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The Frick Pittsburgh Starts Summer with ‘French Moderns’ & Hosts Dozens of Related Programs

 



This summer, The Frick Pittsburgh’s exhibition, “French Moderns: Matisse / Renoir / Degas,” explores a century’s worth of avant-garde movements that turned radical artists into long-time legends. The exhibition runs from June 20 through Oct.11.

Encompassing realism, impressionism, post-impressionism, symbolism, Fauvism, cubism and surrealism, “French Moderns” highlights art that defined modernism in the 19th and 20th centuries and continues to awe art-goers today.

Ranging widely in style, the exhibition features paintings, drawings and sculptures created by the era’s leading artists born in France, as well as those who studied and exhibited there, including Cézanne, Chagall, Corot, Courbet, Degas, Gérôme, Matisse, Morisot, Münter, Renoir, Rodin and more. Alongside the exhibition, the Frick will host dozens of programs, including film screenings, workshops, lectures and collaborative events with Wilkinsburg-based bakery BB&Bur and local artist Ron Donoughe. Learn more about the exhibition and the programs below.

About ‘French Moderns: Matisse / Renoir / Degas’ You know their names—Degas, Renoir, Matisse—and this summer, you have the chance to see the art world’s most legendary artists right here in Pittsburgh. “French Moderns” brings together landmark works that redefined color, movement, and everyday life—revealing how these artists transformed the way we see the world.

Film Screening: “The Impressionists and the Man Who Made Them” (2015) July 12 at 2 p.m. In this film, meet Paul Durand-Ruel, a 19th century Parisian art collector, who helped to establish artists including Degas, Manet, Monet and Renoir, through his galleries in London, New York and Paris. Decades after the height of his career, a landmark exhibition travelling from

Paris to London to Philadelphia brought Durand-Ruel's treasures back together to tell the story of Impressionism. All attendees will receive a complimentary bag of popcorn. The run time for this film is 90 minutes. $10 for members, $15 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available at thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Film-Screening-The-Impressionists-and-the-Man-Who-Made-Them. Guided Evening Tours of French Moderns July 15; Aug. 20; Sept. 10; Oct. 7 at 6 and 6:30 p.m. Get exclusive after-hours access to the exhibition for a guided tour with a Frick gallery facilitator, plus time to explore the galleries on your own. $30 for members, $40 for non-members, $20 for college students with ID. Tickets are available at:

● thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-Guided-Evening-Tours-of-French-Moderns-July-15.

● thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-Guided-Evening-Tours-of-French-Moderns-Aug-20.

● thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-Guided-Evening-Tours-of-French-Moderns-Sep-10.

● thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Guided-Evening-Tours-of-French-Moderns-Oct-7. Neighborhood Night: Lawrenceville July 16 at 6 p.m. An assortment of Lawrenceville-based businesses will set up pop-up locations around the Frick’s site to welcome and engage visitors in all that Lawrenceville has to offer, including local artists, restaurants and more. The evening includes exclusive after-hours access to “French Moderns.” Free for members, $20 for non-members, $15 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org

/Event-Neighborhood-Night-Lawrenceville. Macaron Decorating Class with BB&Bur July 18 at 2 p.m. Make memories and bring a taste of France home with you in this hands-on macaron filling and decorating class. Led by founder and owner of BB&Bur Pastry Kitchen and Bakery, Ben Fine, this class will teach the techniques required to fill and finish beautiful macarons. Attendees will work to assemble a dozen macarons to take home and enjoy. Please note that all macarons are made with almond flour, eggs, and other allergens. No substitutions can be made. $65 for members, $75 for non-members, $50 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-Macaron-Decorating-Class-with-BBBur. Books and Banter Reading Club July 21 at 6 p.m.

Tying into the current exhibition, “French Moderns,” the Books and Banter Reading Club will be discussing “Rodin's Lover” by Heather Webb this month. Join us for refreshments and lively conversations about Auguste Rodin's apprentice and muse, Camile Claudel, and their shared passion that inspires groundbreaking work. Yet, Camille’s success is overshadowed by her lover’s rising star, and her obsessions cross the line into madness. $5 for members, $10 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-Books-and-Banter-Reading-Club-July-21-2026.

Lunch Pail Lecture: The Influence of Parisian Cafés on Art, Culture and Literature Aug. 6 at 12 p.m. Cafés have long been cultural hubs where intellectuals, writers and artists gather to exchange ideas. From the 17th century onward, cafés like Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots became iconic meeting spots for cultural influence. Join Christine Fréchard, owner of Christine Fréchard Gallery in Garfield, to learn about the secrets Parisian cafés held during this prolific era of creation and enlightenment. $10 for members, $15 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available at thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Lunch-Pail-Lecture-The-Influence-of-Parisian-Cafes-on-Art-Culture-and-Literature. Intro to Plein Air: Seeing as an Artist with Ron Donoughe Aug. 22 at 9 a.m. Learn the basics of Plein Air painting, or painting outdoors, in this introductory workshop led by Pittsburgh artist Ron Donoughe. Using The Frick Pittsburgh grounds and gardens as inspiration, students will spend the morning outdoors as Ron helps them to see the color of shapes, which will become the foundation for the painting. Attendees are responsible for bringing their own materials. Admission to the exhibition is not included. $65 for members, $80 for non-members, $45 for college students with ID. Tickets are available at thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Intro-to-Plein-Air-Seeing-as-an-Artist-with-Ron-Donoughe. Lunch Pail Lecture: French Impressionism Sept. 3 at 12 p.m. Join Caroline Fisher, a local storyteller and lifelong Francophile, for a lively overview of the French Impressionists and their art. This talk will be a journey filled with light and color, looking at how the movement began, how it evolved and the lasting influence it has had on the art world. Take a journey through some of the most iconic paintings, the French towns and cities that shaped the artworks and stories of the friendships and lives behind the movement. $10 for members, $15 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available at thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Lunch-Pail-Lecture-French-Impressionism. Watercolor Basket Weaving Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.

Inspired by the spirit of “French Moderns” and the palette of Renoir, this one-day basketry class blends painterly color with contemporary form. Students will work with hand-dyed reeds created through a process that produces a soft watercolor effect. Using chase weave techniques over a solid wooden base, participants will shape a bowl-form basket that highlights movement, color and texture. This class is open to all skill levels. It offers both technical instruction and artistic exploration, resulting in a functional piece with a modern aesthetic. All materials and light refreshments are included. Admission to the exhibition is not included. $55 for members, $65 for non-members, $45 for college students with ID. Tickets are available at thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Watercolor-Basket-Weaving. Film Screening: “Morisot – The Heart is a Rebel” (2018)

Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. In the film, director Klaas Bense goes in search of the origin of an unknown painting depicting Berthe Morisot, the only woman among the founding members of Impressionism. By means of his investigations, he sketches a lively and colorful portrait of the artist’s eventful life and discovers that she is a powerful source of inspiration for young women today. The run time for this film is 60 minutes. $10 for members, $15 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Film-Screening-Morisot-The-Heart-is-a-Rebel. Books and Banter Reading Club Sept. 15 at 6 p.m.

Tying into the current exhibition, “French Moderns,” the Books and Banter Reading Club will be discussing “In Montmarte: Picasso, Matisse, and the Birth of Modernist Art” by Sue Roe. Join the club for refreshments and lively conversation about the vibrant figures who championed modernist art at the dawn of the 20th century. $5 for members, $10 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Books-and-Banter-Reading-Club-Sept-15-2026. Connecting Collections: An Evening in Clayton and French Moderns Sept. 17 at 6 & 6:30 p.m. On a special joint tour of Clayton and “French Moderns,” explore the connections between Henry Clay Frick’s passion for French art and the works featured in the exhibition. $40 for members, $50 for non-members, $20 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-Connecting-Collections-An-Evening-in-Clayton-and-French-Moderns. Cocktails and Conversations: “French Moderns” Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. Enjoy a themed cocktail or mocktail while spending an evening with Frick Pittsburgh Chief Curator, Dawn R. Brean, as she discusses the intricacies of bringing an exhibition like “French Moderns” to the Frick and the logistics a curatorial department undertakes to bring an exhibition to life. $25 for members, $35 for non-members, $15 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Cocktails-and-Conversation-French-Moderns. Rodin: A Life of Creativity and Controversy Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. Join Dr. Kahren Jones Arbitman for a look at the life of Auguste Rodin: an artist whose extraordinary creativity, vast technical prowess and outsized personality earned him a place among the world’s greatest sculptors. $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $10 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org

/Event-Rodin-A-Life-of-Creativity-and-Controversy. Lunch Pail Lecture: The Women Behind the Walls of the French Nationality Room Oct. 1 at 12 p.m.

Joanna Conings, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh, uncovers and discusses the hidden labor and “affective diplomacies” through which women made the French Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh a reality, as evidenced in the University Archives at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Hear stories of the inception of the room that has represented French culture and community in Pittsburgh for almost a century. $10 for members, $15 for non-members, $5 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-Lunch-Pail-Lecture-The-Women-Behind-the-Walls-of-the-French-Nationality-Room. An Afternoon in Paris: Silent Film with Live Music Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.

Step into Jazz Age Paris with a special silent film presentation inspired by the “French Moderns” exhibition. Join us for Ernst Lubitsch’s 1926 comedy, “So This Is Paris,” a witty tale of romance, intrigue and modern city life. The film comes to life through live musical accompaniment by Tom Roberts, jazz pianist, composer and music historian. Presented as part of the annual Pittsburgh Silent Film Festival with commentary by festival director Chad Hunter, this afternoon celebrates the magic of silent cinema through the dynamic partnership of film and live music. The run time is 1 hour 10 minutes, followed by Q&A. $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $10 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/

Event-An-Afternoon-in-Paris-Silent-Film-with-Live-Music. La Vie Bohème: A Parisian Cabaret Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. Immerse yourself in songs, stories and art from the world of Paris's boldest bohemians as the spirit of cabaret comes to the Frick. The ticket price includes the 90-minute show, post-performance meet-and-greet with the artists, exclusive after-hours access to “French Moderns,” a glass of wine (21+) and lite bites. $35 for members, $45 for non-members, $25 for college students with ID. Tickets are available thefrickpittsburgh.org/Event-La-Vie-Boheme-A-Parisian-Cabaret

About The Frick Pittsburgh Since 1990, The Frick Pittsburgh has welcomed visitors to its 10-acre cultural campus in the heart of Pittsburgh’s East End. Gifted to the people of Pittsburgh by Helen Clay Frick, daughter of noted industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick, the campus is home to Clayton, the family’s Gilded Age mansion, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The Gilded, Not Golden tour of Clayton was honored with a 2024 Leadership in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History. The campus also includes The Frick Art Museum, the Car and Carriage Museum, a greenhouse, gardens, and welcoming café. Through its permanent collections, travelingexhibitions, historic tours, and public programs, the Frick invites all visitors to experience history and art, reframed for today. Discover more about The Frick Pittsburgh at TheFrickPittsburgh.org.


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