The MET’s Helen Evans and Berj Najarian of the New England Patriots join Leadership of Armenian Museum of America

The Armenian Museum of America recently announced that Dr. Helen C. Evans, Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator of Byzantine Art Emerita at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has joined its leadership team as an Academic Advisor, while Berj Najarian, New England Patriots Director of Football and Head Coach Administration, has joined as a Trustee.

“We are excited about the expansion of our Trustees and our group of esteemed Academic Advisors,” says Michele Kolligian, President of the Armenian Museum’s Board of Trustees. “While museums have been temporarily closed during the pandemic, we hope the community has taken notice of the expansion of our online programs, and we are excited about our eventual re-opening later this year.”

Berj Najarian is in his 27th season in the National Football League and 22nd season with the New England Patriots, serving as the point person for the day-to-day operations of the team. Berj acts as a liaison across football departments such as team travel, equipment, training, and player engagement as well as non-football departments such as marketing, media relations, and Gillette Stadium operations. Berj manages several elements of head coach Bill Belichick’s off-field agenda including football operations, player and staff communication, and scheduling. Berj has been part of all six Patriots Super Bowl championship teams.

Entering the NFL in 1995, Berj was a public relations assistant with the New York Jets for five seasons following an internship with the New York Knicks. Berj attended Boston University, and he is a Board member and officer of the Bill Belichick Foundation. Berj was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Manhasset, NY.

While Berj tends to work behind-the-scenes with the Patriots, he has taken several opportunities to publicize issues related to his ancestral homeland including providing an Armenian flag pin to Coach Belichick to wear at the White House after winning the Superbowl. Most recently he joined the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign by wearing a custom designed pair of cleats to raise awareness about the war in Artsakh. The cleats were highlighted by the top players on Instagram, and they set an NFL auction record in support of Armenia Fund’s humanitarian programs. The winning bid went to the Museum’s President, Michele Kolligian and Bob Khederian, Vice President, who announced they were donating the Artsakh cleats to the Museum. The cleats will be presented to the Museum for display in the upcoming months.

 Dr. Helen C. Evans curated The MET’s renowned “Armenia!” exhibition in 2018. She co-curated “Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts” at the Morgan Library and Museum in 1994 and included Armenian works in her award-winning exhibitions at The MET on “The Glory of Byzantium” in 1997 and “Byzantium: Faith and Power” in 2004. Her installation of The MET’s Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Byzantine Art displays Armenian works as exemplars of an important East Christian culture on the Empire’s border. The AGBU recently announced a Helen C. Evans Scholarship in her honor, which will fund students studying Armenian art, art history, and the early church.

 Dr. Evans has lectured and published widely and taught Armenian art and culture as the Nikit and Elenora Ordjanian Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at Columbia University. Armenia’s President recognized her efforts with the Republic of Armenia’s Order of Friendship. His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, presented her with the Order of Saint Sahak and Saint Mesrop, and the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America recognized her with its Friend of the Armenians Award, while the Prelacy of the Great House of Cilicia presented her with the Mesrop Mastots, Queen Zabel, and Spirit of Armenia awards.

Dr. Evans was elected a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America in 2020. She is chairwoman of the board of the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture and former President of the International Center for Medieval Art and the Association of Art Museum Curators. Dr. Evans received her BA with Honors from Newcomb College of Tulane University and her MA and PhD from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. Her dissertation was on Manuscript Illuminations at the Armenian Patriarchate in Hromkla and the West.

“The addition of Dr. Evans and Berj to our leadership group could not have come at a more important time for the Armenian Museum,” concludes Kolligian. “We are witnessing ethnic cleaning in Artsakh today, so this is a time to reinvest and expand efforts to preserve and promote our heritage. We are confident that the growth of the Museum’s leadership will introduce new ideas for revitalizing programs and exhibitions for our members and the community at-large.”

