Land of CuLture

3rd edition|autumn 2013
to see, to do… 30 min Around the Louvre-Lens
DESAVARY - Portrait of Corot in Desavary's studio
BÉTHUNE
LOUVRE-LENS
LENS
DOUAI
brightened
markets
ARRAS
30 min Around the Louvre-Lens
Land of
Culture
Almost one year ago, the opening of the
Louvre-Lens cast the spotlight onto this most
diverse region: a land of history and tradition,
a land of solidarity and passion,
a land of values and modernity!
page 3
But you cannot argue with the facts, the Coalfield Area and the wider Nord-Pas
de Calais region can really and truly be called a Land of Culture. You only have
to look at the number of museums that are located in this area and the numerous
projects that they are involved in! Take the area around the Louvre-Lens, for
example. The Château de Versailles has even loaned a part of its collection to the
Fine Arts Museum in Arras! Some of the world’s most beautiful carriages are still
on display until the end of the year. In Douai, the Chartreuse is about to welcome
one of the largest ever exhibitions dedicated to Corot, the father of Impressionism.
And finally, remember Béthune! Two years ago, the beautiful regional capital
of culture pulsated to the rhythm of concerts, exhibitions and other events that
illuminated its streets. It is still sparkling today, thanks to places that are somewhat
crazy, such as the Lab-Labanque. This museum has taken up home in the former
offices of the Banque de France, but for the moment it resides in another unusual
location: a garage! As for Lens, you only need to take a short stroll from the
Louvre to discover some major sites related to the area’s mining heritage or to
enjoy the Art Déco architecture at the heart of the city.
3rd edition|autumn 2013 – to see, to do… 30 min around the Louvre-Lens
Saint Barbara,
patron saint of miners
Saint Barbara, "Life in the
mining city" exhibition
It was the 4th December 2012, the feast day of St Barbara. We could
think of no better day to inaugurate the Louvre-Lens, when the world’s
largest museum helped its little brother move into the former Pit n°9 of
the mines of Lens. This was symbolic act, as Saint Barbara is to miners
what Saint Hubert is to hunters. Throughout the Coalfield Area she has
long since been considered a member of the family – her statue adorning
every mantelpiece – as well as a guardian angel. Alters to her were built
everywhere: in homes, but also in the quarries, even though the flames of
the candles where something of a risk. So it was the least that could be
done in order to ensure that the Louvre-Lens had the most auspicious start
possible.
The tradition remains alive to this day. On 4th December Saint Barbara is
honoured in every corner of the Coalfield Area. In Waziers, for example,
mass is offered to her at the church of Notre-Dame des Mineurs, during
which the Polish Miners Choir give a grand recital. In Loos-en-Gohelle,
Saint Barbara is synonymous with the torchlight processions that take
place at night. Local people and curious visitors gather at 18h at the foot
of the 11/19 extraction tower and set off on a procession to the tip of the
slag heap carrying lanterns. At the end of the walk, everyone taking part
is rewarded with a bowl of soup
and some «alouette » bread
(originally, miners would save this
bread in order to bring it back
for their children). These are all
marvellous moments waiting to
be shared.
Corot in the
Light of the
North
With seventy paintings that have never
before been shown to the public
Great Ideas
From 5th October to 6th January
2014. Musée de la Charteuse,
130 rue des Chartreux, Douai,
T : 00 33 (0)3 27 71 38 80
www.corotdanslalumieredunord.fr
COROT - The Sin le Noble
road, near Douai. 1873
Musée du Louvre
La Chartreuse in Douai starts the autumn
off with a bang thanks to this exhibition
dedicated to Camille Corot. There are
many who consider him to be the « father
of Impressionism », whilst others view him
more as a neo-classical artist. Everyone is in
agreement, however, on the fact that he marks
a turning point in the history of art. From the
Neo-Classical to the Impressionist, there is a
« before » and an « after » Corot. From the 5th
October, the Musée de la Chartreuse in Douai
attempts to uncover an unknown side to this
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artist: that of a painter who was enamoured
by the light of the North. We are aware of
his love of travelling, but it is less well known
that the landscapes of northern France made
a particular impression on him, especially the
scenery of the area around the towns of Douai
and Arras. Corot discovered the region in the
1850’s thanks to Constant Dutilleux, himself
from Arras, who managed an artist’s workshop.
When visiting the Salon in Paris, he purchased
a work by the master and this proved to be
the beginning of a great friendship between
the two men. From 1851, the artist started
to visit the region much more frequently and
even began to make use of the cliché-verre
print process. In this way, the exhibition shows
the links between Corot and the Dutilleux
family, the influence of the landscapes of the
north on his work as well as the influence
that he himself had on the artists that would
later come together in the so-called « Arras
School ». The programme includes: paintings,
graphic works, cliché-verre prints as well as
documents from the archives!
publication DIRECTOR: Bertrand Petit | DESIGN : Stefan Mihailov | LAYOUT, TEXTS: Normédia | MAP:
Actual |
make the most of the final days
of "Roulez Carrosses", which is home
to the collections of Versailles until 10th November! This is the first French exhibition to
be devoted to horse-drawn carriages. Guided
visits on Saturday and Sunday at 15h30.
Arras Tourist Office, T : 00 33 (0)3 21 51 26 95
Following the Renaissance and
Rubens, the Louvre-Lens is dedicating
its third major exhibition to The Etruscans
and the Mediterranean. This exhibition uncovers the Etruscan civilization through the
history of one of its largest cities: Cerveteri.
From 4th December to 10th March. Rue Paul
Bert, Lens, T : 00 33 (0)3 21 18 62 62
Until 31st December, the Centre
Historique Minier presents Mini
Mines, Maxi Enthusiasm, an exhibition of
scale models (by amateurs and professionals)
that depicts the mines of the Nord-Pas de
Calais region, as well as an exhibition entitled
All On Strike. Fosse Delloye, rue d’Erchin,
Lewarde, T : 00 33 (0)3 27 95 82 82.
5 000 ex | cOPYRIGHT: Communauté Urbaine d'Arras,
JP Dubois, Pascal Brunet, E.Watteau,
COROT - Route de Sin le Noble près de Douai. 1873 Musée du Lou
brightened
markets
Not to be missed is the Christmas Village in Arras, held
traditionally on the Grand’Place. This grandiose setting,
with its façades shimmering in the light, provides a real
rendezvous for lovers of the traditional market. The traders
that set up shop in the wooden chalets (around 90) offer
Christmas decorations, as well as presents (jewellery, crafts)
and, of course, a variety of tasty dishes. For one month, the
skating rink and the merry-go-round, in addition to a range
of entertainments for young and old alike, will bring the
Christmas Village to life. This year will be brightened up
especially by a giant Ferris wheel. Douai is also brimming
with festivities. Alongside the traditional market in the Place
d'Armes (around 40 exhibitors), the town has organised
a series of illuminations on some of the most beautiful
buildings in Douai. The Tourist Office arranges regular guided
tours that take visitors around the town in search of these
illuminated monuments (info: 03 27 88 26 79). In Lens, a
skating stadium has been set up, complete with a luge run,
children’s entertainment and shows in the city centre. The
Grand'Place in Béthune will also be transformed into a
Christmas City. Shining with a thousand lights, this venue
will host a friendly traditional market (around 30 exhibitors)
as well as a wide range of entertainments (free carriage rides,
nativity scene and animals) that will delight visitors of all ages.
And what do all these towns have in common? They all
provide the perfect place to enjoy a wonderful moment with
all the family. Make the most of it!
If there is still one festival that
brings all people together, it is surely
Christmas. A pagan celebration
Descents
that marks the arrival of winter, Christmas
Market dates of the belfry
a religious festival that honours
Bethune: from 30th
6th December in Arras by
the birth of Christ, it remains
November to 31st December
Saint-Nicolas: Place des Héros
(Grand'Place).
The
grand
at 17h30. Children are invited
to this day a strong social ritual,
opening will take place on
to join Saint Nicolas who will
giving families an all too scarce
30th November at 18h,
be distributing sweets.
followed by the illumination
7th December in Béthune:
opportunity to come together and
of the belfry.
in the Grand'Place, Saint
Nicolas will be handing out
share special moments. If eastern
Arras: from 29th
all afternoon.
France is well known for its lively November to 29th December gingerbread
15th December in Douai by
(Grand'Place)
Father Christmas. He will be
Christmas traditions, the Nordstopping off at Douai with his
from 29th
Pas de Calais stands out thanks to Douai:
elves to collect letters from the
November to 24th December
children and to hand out some
the great diversity of celebrations
(place d'Armes).
sweet titbits. Rue de la Mairie
at 18h.
it hosts: markets, skating rinks,
Lens: from 13th to 22nd
24th December at Béthune
December « Once Upon
illuminations... In the vicinity
by Father Christmas: He will
a Christmas in Lens »
come down the belfry in the
of the Louvre-Lens, the towns of
(entertainment in the city
Grand'Place at 18h to hand out
centre)
Arras, Douai, Béthune and Lens
sweet treats.
certainly do not lack imagination.
Monsieur Gayant’s delight
from Douai
Cheeses with
character!
For just under a year now,
Douai has been blessed
with a cheese of its
own and, of course,
this pays tribute to
the town’s leading
personality: Gayant!
In his position at the
helm of La Deliciosa,
the cheese shop at the
belfry, Éric Carton always
regretted being unable to offer
his customers a cheese from Douai itself among the
hundred or so others that he sold on his stall. So
he rolled up his sleeves and created a cheese made
with unpasteurised milk that is full of character, with
the help of a friend of his who produces Maroilles.
Brushed for 31 days and matured with the SaintLandelin amber beer of the Gayant Brewery, the so
called Plaisir de Monsieur Gayant is creamy whilst
being strong enough to retain its character. Maturing
it with beer allows it to acquire a pretty orange skin as
well as endowing it with a light, malty flavour.
Crémerie du Beffroi, 112 rue de Paris in Douai,
T : 00 33(0)3 27 95 52 21.
Four towns, four cheeses… The Maroilles cheese is
ready to serve! For a long time now, cheese has been
one of the most popular dishes with the people of the
The Forts…a strong taste!
north. Some of them even go so far as to dip it into
In Béthune, a stone’s throw from the Grand'Place,
Prairie is a fromagerie that has specialised in
their coffee! Nevertheless, it is more commonly enjoyed La
cheeses from the Nord-Pas de Calais for more than
half a century. Among the favourites here is one that
with any one of the region’s many local beers. Every
can boast an even stronger aroma than Maroilles: the
town worthy of its name can boast its own speciality Fort de Béthune! The reason for this is that it is made
using a base of the pungent Vieux Lille and Maroilles
cheese. Lens, Béthune, Arras and Douai are no
cheeses as well as juniper from Houlle. Born in the
XIXth Century, the Fort de Béthune was a popular
exceptions. That is great news for your taste buds!
snack with miners. Like many of the varieties from
, Centre Historique Minier, D.Langlet,Ville de Lens, Cituation et Ensemble,­­­Collection Mémoires et Cultures Lens, Offices de Tourisme de Arras, Béthune-Bruay, Douai, Lens-Liévin,
uvre © RMN-Grand Palais Gérard Blot - Couverture : DESAVARY - Portrait de Corot dans l’atelier de Desavary © Gilles Vannet, iconothèque des archives départementales des Hauts de Seine
the north, it was perceived as a poor man’s cheese
because it was made using the leftovers from other
cheeses, which were all mixed together. In Lens, it is
the same story. The Fort de Lens would be spread
on slices of bread and was a key part of any miner’s
lunchbox. Today, you can (re)discover the Fromagerie
Philippe Olivier, which is the place to go for cheese
in the region. His son Romain, who has picked up the
baton, has just opened this cheese shop in Lens and
offers more than two hundred varieties, with cheeses
from the Nord-Pas de Calais as well as foreign
varieties.
