THE FRENCH CITY OF DIJON VISITS DALLAS FOR A WEEK OF CULTURAL EVENTS

Presenting Dijon Must’art - A Delegation of Michelin-Starred Chefs, Wine Experts, Brand

Representatives, and City Officials visiting Dallas as part of the Nationwide Tour of
“The Mourners: Medieval Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy”

FOR RELEASE: Dallas, September 24th, 2010 – An exceptional traveling exhibition of

medieval sculptures from the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, France (Dijon Museum of Fine
Arts) will open at The Dallas Museum of Art on October 2nd, the third stop of a two-year
American tour. To celebrate the opening, the City of Dijon will host Dijon Must’art in Dallas
during the week of September 27th.

Dijon Must’art brings a delegation of leading chefs, Burgundy wine experts, city officials and
representatives of Burgundy’s finest gourmet products to visit its international sister city, Dallas.
This initiative has been created to offer Dallas residents and visitors a taste of the striking city of
Dijon, the capital of the Burgundy region of France.

Dijon – It’s about Mustard, and Much, Much More

The City of Dijon Mayor’s Office has created Dijon Must’art, a program designed to promote the
flourishing city of Dijon, France through a series of weeklong, citywide events across the United
States. These events follow the schedule of “The Mourners” exhibit—a traveling collection of
exceptional medieval tomb sculptures from the Court of Burgundy. Normally situated at the
Dijon Musée de Beaux Arts, the tomb sculptures are traveling during the museum’s 10 year
renovation. Upon “The Mourners” arrival at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in
February 2010, Dijon Must’art celebrated, inspired and educated by hosting cooking
demonstrations, wine-tastings and live musical performances throughout the city. The New York
event attracted 120,00 visitors and the second event in St. Louis was visited by over 20,000
people. This season, Dijon Must’art is planning its third stop in the U.S. in Dijon’s international
sister city, Dallas.

In 2009, L’Entreprise magazine named Dijon the most attractive city in France for the second
year in a row, noting its beauty and continued economic growth. Under its current leadership, the
city of Dijon is committed to sustainable and socially fair economic development.

“Dijon mustard is appreciated around the world,” said Dijon Senator-Mayor Francois
Rebsamen. “In fact, I was happy to learn last year that President Barack Obama
enthusiastically ordered Dijon mustard with his hamburger, so of course I personally sent a
case to the White House.” He added, “It is, after all, a healthy choice.”
While mustard is the first thing that may come to mind when we hear its name, Dijon is a
magnificent city with historic architecture, public gardens, cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes.
Located in the heart of Burgundy, Dijon is home to a cutting edge art and music scene, as well as
exquisite cuisine and high-quality specialty products that are exported throughout the world. The
wine heritage of the Burgundy region dates back to medieval times, and today the wines of
Burgundy are considered among the finest in the world.

“Dijon Must’art is a project that is close to my heart, and the heart of my city. It is a wonderful
opportunity to share what we treasure most,” said Rebsamen. “Our week of events in Dallas
celebrates the historic journey of “The Mourners” across the United States. Never before have
these superb statues been viewed outside of their original context adorning the tomb of the Dukes
of Burgundy. This exhibition offers the viewer an extraordinary opportunity to examine the works
from a 360-degree perspective.”

Must See
This October, the Dallas Museum of Art is featuring some of Dijon’s most prized treasures: “The
Mourners”, sculptures that have traveled all the way from Dijon’s Musée des Beaux-Arts
(affiliated with the DMA through FRAME: French Regional & American Museum Exchange).
Each individual sculpture is a masterpiece, and together they make up a special and memorable
collection. The New York Times agrees, stating, “Anyone who cares about the art of sculpture
should pay them a visit, for each is a small masterpiece of stone carving and humanist realism.”

Must Taste
The Dijon Must’art week in Dallas will cater to those who appreciate an authentic food
experience. In the spotlight: at the Dallas State Fair, all day October 1st, Dijon’s Michelin-starred
chefs will be frying up some of their tastiest creations as special guests of the Celebrity Kitchen
in the Creative Arts Building. How will the Dallas public react to French Fries being cooked with
a contemporary and healthy twist, in Dijon based T-fal’s legendary Actifry – where a full batch
requires only 1 tablespoon of oil? Official sponsor Maille mustard will hand out samples, as it
only seems appropriate to enjoy the world’s best corn dogs with the world’s best mustard. In
another demonstration of Franco-American friendship, Chef André Natera of the Fairmont Hotel
says “it will be an honor to welcome the Dijon Chefs to Dallas and we will mark this great event
with a ceremonial planting of mustard seeds in our organic rooftop garden.”

Must Enjoy
The overall objective of Dijon Must’art is to give Dallas residents &visitors the opportunity to
explore the cultural spirit of a foreign city. As a final Dijon Must’art event for the public, Dijon
chefs and spokespeople will participate as featured guests at the Dallas Arts District “Art in
October” event on October 2nd. This special day will celebrate the coming together of French and
American communities by offering a fun-filled day of free food & wine tastings, free entry to all
the museums and a host of special activities offered by various Arts District organizations.

Other special celebrations of Dijon Must’art Week include special visits for the Dijon Delegation
with Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Dr. Bryan Hobson Wildenthal, the Executive Vice President
and Provost of the University of Texas at Dallas and in addition, Le Cordon Bleu College of
Culinary Arts has invited the Dijon chefs to inspire their own aspiring chefs by organizing a
Dijon Must’art Master Class.

Dijon’s presence in Dallas will offer celebratory events for the entire city to enjoy and plant the
seeds (literally) of long-lasting and rich cultural connections. This season Dallas will truly
experience an original Dijon-infused taste of the “French Touch,” with events designed for
culture-lovers of all kinds. Dijon Must’art hopes to bring attention to the allure and attractiveness
of Dijon, a destination all travelers must experience.

For more information about:

Dijon Must’art: www.dijon-must-art.com
The City of Dijon: www.visitdijon.com and on YouTube: Dijon Must’art
The Mourners: www.themourners.org
The Dallas Museum of Art Exhibition: www.dm-art.org/View/FutureExhibitions/dma_205640

For photos or interviews, please contact Jane Peck at Fraiche PR & Communications
jane@fraichepr.com or cell +33 6 07 12 24 76