these patient boys for carrying our new banner. They had to deal with me occasionally grabbing it and saying, "hold it--stop!" or "move over a little...yes, there, there!"..or "slooow down!"  A few times, they were like, "yah, we got it. we got it!" I think of Joan leading men into battle..."yeah, we got it..we got it, miss hyper chick!" 

I keep getting choked up when I see these photos of Monsignor blessing our sword. It really feels like a miracle to me. That's Maid 2011 Mallory Young holding it. In the background, Stephen Swain, who coordinated this moment..thank you Stephen!!! We hope we can do this EVERY YEAR! I will try not to request it in all caps when I write you next year! But...I'm so excited!

 

Thanks to krewe member Rafael Monzon, we had a "real" Mardi Gras crown and septre for our Maid 2012 Aggie Bell to crown our King 2012 Damien Regnard. In the background are banners of Joan's words made by krewe member Amanda Helm, of "that Wisconsin monk group" fame!

A classic New Orleans image...krewe member Roberta LeGrand handing our most simple and sacred signature items, numbered candles and prayer cards, to secondline dancer and leader of Skinz and Bonez group, Darryl Young...very very cool. We should get him involved somehow next year...hmmm!


Thank you to every single person near and far who made this 600th birthday so very special. We are still learning with every parade...we are a procession and spectacle perhaps more than a parade and stuff...yet...as the crowds grow and more families come, we want to create more "stuff" to give out..and we want to grow the spectacle more, with more angels and birthday themed elements, more Joans, more music, more knights and soldiers, more fire dancers (probably without real fire..think..baton twirlers w/ ribbons rather than flames!)...stay tuned...we will welcome new krewe members in May when we gather again for our annual Salon de Jeanne  conference.  It's heartening to get so many emails about an interest in membership! We have struck a chord...and look forward to continuing to create harmonies between art, history, religion, and all things New Orleans! Please send me notes on your ideas, suggestions, insights, reactions, reflections!  stjoankrewe@yahoo.com. Thanks for the love!

PARADE BEGINS AT 6 P.M. AT CONTI AND DECATUR STREETS (BIENVILLE STATUE)

• THIS YEAR JOAN AND HER SWORD WILL BE BLESSED IN FRONT OF ST LOUIS CATHEDRAL BY MONSIGNOR KERN AT APPROXIMATELY 6:15 P.M.

• ·CITY PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY KRISTIN GISLESON PALMER'S OFFICE WILL BE READ BY AN ACTOR PORTRAYING THE FOUNDER OF NEW ORLEANS, JEAN-BAPTISTE LE MOYNE, SIEUR DE BIENVILLE, BEFORE THE PARADE DEPARTS

• SIX JOANS ON HORSEBACK:   OUR MAID OF HONOR, OUR WARRIOR JOAN, OUR "JOANIE ON THE PONY" PORTRAYED BY KRISTIN GISLESON PALMER, AND THREE ADDITIONAL JOANS ON WHITE HORSES WILL HONOR JOAN'S 600TH YEAR!

• KING CAKE CEREMONY FOLLOWING THE PARADE WITH SPEECHES IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH BY KREWE KING DAMIEN REGNARD AND KREWE MAID AGGIE BELL AND KING CAKE DONATED BY SUCRE (BUT AS ALWAYS, THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO BRING KING CAKES TO EAT AND SHARE!)

• Special thanks to our sponsor hotel: BIENVILLE HOUSE HOTEL!

We do have a sense of humor! We can even be quite cheesy!

When new krewe member Mary Langston brought an empty box of Joan of Arc Brie to a recent gathering, saying she was thinking of making it into a hat for the parade, I was delighted. When she sent me a photograph of what she'd made, I was even more delighted! Welcome, Mary! We think you'll be very comfortable here with the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc! Step right in...

I founded the krewe with a deep respect and love of Joan, first inspired in my teens when I read "Saint Joan" by George Bernard Shaw. As I grow older my appreciation for her deepens...as does my own sense of humor about all things bright, beautiful, and terrifying.

(Was it Katrina that made me this way, or was it just that Katrina happened when I'd reached a point where so many sad and bad things seemed to have happened...it kind of opened the floodgates for me and washed it all away???)

I think that New Orleanians--natives or transplants--embrace irony on a deeper level than elsewhere. (Very humid town, very dry humor...) At first I thought this was a really negative place; now I realize people here have surrendered in ways that allow one to experience life more fully...I feel like I'm living on all levels in this place, and I believe that I am truly alive here. That doesn't mean it's the happiest place on Earth. No, San Francisco is Utopian...New Orleans is...U-Hope-ian?

