Brought up in London by artistic parents (mother a painter and father an orchestral conductor), Charlotte’s thirst for cultural enrichment bought her to Paris at 19 to study French and Art History at the Sorbonne. For 10 years she ran her own company here before accompanying her journalist husband to Jerusalem in 1999 (where she guided small groups through the Old City) and to Washington D.C. in 2002,(where she worked for four years at the Kreeger Museum). She very much enjoys sharing her love and in-depth knowledge of the artistic heritage of her adopted city.

Andrew Ayers read history of architecture in London before coming to Paris for a three-month study period. Ten years later he has still not finished those studies or left Paris, but has gotten to know the French capital inside out while writing an in-depth guide to the city's architecture. He has recently branched out to the provinces, publishing a monograph on a Tours-based architect. More writing projects are in the pipeline...

The daughter of two expatriate Americans, Rebecca Cavanaugh was born and raised in London. She fell in love with Paris as a teenager, later cultivating her passion for French culture through a study abroad program as an undergraduate art student at Skidmore College. Rebecca fulfilled her dream of moving back to the City of Light in 2007, where she has been conducting research for her Master’s thesis in inter-war French decorative arts and design. A freelance writer, budding design educator, and amateur jazz singer, Rebecca received her Master’s degree from New York’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, in partnership with Parsons the New School for Design, in spring 2008.

Louisa Chu is a chef and writer. Recipient of a James Beard Foundation Scholarship and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Louisa worked at the Paris Michelin three-star restaurant Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee and Les Ambassadeurs at the Hotel de Crillon. She’s currently a columnist for CHOW magazine and has appeared on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel. She will soon be seen on Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie on PBS in the US and Chic Eats on Discovery International. Louisa also publishes the food blog Movable Feast.

Charlotte Lacaze fell in love with Paris when she was a high school student, and made it her home in 1978 after having earned a Ph.D. at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University. She has taught art history in New York City, Florence and for many years in Paris where she has just become professor emerita of The American University in Paris. A medievalist by training, she has also taught ancient art, introduced a course on the urban history of Paris and led many study trips for students and adults in France and elsewhere in Europe. Her enthusiasm for Paris and its treasures has never flagged.

Having grown up in the Middle East and traveled extensively around the region, Tara’s interest in classical Islamic art was spurred at a young age, yet developed into a more concentrated, formal study while already in high school. Tara holds an art history degree from Skidmore College (B.A.) with a minor in Middle Eastern studies, and an M.A. degree from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. In both degrees, Tara concentrated on Islamic art; however, the nature of the master’s degree allowed her to also concentrate on the business aspects related to this sector. Tara has also worked with the chief curators of Islamic art at both the British Museum (London) and the Freer Gallery, Smithsonian Institute of Art (Washington DC). Since moving back to Paris, Tara has explored the local, traditional Islamic art market and also Paris’s contemporary Arabic art developments.

The daughter of a sculptor, Marie has been surrounded by art ever since she was born. A native Parisienne, she holds an undergraduate degree in history and art history, with a specialty in iconography and French paintings from the 16C to the 18C. She is now working on a Master's degree in Museology at the Ecole du Louvre, writing her thesis on the renovation of the Petit Palais Museum in Paris. Since she loves literature, ballets, theatre plays, operas, jazz clubs and classical concerts - she has been playing the piano for thirteen years - Paris and it’s artistic life is a perfect fit.

Philip Ditchfield has been working in Rome as a historical archaeologist for the last fourteen years. Trained as a Byzantinist, he has excavated on numerous sites in England, Greece, Cyprus and Italy. During his doctorate at the Sorbonne, he specialized in the material culture of southern Italy during the Middle Ages. His nine hundred page encyclopedia, entitled "Culture Matérielle Médiévale" has been hailed as a classic in its field, bringing to light hundreds of perviously unknown words and terms in medieval Latin and Greek that pertain to everyday household objects and paraphernalia.

Claire Downey is an architectural historian who has lived in Paris for many years. She covers contemporary architecture for Architectural Record. For several years she published her own magazine about Paris called This City Paris. She lives with her French husband and two children in a suburb east of Paris.

A native Parisienne, Marie is currently pursuing a Master's in museology from the Ecole du Louvre. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the Ecole du Louvre and one in History from the Sorbonne. Marie has lived extensively in both the US and Austria. Before coming to Context, she has worked in various art and photography galleries in Paris and Vienna.

Robin Emlein is currently pursuing her Masters degree in museum studies at the Ecole du Louvre, writing her thesis on the sculptures in the gardens of Versailles and their restoration throughout the 20th century. She also holds undergraduate degrees in French and art history from the Ecole du Louvre and Wellesley College.

