“It’s rooted in tradition but lives in conversation with the present.”
Olivier Gabet
On April 11, the French-American Cultural Foundation, in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Consulate General of France in Houston, hosted Savoir Faire and Innovation: In Conversation with Gary Tinterow – an evening that celebrated the enduring value of craftsmanship in the face of contemporary change.
The event began with a warm and lively reception at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where guests mingled over refreshments and conversation, setting the tone for an evening of intellectual exchange and artistic appreciation.
The program that followed brought together three exceptional voices in the worlds of art and design: Gary Tinterow, Director and Margaret Alkek Williams Chair of MFAH; Olivier Gabet, Director of the Department of Objets d’Art at the Musée du Louvre; and Valérie Maltaverne, founder of the Paris-based design studio YMER&MALTA. Gabet and Maltaverne were childhood friends, reacquainted after 50 years!
Together, they delivered a thoughtful and inspiring conversation on the evolution of savoir faire – that distinctively French blend of skill, intuition, and creative finesse.
Despite a brief and unexpected power outage during the discussion, the event carried on with a remarkable sense of grace and camaraderie.
Valerie Maltaverne’s quietly powerful presence – and the depth of meaning behind her work – seemed to light the room in lieu of electricity.
Her pioneering approach to “slow made” design, which emphasizes time-honored craftsmanship and the use of uniquely French materials and techniques, offered a compelling vision for the future of art and design in a rapidly industrializing world.
The conversation struck a balance between deep expertise and lively exchange, with all three speakers demonstrating a mutual fluency in the language of design history, aesthetics, and innovation. This rare synergy gave the evening a collegiate energy – one rooted in shared values and a desire to preserve, reimagine, and extend the legacy of fine craftsmanship across continents and generations.
At its heart, Savoir Faire and Innovation affirmed that excellence in design is not static; it adapts. It’s rooted in tradition but lives in conversation with the present. And in a world of mass production and fleeting trends, the enduring value of thoughtful, beautifully made objects – imbued with cultural memory and material integrity – has never been more relevant.
As the evening concluded, guests and participants were left with a renewed appreciation for the importance of artistry, intentionality, and collaboration across borders. The Foundation is proud to support and spotlight the conversations that shape how we understand and nurture cultural excellence today.
To learn more about YMER&MALTA and explore Valérie Maltaverne’s visionary work at the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design, visit ymeretmalta.com. Her studio’s collaborations with master artisans and commitment to “slow made” excellence exemplify the spirit of savoir faire in the modern age.