French Language

FIAF is the home of francophone cultures and French language: a beacon from New York to the world.

This year, we mark an incredible milestone: the 125th anniversary of the Alliance Française de New York, which in 1898 became the foundation for the French Institute Alliance Française that we love today.

Throughout the year, we will be celebrating this important moment in our history which also coincides with the 140th anniversary of the Fondation des Alliances Françaises.

Our Mission:

As an independent, not-for-profit organization, FIAF is committed to providing our audience and students with engaging French language classes and audacious multi-disciplinary programming that celebrates the diversity of francophone cultures and creativity around the world.

We are a welcoming and inclusive community for all ages and all backgrounds, where people can meet, learn, and explore the richness of our heritages and share discoveries.

We strive to amplify voices and build bridges from the entire francophone world to New York and beyond.

Our History:

FIAF’s history begins in 1898, when the Alliance Française established a chapter here in New York City. In 1911, the Museum of French Art, French Institute was founded by francophile New Yorker MacDougal Hawkes, and in 1925 opened its space in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building at 22 East 60th Street, where FIAF still resides. In 1971, the two institutions joined together to create the French Institute Alliance Française.