All this to say, no matter how sincere and passionate one may be here about anything, there is often a more brutal reality that kind of, well, takes things down a notch and might make you a little more  sarcastic than usual. As a friend of mine says, this place can make you into a "weathered stone". But some of us accept that, and sprinkle glitter on our stoney selves, and step out into the brutal sunshine...and the light bounces off of us!

We have a krewe member who is making a "Joan of Artichoke" costume. We have a member who will be tossing Atomic Fireballs. We hand out matchbooks, for gosh sake!

Still, I'm quite serious this year. In addition to prints of a painting of the statue made by local artist Chris Long, and a quote about Joan from Vita Sackville West tied to my little tambourines,  I will be handing out handmade crosses with the classic Joan quote "I am not afraid. I was born to do this."

Our Maid of Honor will hand out 16 swords, and will receive  a sword blessed in front of the Cathedral.

And our King? He'll be giving out candy Ring Pops.

Balance in the Big Easy...from the cherished to the cheesy.

Learning to wield a sword

"And this is how you hold the wooden sword as you go down Chartres...remember to smile!"

This is our Maid in training with our original Joan of Arc, aka Caye Mitchell, who rides in many local parades and is the core leader of our krewe. She donates her time, love, and horses to the Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc, and mentors our student Joans who win the Maid of Honor role.  To the right, 2012 Maid of Honor Aggie Bell, a creative and accomplished young woman at McGhee who impressed our judges with everything from her innovation in starting a Harry Potter Community Service Club to her athleticism,  literary and leadership experience, her love of music and French language skills.

So far the two young women who won this honor before Aggie (Blair Davis, 2010; Mallory Young, 2011) have both been so inspired by the role that they based their college application essays on the experience. Both learned much more about Joan than they ever expected, and both came away from the parade realizing that Mardi Gras is more than they ever imagined...

Congratulations, Aggie, and may the force of Joan be with you!

Why We Love Joan

 

 

When we reflect that her century was the brutalest, the wickedest, the
rottenest in history since the darkest ages, we are lost in wonder at
the miracle of such a product from such a soil. The contrast between her
and her century is the contrast between day and night. She was truthful
when lying was the common speech of men; she was honest when honesty was
become a lost virtue; she was a keeper of promises when the keeping of a
promise was expected of no one; she gave her great mind to great
thoughts and great purposes when other great minds wasted themselves
upon pretty fancies or upon poor ambitions; she was modest, and fine,
and delicate when to be loud and coarse might be said to be universal;
she was full of pity when a merciless cruelty was the rule; she was
steadfast when stability was unknown, and honorable in an age which had
forgotten what honor was; she was a rock of convictions in a time when
men believed in nothing and scoffed at all things; she was unfailingly
true to an age that was false to the core; she maintained her personal
dignity unimpaired in an age of fawnings and servilities; she was of a
dauntless courage when hope and courage had perished in the hearts of
her nation; she was spotlessly pure in mind and body when society in the
highest places was foul in both--she was all these things in an age when
crime was the common business of lords and princes, and when the highest
personages in Christendom were able to astonish even that infamous era
and make it stand aghast at the spectacle of their atrocious lives black
with unimaginable treacheries, butcheries, and beastialities.

 

--From Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by Mark Twain

Confessions of a trinket buyer: CALLING ALL ARTISTS...Help us Repent!

So while looking online for a new tambourine to replace the one I bought years ago at the Renaissance Fair, I found these cute (what other word is there for tiny silver tambourines) things that seemed to me good favors for our parade...

(...we don't call them throws...because we don't throw them! think party favors for Joan of Arc's birthday...)

But I am feeling quite guilty...forgive me, Joan, for I have sinned..I ordered something made in China to give out at your parade!

Okay...we will have locally made King cake...locally made banners and costumes and local musicians...handmade dresses and hats (even some made out of Joan of Arc Brie packages..really!) and handcarved wooden swords and handsewn Joan "dolls"...on and on and on...handmade "cards" made on an antique bookpress...handpainted ornaments, decoupaged magnets...even bundled, fresh flowers and seed packets...

Can one argue that "hand-changed" or "hand-delivered" (to you, the parade goer)  is still better than just "store-bought" or "machine-made"?

If you buy something at Dollar Tree or on Amazon.com then spend hours altering it with glitter and Joan's coat of arms and gems and lots of love...

Is that...handmade? No. But it is hand-altered...and that's still better than plain old beads, baby!

Come out and get something handed to you--not thrown at you. It makes all the difference. Even if we bought it somewhere else.