Between 1850 and 1914 Paris was a center of international artistic activity that attracted foreign nationals in search of training and work in "art industries" that included the fine arts, design, decoration, illustration, and other creative tasks. This panel seeks papers that explore the strategies used by ordinary immigrants (rather than well-to-do expatriates) and the communities that may have helped or hindered their assimilation into French society. Papers may focus on famous artists or lesser-known practitioners and might address the following: What resources did immigrants bring? What social and institutional networks permitted them to flourish? Did they cultivate outsider personas or court French identity? Ultimately, this panel seeks proposals that explore the role that immigrant communities played in the development of modern French art.

CAA individual membership is required of all participants. For guidelines and instructions for submitting a proposal, go to http://conference.collegeart.org/2010/