Le Fort de Béthune: La Prairie, 20 rue Albert 1er,
in Béthune, T : 00 33(0)3 21 68 04 85
Le Fort de Lens: Fromagerie Philippe Olivier, 39 rue
René Lanoy, in Lens, T : 00 33(0)3 21 28 04 57
A taste of the citadel…
Take a soft heart-shaped cheese, made with
unpasteurised cow’s milk, and bearing little
resemblance to its cousin the Maroilles both in terms
of flavour and aroma. To this, you add a delicate skin
that is slightly orange in hue, and you will have the
Cœur d'Arras, a cheese full of character that manages
to be at once powerful and subtle. This is a cheese that
Jean-François Dubois, in charge of La Finarde, takes
great pleasure in maturing in the caves of the citadel
of Arras! This traditional fromagerie is well known
to the people of Arras for the quality and range of
cheese on offer, and they can also be found at the
market of Arras. For a short while now, they have
been maturing their own cheeses in a former airship
hangar as well as in two gun-powder stores that date
back to the XVIIth Century.
La Finarde, Citadelle « Hangar
à ballons », Bd du général
de Gaulle, in Arras, T : 00
33(0)3 21 73 44 21.
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3rd edition|autumn 2013 – to see, to do… 30 min around the Louvre-Lens
Unmissable
events
October
From 11th to 13th: The
Fine Art and Master Craft
Exhibition of the city of Lens.
Exhibitors of art, designers
and professional restorers
gather in the gardens of the
Jean Perrin Science Faculty in
order to show off their skill and
savoir-faire in a wide range of
demonstrations. Free entry.
Avenue Elie Reumaux in Lens,
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 69 23 23
www.salon-metiers-art-lens.com
From 12th to 27th: The
Chimères de Bernicourt
Festival of fairy tales and
legends, exhibitions, shows,
theatre and music at the
Château de Bernicourt in
Roost-Warendin,
T : 00 33 (0) 6 33 56 96 63
From 18th to 20th October:
Open house at the artist’s
workshops. Artists and art
collectives open the doors of
their workshops to visitors for
this weekend only.
Pas-de-Calais:
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 21 69 19
www.poaa62.fr
Nord: T : 00 33 (0)3 59 73 81 77
http://poaa.lenord.fr/
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Lens-Liévin :
58 rue de la Gare
62300 Lens
T : 0033(0)3 21 67 66 66
www.tourisme-lenslievin.fr
December
From 4th October to 3rd
November: The Conteurs en
Campagne Festival.For one
whole month, storytellers bring
to life the countryside of NordPas de Calais as well as the
Louvre-Lens (Beuvry on 29th
October, Wailly-les-Arras on 30th
October, initiation in storytelling
at Auchy-lesMines from 30th
October to 1st November, and
further dates),
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 54 58 58
6th: The Lens Jumble Sales.
For more than 80 years, stall
holders and street traders have
brought the city centre’s streets
to life, offering shoppers a
multitude of great bargains.
From 7h to 19h.
TOURIST
OFFICES
3rd to 14th: Les Multiplistes.
Special events dedicated to the
arts of the circus at Arras and
Douai. Shows at the Hippodrome
scène nationale, place du Barlet in
Douai,
T : 00 33 (0)3 27 99 66 66 and
at the Théâtre d’Arras, 7 place du
Théâtre,
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 71 66 16
Chimères Roost-Warendin
26th and 27th: Automnales
- 2 Days in honour of the
traditions of the North.
Exhibition and sale, crafts,
parade and festival of the
Giants with Floris de
Montmorency and Hélène de
Melun at the Centre
Jean Monnet in
Montigny-en-Ostrevent,
T : 00 33 (0)3 27 89 73 17
L’Automne des Saveurs à
Arras. The Autumn of Flavours
Flestival in Arras. During
the month of October, visits
and tastings are organised in
order to help people discover
the flavours and the treasures
of the terroir of Arras. A full
programme is available from the
start of October onwards at the
Arras Tourist Office,
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 51 26 95
way Arras looked and felt
before it was struck by the First
World War.
Hôtel de Ville d'Arras
From 8th to 17th: Arras
Film Festival. Every year
in November, the Arras
International Film Festival
presents a rich panorama of
French and European cinema
through its selection of around
50 works. These include original
pictures, great classics and
exclusive premieres which are
screened in the presence of
some very prestigious guests.
Plan Séquence
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 59 56 30
www.plan-sequence.asso.fr
Until 15th November:
Exhibition of the Gayant
giants. Photothèque Augustin
Boutique-Grard, 191 rue
Saint-Albin à Douai,
T : 00 33 (0)3 27 71 38 91
November
From 2nd to 12th January
2014: « Arras, from one war to
another. 1870-1914 »
This exhibition showcases
Arras during the Belle
Époque, a carefree era that was
immortalised by photographer
Joseph Quentin. The postcards
that are on display reveal the
8th November: Sylvie Facon
catwalk show at the Arras
Fine Art Museum. As part of
Zoom
A Cabaret in Lens
At the end of October, Lens welcomes the « Katy Folies »
Cabaret. Show and Revue with dancers, magicians, singers,
acrobats, quick-change acts, comedians and impressionists…A
great way to kick off your end of year celebrations!
Dinner-shows on Friday and Saturday nights, Guinguette on
Sundays at 15h, Open Mic slots for young talent on Tuesday
evenings and Effeuillage burlesque on Thursdays at 19h.
And for children, workshops on Wednesday afternoons
based on magic, ventriloquism and robots.
Katy Folies, Rue Henri Darras in Lens
T : 00 33 (0)33 21 70 15 15
23rd and 24th: Farfad’Haisnes
in Haisnes. This fair brings
together exhibitors that offer
regional products, as well as arts
and crafts from Nord-Pas de
Calais and all regions of France
just in time for the end of year
festivities. (Salle Dancoisne and
Salle Quéva)
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 25 43 43
Béthune-bruay :
3 rue Aristide-Briand
62400 Béthune
T : 0033(0)3 21 52 50 00
www.tourisme-bethune-bruay.fr
Douaisis tourisme :
70 place d’Armes
59500 Douai
T : 0033(0)3 27 88 26 79
www.douaisis-tourisme.fr
Noeux-les-Mines :
138 bis rue Léon-Blum
62290 Noeux-les-Mines
T : 0033(0)3 21 62 87 40
www.
noeuxlesminesetenvironstourisme.fr
the Roulez Carrosses exhibition,
60 dresses will be shown to
spectators, featuring exact
replicas of period costumes as
well as original designs in the
Arras style. Prices: included in
the entrance fee for the museum, by
reservation only.
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 71 25 21
From 9th to 11th: The La
Couture Antique Fair
Salle des sports de La Couture,
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 52 50 00
Arras :
Place des Héros
62000 Arras
T : 0033(0)3 21 51 26 95
www.explorearras.com
A.d.r.t. Pas-de-Calais :
Route de la Trésorerie
62126 Wimille
T :0033(0)3 21 10 34 60
www.pas-de-calais.com
4th to 31st: Joseph Quentin
Exhibition, photographer
of the Mines. The official
photographer of the Société
des Mines in Lens at the start
of the XXth Century, Joseph
Quentin was the first to
capture images of the miners
at work, both above and below
ground. Galerie du Théâtre Le
Colisée – rue de Paris in Lens,
T : 00 33 (0)3 21 28 37 41
Until 31st: two exhibitions at
the Centre Historique Minier
in Lewarde « Mini Mine,
Maxi Enthusiasm » and « All
on Strike ». Rue d’Erchin,
T : 00 33 (0)3 27 95 82 82