Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939

March 29, 2025 – June 22, 2025
Special Exhibition Galleries, Third Floor, North Building

During the early twentieth century, Paris was the destination of choice for talented and independent American women determined to move beyond the limitations that restricted them at home. Drawn by a strong desire for independence, they crossed the Atlantic to pursue personal and professional ambitions in a city viewed as the epicenter of modernity. Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939 recaptures the experiences of these unorthodox women who found in Paris the freedom to blaze new trails in a variety of fields, including art, literature, design, publishing, music, fashion, journalism, theater, and dance. As foreigners in a cosmopolitan city, they escaped the societal expectations and constraints of both the United States and France. Many used their newfound liberty as an opportunity for self-reinvention and discovery.