Native Parisian Philippe Engammare’s love affair with food and cooking began when he was six years old. By the time he was eight, he was preparing entire meals for his family (8 people) on Wednesdays (when there is no school). Impressing everyone with his knowledge and creativity, he recently cooked a meal for 50 people to celebrate a birthday! His invaluable historical background stems from his degrees in modern French history (ABD) at Sciences Po. Philippe does all of his food shopping exclusively on bicycle, at his neighbourhood stores and markets.Philippe also plays the clarinet, but not on his bicycle!

A French-American Parisienne, Aimée Froom received her Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. A curator and an art historian, she is a specialist of Islamic art whose interests range from French Impressionism to the history of St Germain des Prés. Before moving to Paris, Aimée was for years curator at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, a fellow at the Metropolitan Museum and a visiting professor at Brown University and the Bard Graduate Center for the Decorative Arts. In Paris, she is sourcing objects in French national collections for an exhibition on gift-giving to take place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2010 and has lectured at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris. She takes the Eurostar several times a semester to lecture in London for the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her book on the Persian ceramics collection at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco will be published in fall 2008.

A native of Los Angeles, Patricia left the land of permanent sunshine and freeways to spend a year at the Université de Bordeaux. As a result, she has dedicated the better part of her life to studying French and francophone language, literature, history, art history, and culture. She holds a B.A. in French language and literature, a B.A. and M.A. in French history, and is currently working on her doctoral dissertation on 19th and 20th century French colonial photography. She has spent the past several years in France, Morocco, and California for her dissertation work.

A native of Canada, Lily studied art in Italy and then in Paris as part of her Fine Arts Degree. Her love of art and culture brought her back to Europe after graduation, and she has made the city of light her home for the last six years. Her professional experience includes working in museums and art galleries in Canada and France as well as leading cultural visits in Paris and the countryside. When she is not visiting the latest art exhibitions, she is out discovering unique places and events in Paris.

Michael Herrman is a practicing architect with undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture from Cornell and Princeton Universities. Michael is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and the Rome Prize in Architecture. He has lived and worked in Japan and Europe during the past ten years, most recently in the office of Jean Nouvel in Paris where he worked extensively on the Museé du Quai Branly (opened in the summer of 2006). He currently divides his time between Paris and Rome.

Jennifer Huxta is a photographer and field poet. Originally from Pennsylvania, Jennifer has lived in Paris for 5 years, teaching photography with Oxbridge Academic Programs, organizing several Maine Photographic Workshops overseas programs, and working as a translator for journalists on reportage in France. She currently divides her time between Paris and Philadelphia.

Rosa’s love affair with French food began at age four, when her family spent a year in Paris. In 1995 she moved to Paris from Canada and spent nine months as an interpreter at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She now makes her living writing about restaurants for magazines and guidebooks, designing custom food itineraries for visitors to Paris, and teaching cooking in Nice. Rosa has published two cookbooks in French, Petites recettes pour grandir and La cuisine des paresseuses (both with Marabout). She also has a food blog, www.rosajackson.blogspot.com.

After having worked as a teacher in Switzerland for several years, Martin moved to Paris to study Art History at the Sorbonne. With a specialty in 19th century Art, he has worked as a curator assistant for a number of major exhibitions, including the Louvre's show on Delacroix. Since 2006 Martin is responsible for the exhibitions in the Louvre and is working on several projects for the French and Italian Masters as well as contemporary art.

James King is a British artist who has lived in Paris for nearly 20 years. He has taught and lectured extensively on modern and contemporary art but is first and foremost a practicing artist himself. He leads a number of hands-on painting and drawing workshops for Context Paris in Giverny, Auvers sur Oise (the last home of Van Gogh), and other places.

Camille Labro is a Franco-American who has spent her life between France and the United States. She was born in Berkeley, California, where she became part of the Chez Panisse family. She was raised in Provence, then spent ten years in New York (working as a correspondent for French Vogue) before returning to Paris. In addition to her career in the French media (magazines as well as TV and radio), she has contributed to the Slow Food Guidebook and the Insight Guide's Food Guide to Paris, and is currently the food editor of the Paris Times. She's also the author of the guidebook New York Confidential (Assouline, 1999) and is currently working on a cookbook, about her mum's Provencal cuisine. A gourmet and home cook as well, she's dedicated to making the best and purest food with local, seasonal products.

