Armenian Museum of America Launches Matching Membership Challenge for 50th Anniversary

Dear Friend,

Greetings from the Armenian Museum of America!

As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, please join us in toasting the vision and perseverance of our founders who built and stewarded the largest collections of Armenian artifacts in the Diaspora.

The challenges we have all faced during the pandemic have shown that we are resilient. Our dedicated team of professionals at the Museum have been updating our galleries with objects from our collection in anticipation of the day when we would be able to welcome you back. That day has finally come, and we could not be more thrilled!

One of our goals in celebrating this milestone is to dramatically increase the Museum’s membership. We are reaching out to members, donors, visitors, and friends of the Museum to participate in this membership drive.

As a special incentive, and in honor of this special anniversary year, a donor has generously offered to match the sum of all new and renewed memberships made throughout 2021. We hope you will join this exciting matching membership challenge!

Membership offers a range of benefits (click here for details) and allows us to continue our mission to preserve, protect, and share our collection and cultural programs with people around the world.

We reopened in June with revamped galleries including the “art, culture, eternity” exhibition on our first floor and new contemporary art exhibits on our third floor. We look forward to welcoming you back and hope you will remain engaged with our online programs including concerts, monthly exhibitions, digitized music from our record collection, and weekly Show and Tell videos with our curator!

We hope you will become a part of the Armenian Museum family (click here to join). 

Our Mission is more important now than ever, especially as Armenians are facing ethnic cleansing and cultural erasure in Artsakh. Your membership today will support the preservation of Armenian heritage and culture in perpetuity.

Respectfully yours,

Jason Sohigian
Executive Director

Museum President Michele Kolligian and Vice President Bob Khederian Donate Iconic Cleats to Armenian Museum of America

The auction for the Artsakh cleats designed by Berj Najarian broke all NFL bidding records for the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign. On January 6, the winning bidders were revealed to be Michele Kolligian and Bob Khederian.

“It felt like we had just won the Armenian Super Bowl,” said Kolligian and Khederian. They were on a mission to acquire these cleats, not for themselves, but to support Najarian’s fundraiser for victims of the war, and to bring awareness that ethnic cleansing is taking place in Artsakh.

Kolligian, President of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Museum of America, and Khederian, Vice President, presented the cleats to the Museum together with Najarian during a ceremony in June. In an interview with WBZ-TV at the Museum, Najarian said the campaign was a highlight of his career and he was grateful that the cleats are now on display to the public in Watertown.

In the same interview, Kolligian and Khederian emphasized the gravity of the crisis in Artsakh, where Azerbaijan waged an attack on Armenians and is still holding hundreds of prisoners of war months after a ceasefire was signed. “This campaign provided humanitarian aid, but we also hope it raises awareness and the Armenian POWs are released as soon as possible,” they said.

Since 2016, the NFL has run the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign, in which players wear custom-designed cleats to bring awareness to a charitable cause. This pair of Armenian-themed cleats were commissioned by Najarian, who is Director of Football/Head Coach Administration for the New England Patriots.

When the war ignited in 2020, the typically quiet and behind-the-scenes Najarian realized he had to speak up, and he started a campaign on social media. One of the first videos he posted was of Patriots Coach Bill Belichick expressing concern about human rights abuses being committed against Armenians in Artsakh.

Najarian wore these cleats during the campaign and received a great deal of support from Patriots players who would show them off during post-game press appearances and on their social media pages. Ultimately the cleats went up for auction to raise money for Armenia Fund, to help Armenians impacted by the war.

The Armenian Museum of America is open Fridays through Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, and admission is free for members and children under 18. In addition to the cleats, the Museum has implemented a number of updates including new objects on display, commercial grade HEPA Air Purifiers in all galleries, and cameras and on-site security in galleries.

Welcome Back! A Message from Museum President Michele Kolligian

Dear Members and Friends,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Armenian Museum Team, we are thrilled the day has finally arrived that we can safely reopen our galleries to the community. In anticipation of this long-awaited day, we have been working on updating exhibitions, designing new exhibits, and developing programing to present both virtually and on-site to provide you with a meaningful and memorable cultural experience.

The initial schedule and protocol for our reopening will begin on June 18th. The Museum will be open Fridays through Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm. We anticipate expanding our schedule and modifying guidelines as we monitor the post-opening activity.

The following safety measures and guidelines have been implemented for your ease and comfort while touring the Museum:
• Commercial grade HEPA Air Purifiers throughout all galleries
• Mask mandate lifted; however masks are encouraged
• Group & Individual Tours temporarily on pause
• Social distancing in galleries required
• On-site Security in Galleries
• Frequent professional cleanings

New Improvements:
• Upgraded Air Conditioning System
• Fully modernized elevator
• New items added to our Gift Shop
• Coming soon: Updated Building Signage and Multi-lingual Museum Guide App

Thank you for your patience and enjoy your visit!

Sincerely,
Michele Kolligian
President

Admission
Museum Members: Free
Non-Members: $15/person
Students and Seniors: $5/person
Children under 18: Free

Click here to become a member of the Armenian Museum.
 

Vahan Janjigian Joins Museum Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Armenian Museum of America recently announced that Vahan Janjigian has joined as its newest member. Vahan is Chief Investment Officer of Greenwich Wealth Management, former Editor of the Money Masters Stock Report investment newsletter, a former Forbes magazine columnist, and former Editor of the Forbes Special Situation Survey. He frequently appears as a commentator on various television and radio networks.

Vahan is the author of “Even Buffett Isn’t Perfect” and he co-authored The Forbes/CFA Institute Investment Course. Vahan has served on the faculties of several universities including the University of Delaware, Northeastern University, American University of Armenia, Boston College, and Baruch College.

"We're excited to work with Vahan, especially given his professional background and his late father Papken's long-standing commitment as a trustee of the Armenian Museum," says President Michele Kolligian. "We extend a warm welcome to Vahan as the newest member of our growing leadership team."

Armenian Museum of America Announces Concert Featuring VAN Jazz Quartet

The Armenian Museum of America recently announced the fifth in its online concert series featuring the VAN Quartet, an Armenian ethno-jazz fusion group. The concert will be shown online on Sunday, June 13 at 2:00 pm EST (11:00 am PST and 10:00 pm in Armenia).

 This concert series is supported by a generous grant from the Dadourian Foundation and is curated by Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, artistic director, composer, and conductor. It is free, open to the public, and pre-registration is not required.

 “In recent months we’ve hosted artists from Armenia, as well as from the diaspora,” says Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “This month, we’re pleased to present this concert with talented musicians from Armenia and from our diasporan community in Moscow.”

 The VAN Quartet’s music is based on traditional Armenian folk songs and original compositions. The group is led by pianist and vocalist Vahagn Hayrapetyan and features duduk player Emmanuel Hovhannisyan, percussionist Vardan Babayan, and bassist Makar Novikov. Hayrapetyan is one of leading figures in the Armenia’s jazz scene, and this group gives a jazz feel and modern harmony to Armenian folk melodies.

 “The VAN Quartet blends traditional folk songs with original compositions, and their talent and range as musicians allows for the free-form improvisation and experimentation that makes jazz so exciting,” adds Sohigian. “This concert was recorded live this month exclusively for the Armenian Museum and is only available here online. We’re excited about this collaboration which brings all corners of the Armenian world together around music.”

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

 The Armenian Museum of America is the largest Armenian museum in the diaspora. It is planning to re-open on Friday, June 18, and will be open Fridays through Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm. Over the past year, the Museum has been updating its galleries and installed air filtration units on each floor. Reservations and social distancing are required, and visits can be scheduled by calling (617) 926-2562 x104.