Armenian Museum of America Launches Fourth Virtual Series with Focus on Early Recordings

Mardiros Der Sarkis Tashjian, along with one of the record labels from his 1909 recording for Columbia Phonograph Company (Photo Credit: Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives)

The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, MA, has launched its fourth online program called the Sound Archive, which is featured on its website and social media pages every month. The debut offering presents the full catalog of Mardiros Der Sarkis Tashjian and his brothers for the first time and is considered to be the earliest known Armenian sound recordings produced in the United States in the early 20th century.

To kick off the launch of the Sound Archive, the Armenian Museum is hosting its first-ever webinar with music researcher and collector Harout Arakelian on Thursday, April 1 at 7:30 pm EST (4:30 pm PST). This online Zoom event is free and registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: www.tinyurl.com/tashjianbrothers.

 The content of the Sound Archive is supplemented with vintage images from the collection of Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, and their archivists have worked closely with volunteers from the Armenian Museum to create this original multi-media content.

 “The music collection of the Armenian Museum is extensive, comprising of more than 3,000 records donated by members over the past 50 years,” notes Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “Volunteer Jesse Kenas-Collins has been digitizing and cleaning up the sound on these old recordings, some of which date back to the beginning of Armenian music in America. We are excited to preview this work online in an event with Harout Arakelian.”

 Arakelian worked with Kenas-Collins, Harry Kezelian, and other researchers to document the stories behind some of these recordings, and the Museum has begun posting these online, starting with the Tashjian Brothers. Arakelian will present some of this material during the webinar, including songs that have been restored. Some of the artists will include the Tashjian Brothers, Karekin Proodian, Armenag Shah-Mouradian, Torcom Bezazian, and Nevart Dzeron Koshkarian.

 “Harout has done similar events live at Abril Bookstore in Glendale,” adds Sohigian, “and these were hugely popular. So we are excited to host this public event on Zoom. We are sure it will be of interest for our members, fans of Armenian music, and collectors who have taken a renewed interest in these early recordings that were being lost to time.”

 “This introduction to the first Armenian recordings in America will highlight music in the Armenian Museum’s holdings and I will use the Tashjian story as the vehicle to discuss other musicians and recordings of the 1910s,” explains Arakelian. “All audio files to be played will be from the Armenian Museum of America’s archive, and we will explore these long-forgotten tunes and hear stories about the creators of culture.”

 Like most cultural institutions, the Armenian Museum quickly made the shift to virtual programming such as this over the past year. While galleries had to remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, members and families began participating in online events.

These programs have been growing at the Armenian Museum and now include an Online Concert Series sponsored by the Dadourian Foundation and a monthly Virtual Exhibition highlighting objects from its collection. In addition to the new Sound Archive, the Museum has been featuring a weekly ‘’Show and Tell’’ video hosted by Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian, where he shares informative and often amusing stories about objects in the collection. This popular video series is sponsored by Michele Kolligian, President of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.

“Since we have not been able to open the Museum galleries to the public, or present live events such as lectures, book talks, and concerts, our team has done a wonderful job curating virtual offerings to keep people connected during the time the Museum has been closed,” concludes Sohigian. “While we look forward to reopening in the second half of the year, we will continue posting online content so our members across the country and internationally can remain engaged and enjoy learning about our vast collection, and beyond.”

Armenian Museum of America Announces ‘Kez Het Hayastan’ Concert Honoring Armenia

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW CONCERT

From left: Anahit Zakaryan, Hayk Arsenyan, Hasmik Meikhanedjian, Alvard Mayilyan

The Armenian Museum of America recently announced the third in its bi-monthly Online Concert Series. The performance is being recorded live in New York by three Armenian sopranos, Hasmik Meikhanedjian, Alvard Mayilyan, and Anahit Zakaryan. They will be accompanied by pianist and composer Hayk Arsenyan. The concert, “Kez het Hayastan” (With You, Armenia!), is dedicated to Armenia.

The event will be aired online on Sunday, February 14 at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST and 11:00 pm in Armenia). It is free, open to the public, pre-registration is not required, and the video will be made available on the Museum’s website and social media pages including Facebook. This concert series is supported by a generous grant from the Dadourian Foundation, and it is curated exclusively for the Armenian Museum audience by artistic director Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, who is a composer and conductor.

“We’re excited to present this third concert to our members, followers, and community,” noted Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “We joined many institutions in offering virtual programs during the pandemic so people can remain connected while we are temporarily closed. Normally we would host performances such as this in our gallery, but we are happy to host it online for our community in Watertown, Los Angeles, and around the globe. It is fitting because the audience at the Armenian Museum is truly global and people visit our website and social media pages from more than 75 countries.”

The Armenian Museum of America has expanded its offerings of virtual events while the galleries are temporarily closed to comply with COVID-19 regulations. In addition to the concert series, online programs include a weekly “show and tell” video about an object from its collection by Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian and a monthly virtual exhibition series which has already featured Artsakh Rugs and Armenian Embroidery.

Clockwise starting in the top left: Alvard Mayilyan, Hasmik Meikhanedjian, Anahit Zakaryan, Hayk Arsenyan.

Hasmik Meikhanedjian has been singing professionally for more than 30 years. She has degrees in music from the Armenian State Pedagogical University and Komitas State Conservatory. Hasmik has worked with the State Radio and TV Chamber Choir of Armenia, performed in numerous festivals and concerts throughout Europe and the US, and was a member of the choir of Holy Etchmiadzin. She joined the St. Vartan Cathedral Choir in 1993, for which she is currently one of its leading soloists.

Alvard Mayilyan is an expert in Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music and has performed throughout Europe and the US. She holds a master’s degree in voice and academic music from Yerevan State Conservatory. She has served as vocal coach to the Gomidas Choir of the Eastern Diocese in New York, and as director of the children’s chorus of the New Rochelle Opera. Her singing is featured throughout Sonia Balassanian’s film “Who Is the Victim?” which was presented at the Venice Film Festival. 

Anahit Zakaryan started her voice training at a very young age at the School for Gifted Children and then the State Music Conservatory under the tutelage of Tatevik Sazandarian. After graduating, Anahit was invited to continue her studies at the Juilliard School of Music. She was soloist at the Armenian State Opera, Academy Choir of Armenia, and Armenian Female Choir, as well as soloist and one of the founders of the Armenian Youth Opera Theater. In 1993, her vocal talents earned her first place in a national Komitas Competition.

Pianist and composer Hayk Arsenyan has appeared in recitals throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. A professor at NYU’s Tisch School, Hayk holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano from the University of Iowa. He was awarded the Yevgeny Kissin Scholarship at Manhattan School of Music. Hayk is a lifetime member of the French Society of Authors and Composers, a member of the Composers Union of Armenia, a member of the Ararat International Academy of Sciences in Paris, and he directs the AGBU’s Performing Arts Department.

These New York-based musicians have crafted an inspiring program that includes works by renowned composers such as Komitas, Tchukhadjian, Melikyan, Amirkhanyan, Petrossian, and Mekanejian, paying homage to Armenia and celebrating hope, faith, and love in these difficult times.

The link to this free concert will be available on the Museum’s Facebook page, YouTube Channel, and website https://www.armenianmuseum.org

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.

DONORS OF RECORD-BREAKING CLEATS FOR ARTSAKH REVEALED!

Cleats Donated to Armenian Museum of America

Berj Najarian of the New England Patriots (center) presented the cleats to Michele Kolligian and Bob Khederian at Gillette Stadium

For WBZ-TV coverage of this story, please click here.

The #PeaceForArmenians cleats that broke NFL records have made the news again as the winning bidders on January 6, 2021 were revealed to be Michele Kolligian and Bob Khederian of Boston. Kolligian and Khederian were on a mission to acquire these cleats, not for themselves, but to support the Armenia Fund and to bring awareness that another genocide is taking place in Artsakh. POW’s remain imprisoned by Azerbaijan and innocent Armenian civilians are being tortured and killed and displaced from their homeland, and these atrocities have not been widely reported in the news.

 Kolligian, President of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Museum of America, and Khederian, Vice President, are donating the cleats to the Museum. The dynamic duo have devoted their time and effort to keep the Museum in the forefront of the Armenian and non-Armenian communities. Proud and committed to the Armenian Museum’s mission, this recent gesture speaks to their generosity and passion for their Armenian heritage and the legacy left behind by the Museum’s founders 50 years ago.

 While the auction was going on, they knew they were up against another determined bidder. At one point they were about to put a pause on their bidding but with less than three minutes left to go they entered one final bid of $40,300, which sealed the deal! “It felt like we had just won the Armenian Super Bowl,” said Kolligian and Khederian.

 “It was an exciting campaign and a record for the NFL’s charitable campaign. We give credit and our sincere thanks to Berj Najarian and the Patriots Family for making this campaign a success in raising awareness about Artsakh,” said Kolligian. “In the end what made us most proud was to support the ongoing humanitarian efforts in Armenia and Artsakh and to be able to give the cleats a permanent and prominent place in the collection of the Armenian Museum. The icing on the cake is that the cleats will remain in New England, home to the Patriots! The cleats will be featured in a Family Case in the Museum and we will be using them in a creative way to raise additional funds for the children of Artsakh whose lives have been drastically impacted by this war.”

The Armenian-themed cleats were created by Armenian-American Berj Najarian, who is the Director of Football/Head Coach Administration for the New England Patriots. The NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign was initiated in 2016 as a way for players to use their voices and their influence to build support for social causes.

“The entire experience went above and beyond my expectations and was incredible and humbling to be a part of this. I was just the middleman for the extreme generosity and was thrilled to learn that Michele and Bob were the winners,” Najarian recalled.

When the war in Artsakh broke out again on September 27, the typically quiet and behind-the-scenes Najarian realized he had to speak up, and he started a campaign using Instagram. One of the first videos he posted was of his boss, Coach Bill Belichick, expressing concern about human rights abuses being committed against Armenians in Artsakh.

Soon thereafter, Najarian announced the auction of the one-of-a-kind cleats--which would close on Armenian Christmas--designed by Massachusetts-based artist Joseph Ventura. The shoes featured a church, khachkar cross-stone, Mount Ararat, and the tricolors of the Armenian flag and were worn by Najarian on the field during three Patriots games. The shoes became a cultural phenomenon and broke NFL records for attracting the most bids in the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign, even surpassing cleats auctioned by all-star quarterback Tom Brady.

The Patriots are a tight-knit team, even described as a family by team captain Matthew Slater, who posted words of support for Armenians on social media along with linebacker Chase Winovich, wide receiver Julian Edelman, defensive back Devin McCourty, and even ex-Patriots star Tom Brady.

While Coach Belichick has supported the Armenians before, notably by wearing an Armenian pin during a visit to the White House in recognition of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the awareness around Artsakh started when Najarian made a presentation about his heritage and the history of the Armenians as part of the team’s internal social justice campaign. In preparation for this talk and his social media postings, Najarian reached out to the Armenian Museum of America for resources and advice.

“I’m fortunate and thankful to work for the Kraft Family and Coach Belichick, and to be around the players. It was a collective effort of rallying around each other. It was special. I’m already looking for what’s next. There is a lot more work to be done for Armenia,” Najarian said.

The Armenian Museum issued a statement after the war, along with other influential organizations such as the Getty Museum and The MET. “We are concerned about the Armenian monuments, artifacts, and buildings that are now threatened in areas under Azerbaijani control,” noted the statement. “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.”

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