Armenian Museum of America Statement on Artsakh Cultural Heritage

The Armenian Museum of America regrets the loss of life, injuries, and displacement of Armenians from Artsakh caused by the resumption of war on September 27, 2020. In the aftermath of the war, we express our solidarity with colleagues in the scholarly and cultural heritage community around the world, who are calling attention to the threat of cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing in Artsakh.

We are concerned about the Armenian monuments, artifacts, and buildings that are now threatened in areas under Azerbaijani control. We have witnessed the erasure of the Armenian presence in Nakhichevan in recent decades, and Azerbaijan has even resorted to widespread historical revisionism within the past month.

Armenians contributed widely to the development of civilization and culture in the region from ancient pre-Christian sites to medieval monasteries that are awe-inspiring wonders of the world. This is a part of Armenia’s heritage, but it is also a part of the world’s rich culture.

The Armenian Museum of America has doubled down on its mission to protect, preserve, and share Armenia’s heritage so it will forever endure. In our role as a living museum, we are responding with a renewed focus on two areas:

1) New exhibitions documenting our rich cultural heritage, and
2) Safekeeping items of national importance in perpetuity

We stand ready to assist our colleagues and compatriots guarding Armenia’s patrimony and to curate programs so people of all ethnic backgrounds can learn more about our contributions to the cultural fabric of the world.

About the Armenian Museum of America
The Armenian Museum of America is the largest Armenian Museum in the Diaspora. It has grown into a major repository for all forms of Armenian material culture that illustrate the creative endeavors of the Armenian people over the centuries. Today, the Museum’s collections hold more than 25,000 artifacts including 5,000 ancient and medieval Armenian coins, 1,000 stamps and maps, 30,000 books, 3,000 textiles and 180 Armenian inscribed rugs, and an extensive collection of Urartian and religious artifacts, ceramics, medieval illuminations, and various other objects. The collection includes historically significant objects, including five of the Armenian Bibles printed in Amsterdam in 1666.

Armenian Museum of America
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
www.armenianmuseum.org

Jason Sohigian Joins Armenian Museum of America as Executive Director

Armenian Museum of America Executive Director Jason Sohigian (Photograph by Tamar Barsamian) 

WATERTOWN, MA--After a lengthy search period, the Armenian Museum of America has recently hired Jason Sohigian as the organization’s Executive Director. 

Jason has degrees from Clark University and Harvard University Extension School, and he is well-known locally, nationally, and internationally for his volunteerism and professional work. He has appeared on numerous panels and was featured as speaker at one of the prestigious TEDx events in Yerevan.

Jason served as Editor of the Armenian Weekly newspaper, and most recently as Deputy Director of the Armenia Tree Project. His work at ATP over the past 15 years focused on development, marketing, and environmental sustainability.

“As a leader in the non-profit sector, Jason has led many efforts here in the US as well as in Armenia to help organizations expand and promote their mission,” says Michele Kolligian, President of the Board of Directors. “Jason is a very passionate and proud Armenian with a strong interest in our heritage and rich history. Among other things, his knowledge will play a vital part in our efforts to present the Museum’s incredible coin collection donated to us by the late Paul and Vickie Bedoukian, and their son, Dr. Robert and his wife Gail.”  

In 2015, Jason co-founded the Armenian Numismatic and Antiquities Society, which has held several “antiques roadshow” type events, published a journal/newsletter, and developed a website and social media presence for collectors, historians, and enthusiasts. 

“To say these are unprecedented times has become a real understatement these days, especially for our community. On top of a global pandemic, we are following an ongoing war in Artsakh every day,” notes Sohigian. “Nevertheless, the Museum has been updating its exhibitions and expanding its virtual offerings. As a living museum, we are more than just a collection of artifacts. Our goal is to increase our membership and continue to curate exhibitions and programs as we celebrate our 50th anniversary in the coming year. We will offer something for everyone.”

Jason lives in Watertown with his wife Vicki and their two children.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jason to the Armenian Museum and wish him all the best in his position as Executive Director,” adds Kolligian. “Our goal is to raise the profile of the Museum through exhibitions, public programming, and expanding partnerships. We hope to see more visitors to the Museum in the near future when the pandemic subsides and it safe to resume normal operations. In the meantime, we wish everyone good health and well-being, and wish the same for our Armenian brothers and sisters in Artsakh.”

