Art collector Joan Agajanian Quinn (center) with Armenian Museum President Michele Kolligian (right) and fellow Museum Trustee Sandra Missakian (Photograph by Kenneth Martin)
To celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, the Armenian Museum of America is honoring Joan Agajanian Quinn, an art collector and a strong advocate on women’s issues. She is a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Armenian Museum of America.
Part of her collection was loaned to the Museum for the exhibitions “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s – 1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection” and “Discovering Takouhi: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn.” These shows have received rave reviews from WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen, Boston Public Radio, WBUR, Art New England Magazine, and many others, and they are extended through March 31, 2023.
“We are grateful to Joan, and to her daughters Amanda and Jennifer, for loaning their art collection to the Museum. This show has been transformative in terms of bringing new people into the Museum and elevating our Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries to a new level for future exhibitions,” states Museum President Michele Kolligian.
“The exhibitions include more than 20 women artists such as Lita Albuquerque, Lynda Benglis, Vija Celmins, and Claire Falkenstein. ‘Discovering Takouhi’ includes Dahlia Elsayed, Silvina Der Meguerditchian, Chris Hartunian, and many more. Boston Globe reviewer Mark Feeney wrote that the Quinns were unconcerned with conventions, which is one reason they were likelier to collect work by women and artists of color than many of their peers,” adds Kolligian. “It is notable that the shows were expertly curated by three women, Rachel McCullah Wainwright, and Natalie Varbedian and Gina Grigorian.”
Joan is the co-host of “Beverly Hills View” and has been the producer and host of the “Joan Quinn Profiles” for more than 35 years. The Los Angeles native was West Coast Editor of Andy Warhol’s “Interview,” Society Editor of the “Los Angeles Herald Examiner,” and the founding West Coast Editor of “Condé Nast Traveler.”
She is an Executive Committee member of the Armenian International Women’s Association and serves on the board of the Women’s Support Center in Yerevan. Joan has been appointed to an array of city and state commissions, and in 2017 she received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
“On the Edge” and “Discovering Takouhi” are presented by the JHM Foundation. The Armenian Museum of America’s galleries are open Thursday through Sunday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and it is located at 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA.