Unique Folk Art Recreates the World Before the Armenian Genocide

Photo by George Bouret

Article by Hrag Vartanian

 In the Armenian Museum of America, there’s a curious collection of dioramas that might represent one of the most unique forms of Armenian-American folk art. On the first floor of the Watertown, Massachusetts-based museum is a small model of a home from the now-gone town of Hussenig, which was once located in the province of Kharpert (Harput) during the time of the Ottoman Empire.

 The model was made by an elderly man from Yerevan, Armenia, named Haji-Hagopian, who arrived in the United States in 1990 and went to a dentist named Martin Deranian. During their appointment, the doctor started talking about his famous uncle Hagop Bogigian, and the name rang a bell for the visitor. It turned out Bogigian’s family had helped Haji-Hagopian’s father during the Armenian Genocide.

 Deranian pounced on his guest’s words and asked him if he remembered the family’s home. Haji-Hagopian joked that he couldn’t even remember what he ate that day, but he remembered that house. He would eventually be convinced to recreate the home from memory with the help of another man. Together they created a model replica, which continues to be proudly displayed in the museum, serving as a monument to a place that no longer exists.

 The diorama, which is one of five in the museum’s collection, demonstrates a unique type of folk art that only appears to exist in the United States. Some were made by the immigrants themselves, while others were commissioned to be made by compatriots to help survivors feel closer to their lost homes.

 Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian suggests that their creation might also have to do with the long tradition of building models of Armenian churches, many of which are also in AMA’s collection. He also wonders if similar regional dioramas, such as more well-known examples at Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, might have inspired them.

 Visitors to the Peabody encounter dioramas which offer glimpses not only of natural scenes, but also of traditional scenes of Native American culture. The dioramas in AMA’s collection certainly evoke the style, scale, and manner of the Native American exhibits at the Peabody. Why the makers may have emulated those models remains a mystery, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine they felt a personal connection with the scenes of idealized Indigenous life, before the violence of colonization and removal.

 Click here to read the full story on the Hyperallergic website.

Armenian Museum of America Launches Genocide Education and New Online Concert in April

The Armenian Museum is presenting a series of programs in April including an Online Concert by the Nairyan Vocal Ensemble on Sunday, April 11 at 2:00 pm EST (10:00 pm in Armenia).

The Armenian Museum of America recently announced a series of programs planned for April, with several focused on Genocide Education since the world recognizes April 24 as the date when the extermination of the Armenian people began in 1915. The Armenian Genocide resulted in the deaths of more than 1.5 million people and the displacement of many more from their homeland at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

One of the major offerings from the Museum will be a Virtual Exhibition titled “Campaign for Compassion: Lady Anne, General Azgapetian, and Near East Relief.” Many around the world remained silent during the Genocide, however there were some who worked feverishly to aid survivors and to raise awareness about the crimes occurring in the region. This exhibition focuses on a husband and wife who led such a campaign for Near East Relief.

The exhibition was sponsored by a grant from the Cummings Foundation, and it is an excerpt from a new exhibition on the Museum’s second floor gallery curated by Visiting Scholar Dr. Alisa Dumikyan.

Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian offers a series of weekly “Object Show and Tell” videos on the Museum’s website and Facebook page, and several have themes related to Genocide Education in April. These include Near East Relief fundraising posters, a costume worn by a boy who survived the Genocide, and village dioramas created by survivors of the Genocide who provided visual evidence of Armenian family and village life. This video series with the Curator is sponsored by a generous donation from Michele Kolligian, President of the Armenian Museum.

The Museum is participating in several community events to commemorate the Genocide, from Armenian Heritage Park in Boston to a joint event with The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law and other organizations. This event will take place via Zoom on April 20, and MIT’s Lerna Ekmekcioglu and UCLA’s Melissa Bilal will follow the story of a friendship between two Armenian women in Istanbul that endured the hardships of World War I, the Armenian Genocide, and Turkey’s repressive minority politics.

“During the month of April, we remember and honor those who were lost, celebrate the strength of the survivors and the communities they built or rebuilt, and warn the world of the possibility for this kind of atrocity to occur again,” says Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “The story of the Genocide and the world’s reaction is not an isolated one tucked away in history. This is painfully obvious as we witnessed anti-Armenian ethnic cleansing and cultural erasure in Artsakh in recent months.”

Earlier in the month, the Museum will present its fourth Online Concert. The performance by the all-female Nairyan Vocal Ensemble will be released on Sunday, April 11 at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST and 10:00 pm in Armenia). The performance was recorded at Yerevan’s Komitas Chamber Music Hall exclusively for the Armenian Museum. This concert series is supported by a grant from the Dadourian Foundation and is curated by Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, artistic director, composer, and conductor. It is free, open to the public, pre-registration is not required, and the video will be made available on the Museum’s website, YouTube Channel, and social media pages including Facebook.

The goal of the Nairyan Ensemble is to popularize Armenian composers, spread classical, spiritual, and folk music, and to help empower women. The ensemble consists of five young women with professional music training. They sing polyphonic songs, mainly in a cappella, and some of the songs are performed with clarinet, tambourine, and other instruments.

Their aim has been to make music available, especially in places where classical music is not typically performed or heard. In 2018, the ensemble began performing songs in sign language. By 2019, the ensemble had translated 32 songs by Armenian composers into sign language so they can be enjoyed by people with hearing impairments.

“With everything that has transpired in Artsakh and Armenia in recent months -- and as we turn to remembrance of the Genocide in April -- we are pleased to present this concert by the Nairyan Vocal Ensemble,” concludes Sohigian. “I think you’ll agree that the Nairyan Choir conveys a sense of hope and optimism in these challenging times, and we celebrate and honor their talent and creativity.”

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.