Petit Rassemblement des artistes franco-américains: A celebration of modern expression 2026
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The Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine invites you to join us at USM’s Lewiston campus, 51 Westminster St. on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 9:30 am for a day-long event featuring a panel discussion of Franco-American creatives and workshops with local artists and writers. The event is free and open to the public, thanks to our generous sponsors, Maine PoutineFest, Central Maine Federal Credit Union, Schooner Estates, and the Quebec Delegation in Boston.
The day will begin with a panel discussion with presenters Joseph Bolton, Cindy Larock, Jean Pouliot and Jeri Thériault discussing how their Franco-American identity informs their artistic practice. Following the panel, there will be a Q&A with the presenters and a break for lunch, which will be provided. After lunch, the four panelists will lead their workshops: two at a time for 75 minutes each. Attendees will need to select which workshop they’d like to attend. We’ll begin with Jeri and Jean’s workshops at 1 pm, followed by Joe and Cindy’s presentations at 2:30 pm.
Presenters & Workshop Descriptions:
Joseph Bolton was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and growing up enjoyed hearing the stories told by his French Canadian grandparents and great aunts of a mysterious and magical place called Québec, otherwise known as “the place we came from.” Joseph is of French-Canadian/Canadian First Nations ancestry and is inspired by the stories of his heritage. He lives in Massachusetts and enjoys hiking and skiing through Québec and New England landscapes. He has been featured on podcasts in the United States and Canada, and Dance of Creation is the third volume of his acclaimed Old Grandmother’s Tree book series. Joseph's workshop will focus on rediscovering your family stories and how the folklore style of storytelling tells deeper universal truths of human life.
Cindy Larock has been teaching and leading traditional dancing for over 40 years, ranging from instructing numerous apprentices as a master artist in the Maine Arts Commission's Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program to presenting workshops at festivals, schools, and community events. She has also mentored young fiddlers, etc., via a youth folk orchestra she founded in 2014. At Cindy's workshop, Keeping the Franco Flame Alive Through Music & Dance, attendees will learn about what defines traditional French Canadian/Franco-American music and the dancing that it inspires, and will also have a chance to try their hands (and feet!) at doing some Quebecois social dancing.
Jean Pouliot: Born into a French-speaking parish in Manchester, New Hampshire in the 1950s, Jean experienced Vatican II, French-Canadian culture in crisis and the political tumult of the 1960s. Jean’s songs, stories and poems examine, express and share his heritage. He holds a BA in psychology and a master’s degree in Catholic ministry. He is married with two grown sons, is retired after forty years in IT and lives in New England. His books can be found on Amazon and Substack. Jean's workshop will guide attendees through his four-step method for translating English to French with the assistance of Google’s free version of artificial intelligence. He will lead with a short lecture on AI, its perils and its promise, and how he navigates them. His method not only results in translated copy but provides the user with a practical tutorial in French for a work they care about, be it a book or a letter to a French-speaking friend or family member. Users encounter real-world examples of French grammar, idioms, spelling rules (e.g., where accents are needed) and more. AI’s real-time translation power allows users to try different solutions quickly without exhausting a human teacher’s patience. Attendees will need to bring a piece of writing to translate and a laptop or tablet.
Jeri Thériault grew up in Waterville, Maine. Her poetry collections include Self-Portrait as Homestead, Radost, my red, and (M)OTHER. She is the editor of the anthology Wait: Poems from the Pandemic and the current poetry editor for Résonance. Her poems and reviews have appeared widely. Her honors include A Fulbright Exchange Award, a Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, a Monson Arts Fellowship, the 2022 Norwood Prize (New Ohio Review), and a Maine Literary Award. Jeri currently conducts cross-disciplinary workshops and collaborates with musicians and other poets in a group called MuseMusic. Jeri's workshop, Using Research and/or Current Events in Creative Writing Projects, relates to her ongoing research and writing about pre-deportation Acadian life. Participants will discuss examples of poems and creative nonfiction or essays by authors such as Susan Howe, Alison Hawthorn Deming, and Ada Limón, all of whom use research and or current events in their creative work. Workshop participants will then have one or two opportunities to begin drafts inspired by these prompts and handouts. We’ll end the workshop by sharing some of these drafts (volunteers only!).
Zoom and recorded for those unable to join us live or in-person. Email Anna for more information at [email protected].
For in-person attendance, registration is required. Here’s a link to the registration form: https://forms.gle/NoxVw7KmTmUyD1o59. We ask that you RSVP one week ahead of the event!