A native Parisian, Philippe has worked as a curator in many of Paris' top museums, including the Louvre, the Petit Palais, the National Gallery "Jeu de Paume", and in the French Academy at the Villa Médici in Rome. Fluent in Italian, Philippe spent many years dividing his time between Rome and Paris, developing a love for both cities. He is thus well positioned to discuss the history of Paris and French art within the context of the Italian Renaissance. Philippe has a Masters degree in art history and museum studies from the Ecole du Louvre and now works as a collection manager in the Louvre's decorative arts section.

David Lebovitz worked for many years as a pastry chef at Chez Panisse in San Francisco before moving to Paris in order to write and lecture. He is the author of several books about pastries and deserts, including the Great Book of Chocolate (Ten Speed Press). David has studied chocolate at Callebaut College in Belgium and done advanced coursework in baking and the art of confectionery at the renowned Ecole Lenotre in Paris.

David Lewis moved to Paris to research a Ph.D. thesis on Francis Picabia and the origins of postmodern aesthetics. He is a frequent contributor to Artforum.com and an active participant in the Parisian contemporary art scene. Recently, he curated the exhibition ‘Tender is the Night’ at Gavin Brown’s Passerby in New York and presented research on Henri Matisse at the Frick Collection and Pablo Picasso at the College Art Association conference in Dallas. David firmly believes that all aspects of contemporary culture are best understood by way of their historical background, and relishes the opportunity to initiate people into the splendors of avant-garde and contemporary art.

Silvia Loreti has since spent five years in London where she did her BA and MA in art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She first came to Paris hunting for Picasso archives, and ended up living here, a confirmed convert to the Paris lifestyle. She currently divides her time between Paris, London and Rome (her place of origin) whilst working towards her Ph.D. in art history with a specialization in Picasso, de Chirico, and the interaction between classicism and prehistory in their work.

A native Parisian and certified sommelier, Olivier was born with his love of wine: Though he was raised in Paris, his family owns a small vineyard in the Beajoulais region. After finishing his MBA and his oenological studies, Olivier established his own wine loft, where he organizes tastings and courses. A member of the Union de la Sommellerie Française and the La Confrérie des Chevaliers de Saint-Paul, Olivier works as a wine consultant for Inside Wine Publications when he's not leading walks and tastings.

Yumna Masarwa received her Ph.D. in Art & Archaeology from Princeton University and wrote her dissertation on 8th-century military architecture in Palestine. She is currently an associate member at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) working on interdisciplinary studies of archaeology, architecture, religion and history. She teaches "the Architecture of Paris from Roman Times until Nowadays" at Oxbridge Summer Academic Program in Paris, where she has been living since 2005.

Sarah Vandenhende, an American from New York, couldn't find a better place than Paris to combine her passions in life: Fashion, Art and Food. This "touche-a-tout", has lived in the Marais section of Paris for over twenty years, where she capitalized on her fashion experience at Vogue Magazine to develop and market a leather glove Collection for Fendi and Adriste while launching the Galerie Orem, which specializes in Chinese Contemporary Art. If that wasn't enough, Sarah indulged in her love for food and recently completed the Intermerdiate cooking classes at the famous "Le Cordon Bleu".

An art historian and curator, Peter holds advanced degrees in art history from Williams College (M.A.) and New York University's Institute of Fine Arts (Ph.D.). A specialist in French nineteenth-century art, he has published widely about artist-travelers in the Orient. Before moving to Paris in 2000 to complete his dissertation on Théodore Chassériau, Peter worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Clark Art Institute. Recently, he has contributed to exhibitions appearing at the Louvre, the Grand Palais and the Institut du Monde Arabe. A fan of Balzac and contemporary photography, he is as fascinated by the changing urban geography of Paris as he is by its artistic heritage.

Lisa Pasold is a freelance writer originally from Montreal. She has been thrown off a train in Belarus, eaten the world's best pigeon pie in Marrakech, and mushed huskies in the Yukon. But her favorite place to explore is still Paris, where she has lived for ten years. Along with two books of poetry, her writing has appeared in newspapers like the Toronto Globe and Mail and the Chicago Tribune, and in such guidebooks as Fodor's and Time Out.

For Canadian-born Elaine Polley, Paris was a case of love at first sight. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Medieval Studies at Zurich University, where she is writing her dissertation on Arthurian legends. She also holds two Masters degrees (in French Literature and Medieval Studies), and spent years as a graduate student at the Sorbonne. As a result, Paris—and its Middle Ages—runs through Elaine's blood. When she's not holed up in a research library, one can find her exploring the Cluny, St. Germain des Pres, or any variety of other Medieval site in the city.