Founded in 1971, the Armenian Museum of America has grown into a major repository for all forms of material culture that illustrate the creative endeavors of the Armenian people over the centuries. Today, the collections hold more than 20,000 artifacts including 5,000 ancient and medieval coins, over 3,000 textiles and 180 Armenian inscribed rugs, and an extensive collection of Urartian and religious artifacts, ceramics, medieval illuminations, and contemporary art. The Library houses archival materials, more than 27,000 titles, and an oral history collection.

The Museum has the largest and most diverse collection of Armenian objects outside of the Republic of Armenia.

The Armenian Museum Congratulates Dr. Taner Akçam!

The Armenian Museum of America is proud to announce that its Academic Advisor to the Board, Dr. Taner Akcam, has been recognized internationally for his book Killing Orders: Talat Pasha’s Telegrams and Armenian Genocide.

Wednesday night at a dinner in Paris hosted by the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France, French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Dr. Akçam for his achievement and for his position against Armenian Genocide denial. According to the French president, Akcam’s book constitutes “the scientific establishment of clear intentionality of organized crime.” “You brought out what some wanted to plunge into oblivion, Genocide denial,” said Macron. “It is an essential stone in this deeply political debate with the Turkish leaders,” he added. Dr. Akçam is the Robert Aram, Marianne Kaloosdian and Stephen and Marian Mugar Chair in Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University. 

The Board of Trustees of the Armenian Museum of America congratulates Dr. Akçam and expresses its gratitude for his passionate and tireless work and commitment to bringing worldwide recognition of the Armenian Genocide. 

Sincerely, 

Michele M. Kolligian
President

The Armenian Museum Awarded Dadourian Foundation Grant

The Armenian Museum of America is proud to announce that we have been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Dadourian Foundation to support Armenian musical performances in 2020. The Dadourian Foundation has been the largest champion of the musical programming events here at the Museum for the past several years.

Thanks to their continued generosity we have been able to host numerous concerts with artists from the Composers Union of Armenia, launch a successful Jazz Night Series and enliven our galleries with performances by musicians playing traditional Armenian instruments such as the oud and the duduk. 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Staff, we wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Dadourian foundation for their trust and support of our mission to present Armenian culture to our membership and the community at-large.

We look forward to continuing and expanding our musical programming at the Armenian Museum during 2020. Stay tuned for this Spring’s musical programming updates!

The Armenian Museum Welcomes Dr. Alisa Dumikyan

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff of the Armenian Museum of America, we are very pleased to announce the arrival of visiting scholar, Dr. Alisa Dumikyan.  Born in Armenia, Dr. Dumikyan received her master’s degree from the Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences (1995-2000) and a second master’s degree from the International Center for Scientific Education of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) (2006-2008).  She received her PhD from the Institute of History of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (2009-2013).

Dr. Dumikyan has spent her career teaching and researching in Armenia and abroad: from 2001 to 2009 she taught at the Yerevan Brusov State University of Languages and Social Sciences, the Russian-Armenian University and other universities. From 2008 to 2019, she worked as a senior researcher at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia.

Her area of focus surrounds the issues in the historiography of ancient and early medieval Armenia from the 19th century and has written prolifically on this matter.  Her publications include the following articles and papers:  ‘’To the problem of conceptual approaches of the French Armenologists and Orientalists to the history of the Kingdom of Van,’’ ‘’Taik in the Assyrian and Biainian cuneiform inscriptions, ancient Greek and early medieval Armenian sources (the interpretations of the 19th century french armenologists) ,’’ ‘’Historical and spiritual perception of Armenia in the maps of French researchers of XVII-XIX centuries,’’ ‘’The reliability of the 19th century French and modern Armenological interpretations of the Biblical information about Mt. Ararat in the light of the Qumran manuscripts,’’ “The Interpretation of information on the Armenian King Abgar by French Armenologists of the 19th century".

Dumikyan says “I was very honored when I was invited to work at the Museum as an Armenian Researcher.  The Armenian Museum is a unique institution with a very rich and extensive collection representing various periods throughout Armenian history, and I feel extremely fortunate to have this wonderful opportunity to share my knowledge and expand upon it with the vast resources at the Armenian Museum and its library. “

According to Dumikyan, “of special importance are the materials from the Urartu/Van Kingdom, the collection of ancient Armenian coins and stamps donated by Paul Bedoukian (the largest collection outside of Armenia), medieval Armenian manuscripts, ceramics, metal ware and rugs, which are a testament to the rich Armenian historical heritage.”

Dr. Dumikyan’s initial attention will be on strengthening the Museum’s scholarship of its ancient and medieval objects.