The Joan of Arc Project, creators of the annual Joan of Arc Parade, will present their 13th annual Salon de Jeanne d’Arc, in advance of the 16th annual Joan of Arc Parade. The annual daylong conference is designed to highlight current day connections to Joan of Arc, offer insights into Joan of Arc’s medieval times and culture, including both religious and secular topics, and explore how the Joan of Arc Parade ties into local New Orleans and French culture.

The conference is from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2023. It is free and open to the public and no registration is required. Attendees can come and go as they wish to one or more presentation and there will be an information table outside the presentation room for attendees to meet Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc members, to learn how get involved in year-round projects as a volunteer or member.

The Salon has been held for the past five years at Tulane University, and this year is in a new location on campus, at Rogers Memorial Chapel at 1229 Broadway Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This year’s Salon includes a presentation by the current Joan of Arc Parade 2023 Maid of Honor, Emmeline Meyer, about her recent trip to Orléans, France, sponsored by the New Orleans Rotary Foundation and Orléans, France, Rotary Club.  The krewe and New Orleans Rotary Foundation will welcome the Orléans, France, Jeanne d’Arc and a group of Orléans representatives this January, who will walk in the New Orleans Joan of Arc Parade. This “exchange of Joans” is the first of its kind between the sister cities of Orléans, France, and New Orleans (officially twinned in 2018), laying the groundwork for what is hoped to be an annual Joan of Arc themed cultural exchange between the two cities.

Two presentations explore spiritual aspects of Joan, starting with the conference’s first presentation about “Pilgrimage in the Way of Joan of Arc” by  Baton Rouge based biblical scholar and tour guide Stephen Binz. Following lunch, Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc board member Jaymie Wolf will explain the 9-year Novena now underway to renew faith in France leading up to the 600th anniversary of Joan’s death in 2031.

Two other presentations feature previews of the 16th annual Joan of Arc Parade, to be held Saturday, January 6, 2024 in the French Quarter. Enjoy a demonstration at lunchtime of the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc’s newly created giant dragon puppet, and in the afternoon, get a glimpse of new props that will be featured in the parade’s “Restoration Battalion”, which portrays Joan’ retrial 25 years after her death, declaring her innocence.

Tulane University Department of Anthropology professor, linguist, and author (and krewe member) Nathalie Dajko will give a talk on the same topic of her recent book, about “French on Shifting Ground”, tying together the cultural and coastal erosion in South Louisiana and the disappearance of land and language.

The conference concludes with a conversation among Joan of Art show* artists who participated in the 2023 and 2022 contests, and their “Journey of Creating Joan”.

For a full schedule of Joan of Arc Project events, to learn about future workshops and events, and to sign up to receive Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc newsletters, visit www.joanofarcparade.org.

Questions? Contact Amy Kirk Duvoisin at 504-251-5046 or founder_amy@joanofarcparade.org.