For more information or to register for this event, contact the FAC archivist, Anna Faherty at [email protected] or by phone (207) 753-6545. If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Anna. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.
The day will begin with a panel discussion with presenters Joseph Bolton, Cindy Larock, Jean Pouliot and Jeri Thériault discussing how their Franco-American identity informs their artistic practice. Following the panel, there will be a Q&A with the presenters and a break for lunch, which will be provided. After lunch, the four panelists will lead their workshops: two at a time for 75 minutes each. Attendees will need to select which workshop they’d like to attend. We’ll begin with Jeri and Jean’s workshops at 1 pm, followed by Joe and Cindy’s presentations at 2:30 pm.
Presenters & Workshop Descriptions:
Joseph Bolton was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and growing up enjoyed hearing the stories told by his French Canadian grandparents and great aunts of a mysterious and magical place called Québec, otherwise known as “the place we came from.” Joseph is of French-Canadian/Canadian First Nations ancestry and is inspired by the stories of his heritage. He lives in Massachusetts and enjoys hiking and skiing through Québec and New England landscapes. He has been featured on podcasts in the United States and Canada, and Dance of Creation is the third volume of his acclaimed Old Grandmother’s Tree book series. Joseph's workshop will focus on rediscovering your family stories and how the folklore style of storytelling tells deeper universal truths of human life.
Cindy Larock has been teaching and leading traditional dancing for over 40 years, ranging from instructing numerous apprentices as a master artist in the Maine Arts Commission's Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program to presenting workshops at festivals, schools, and community events. She has also mentored young fiddlers, etc., via a youth folk orchestra she founded in 2014. At Cindy's workshop, Keeping the Franco Flame Alive Through Music & Dance, attendees will learn about what defines traditional French Canadian/Franco-American music and the dancing that it inspires, and will also have a chance to try their hands (and feet!) at doing some Quebecois social dancing.
Jean Pouliot: Born into a French-speaking parish in Manchester, New Hampshire in the 1950s, Jean experienced Vatican II, French-Canadian culture in crisis and the political tumult of the 1960s. Jean’s songs, stories and poems examine, express and share his heritage. He holds a BA in psychology and a master’s degree in Catholic ministry. He is married with two grown sons, is retired after forty years in IT and lives in New England. His books can be found on Amazon and Substack. Jean's workshop will guide attendees through his four-step method for translating English to French with the assistance of Google’s free version of artificial intelligence. He will lead with a short lecture on AI, its perils and its promise, and how he navigates them. His method not only results in translated copy but provides the user with a practical tutorial in French for a work they care about, be it a book or a letter to a French-speaking friend or family member. Users encounter real-world examples of French grammar, idioms, spelling rules (e.g., where accents are needed) and more. AI’s real-time translation power allows users to try different solutions quickly without exhausting a human teacher’s patience. Attendees will need to bring a piece of writing to translate and a laptop or tablet.
Jeri Thériault grew up in Waterville, Maine. Her poetry collections include Self-Portrait as Homestead, Radost, my red, and (M)OTHER. She is the editor of the anthology Wait: Poems from the Pandemic and the current poetry editor for Résonance. Her poems and reviews have appeared widely. Her honors include A Fulbright Exchange Award, a Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, a Monson Arts Fellowship, the 2022 Norwood Prize (New Ohio Review), and a Maine Literary Award. Jeri currently conducts cross-disciplinary workshops and collaborates with musicians and other poets in a group called MuseMusic. Jeri's workshop, Using Research and/or Current Events in Creative Writing Projects, relates to her ongoing research and writing about pre-deportation Acadian life. Participants will discuss examples of poems and creative nonfiction or essays by authors such as Susan Howe, Alison Hawthorn Deming, and Ada Limón, all of whom use research and or current events in their creative work. Workshop participants will then have one or two opportunities to begin drafts inspired by these prompts and handouts. We’ll end the workshop by sharing some of these drafts (volunteers only!).
Zoom and recorded for those unable to join us live or in-person. Email Anna for more information at [email protected].
For in-person attendance, registration is required. Here’s a link to the registration form: https://forms.gle/NoxVw7KmTmUyD1o59. We ask that you RSVP one week ahead of the event!
For more information or to register for this event, contact the FAC archivist, Anna Faherty at [email protected] or by phone (207) 753-6545. If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Anna. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.
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Where is it happening?
51 Westminster St. #171, Lewiston, ME 04240, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherFranco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine
