Pamela Kachurin

Pamela Kachurin earned her Ph.D. in Art and Architectural History, with a concentration in 20th Century Art.

Dr. Kachurin has taught Modern Art at Tufts, Northeastern, Harvard, and Duke Universities. She has led dozens of adult groups through world-renowned art museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Harvard University Art Museums, and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.  Her numerous books, articles and exhibition catalog essays have focused on the deep connections between 20th century art and political movements.

Dr. Kachurin has travelled widely in France, with extended stays in Paris and Provence, and has lectured extensively in the US and abroad.  She is thrilled to share her passion for 20th century French art with sophisticated Smithsonian travelers.

Madeline Díaz

Madeline Díaz has over 15 years of experience creating and leading programs for museums and cultural institutions. She has worked for The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Cloisters, the Frick Collection, the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and the Smithsonian Latino Center for which she currently serves as consultant. She develops and leads education programs for several French cultural institutions including the Grand Palais, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, the Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme and the Mona Bismarck American Center. She also teaches museum education and cultural mediation at the University of Versailles. She has traveled extensively through Spain, Italy and France and has a passion for art, photography, languages and flamenco. Madeline holds a BA from Brown University and an MA from Columbia University. 

Yves Thomas

Yves was Associate Professor at Trent University from 1990 to 2016.  He wrote his PhD dissertation on luxury in 19th century French decadent literature. His research areas stem from urban development in Paris under Napoleon the third, the Parisian aesthetic avant-garde in the 1920s and 50s and urban decay in contemporary Detroit. From 2010 to 2016, he played an administrative role as Director of the Year Abroad Program in Nantes France and as Chair of the Cultural Studies Department. He has been Chair of the board of Arts and Heritage Centre in Warkworth ON, Canada since February 2017.