Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) is inviting members of communities around Northern New York to attend programs focusing on French-American Heritage called “Share Your French Heritage! Stories from Quebec.”

Local residents with Quebecois and/or French ancestry are invited to share their stories about how their families came to the North Country and how they maintain a connection to their cultural identity. Participants are encouraged to bring their own photos of family members and homesteads, objects that represent family traditions, and other artifacts and heirlooms that tell the story of their French heritage. The program will be led by TAUNY’s Executive Director, Jill Breit.

The remaining schedule for the French-American Heritage Program Series includes:

November 2, 6 pm – Chateaugay Town Hall Theater (Co-Sponsored by The Chateaugay Memorial Library), Chateaugay;
November 5, 1 pm – Clayton Opera House, Clayton;
November 12, 1 pm – Samuel de Champlain History Center, Champlain, and
November 19, 1 pm  – Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake

These programs are a part of a larger French-American heritage research project at TAUNY. The organization has received funding to work with other partners in the region to research Northern New York’s historical connection to Quebec and France and to investigate the ongoing cultural influence of that connection. Research activity will be concentrated in St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Jefferson, Hamilton and Essex Counties. The proximity of New York’s North Country to Quebec, and the migration south that began in the 1830s assured a cultural influence that continues.

This project is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts.

Photos: Scenes from the Envoyé a Maison event organized by TAUNY and held at the Tupper Lake Rod and Gun Club in 2008, provided by TAUNY.