Lunch Pail Lecture: The Women Behind the Walls of the French Nationality Room
October 1, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
$15 Adult
$15 Senior (65+)
$5 Youth (3-17)
$5 College Student (w/ ID)
Members of The Frick Societies receive complimentary admission
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. Conings will guide attendees to reconsider how personal agency and affective diplomacy shape, and are shaped by, our shared architectural legacies.
Advance registration encouraged; walk-up tickets can be purchased in the Grable Visitor Center while space is available. Registration does not include exhibition admission.
About Lunch Pail Lectures
Lunch Pail Lectures are The Frick Pittsburgh’s new monthly lecture series covering topics including current exhibitions, the Frick family, Pittsburgh and more! All attendees are encouraged to enjoy lunch during this program; brown bag lunches are welcome, or order online from The Café at the Frick. Online orders should be placed by 11:00 AM the day of the lecture to ensure pickup by 11:45 AM.
About the Presenter
Joanna is a PhD candidate in French Language and Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on questions of consent, coercion, and sexual violence in French literature and media, from Renaissance texts to contemporary digital spaces. Drawing on feminist theory, legal history, and trauma studies, she is interested in how cultural narratives shape—and sometimes limit—our understanding of women’s voices and agency. Originally from Belgium, Joanna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Germanic Languages and Literature (English and Dutch), as well as Master’s degrees in English and in French. Alongside her research, she teaches French language and culture and enjoys creating supportive, student-centered classrooms where learners feel comfortable experimenting, making mistakes, and growing.