After working as a graduate student at the Getty Museum and as curator of a private collection in southern California, Christine Rolland arrived in France 22 years ago on a Fulbright Fellowship and then a Metropolitan Museum of Art Theodore Rousseau Fellowship. In the course of completing her PhD dissertation for UCSB on the 18th century French painter Louis Michel Van Loo, she married, started a family, and never left France. She did receive her PhD and today she lives in Normandy, where she is very active in building networks to preserve the local architectural and archaeological heritage. As president of a non-profit association for five years, she salvaged the association itself which was about to be dissolved, as well as a 13th century classified monument which was about to be sold, and a museum of local history whose collections were about to be dispersed. Christine is member of a multidisciplinary research group at the University of Rouen (GRHIS). An independent scholar specializing in forgotten traveling Old Master painters, studio techniques, portraiture, and early modern European networks, she has also worked as a researcher for a painting conservation studio.

Anna Russakoff received her PhD in 2006 from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. A specialist in medieval art, she has published and presented numerous conference papers on illuminated manuscripts. She is preparing a book proposal based on her dissertation about representations of miraculous images of the Virgin Mary. She currently teaches at the American University of Paris. She is also an France Director of the International Medieval Society in Paris.

A native of Arizona, Emily’s first taste of Paris came during a study-abroad trip in high school, when she vowed to return. Eleven years later, she made good on that promise by coming back as a student, this time in graduate school. A former teacher and journalist, she is currently pursuing her master’s degree through Columbia University’s French Cultural Studies Program. After completing her thesis, she hopes to remain in Paris and to become a regular at as many cafes as possible.

A native Parisian, Laure-Caroline Semmer, completed her PhD at the Sorbonne, with a focus on Paul Cezanne, and other impressionists, on which subjects she has published two books: Lire la peinture de Cézanne (Larousse 2006) and Les ouvres-clés de l'Impressionnisme (Larousse 2007). She currently teaches art history at the Université Versailles Saint Quentin, and also fine arts at the Ecole de Communication Visuelle. Laure-Caroline is extremely passionate about art and art history, and tries to convey this passion in the people she teaches.

Heather Stimmler-Hall first came to Paris as a university student in 1995, and has been living and working in France as a journalist and travel writer ever since. She is the author of the "Paris & Ile-de-France Adventure Guide" and has had her articles published in magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic and China. She is always on the lookout for the city's hidden corners and insider information to put in her monthly Secrets of Paris Newsletter.

Susan Taylor Leduc received her PhD in art history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. After working for the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. she moved to Paris and has worked as a professor, freelance curator and tour guide. As an independent scholar she has studied the gardens of Versailles in the eighteenth century and the interconnections between gardens and gastronomy.

Daughter of artist-teacher parents, Cerise was an art lover long before she began to study art history at the age of 16. Originally from the southwest of England, she moved to London in 2001 where she studied for her B.A. degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art and worked for two years at the Royal Academy of Arts. She came to Paris in 2004, where she has remained. After studying French and translation for three years, she obtained her masters degree in art history and museology from the Ecole du Louvre this year. A specialist in French eighteenth-century painting, Cerise has written two successful dissertations on J.-H. Fragonard, soon to be published, and intends to continue her research. Cerise is also an experienced dancer and is equally passionate about the theatre and the performing arts. A great believer in making the arts accessible to all, she is delighted to have the opportunity to share her knowledge and passion for the subject.

Wendy Lyn is a former Southerner who lives on the left bank in Paris designing customized culinary itineraries for gastronauts - discerning travelers and media who plan their trips exclusively around food and wine to gain an authentic sense of place – in New York, London, and Paris. She has served as a public relations-media advisor for renowned Chefs Charlie Trotter and the Alain Ducasse Groupe USA, Debauve et Gallais chocolate NYC, the red Michelin Guide New York City 2005, and has written 12 international insiders travel guides. Food Arts Magazine recently referred to her as a “human Rolodex, GPS, and Guide Rouge in one.” Her website and blog can be seen at wendy-lyn.com

Jeremy, originally from Massachusetts, first discovered Paris during a study abroad program. He up and moved to Paris shortly thereafter, to continue his interest in French life and culture. He continues to re-discover Paris each day, enjoying everything that the city has to offer. He holds an undergraduate degree in French Language and Literature from Skidmore College, and currently works in the Paris office.

Carolin C. Young, a lifelong foodie and Francophile, has been researching the history of artful dining since 1997. She holds a Royal Society of Arts Diploma from Christie’s Education, London and is the author of Apples of Gold in Settings of Silver; Stories of Dinner as a Work of Art (2002, Simon & Schuster). A Trustee of the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, Young lectures widely and has created several historically inspired banquets and events, most notably for the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. A native New Yorker transplanted to Paris, she is currently writing an irreverent history of the fork and building a 10-ft. boiled egg inspired by Salvador Dali.