California Dreaming in Boston with GBH’s Jared Bowen

GBH Arts Editor Jared Bown reviewed our current exhibit and said, "On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s tells the story of how California artists adopted a maverick streak in the 1970s. They broke out of what was the norm in the art hotbeds of New York and Europe. Unlike artists in those places, the California artists played with light. Fortunately, they had friends and collectors like the Quinns to fuel this innovation." If you have not yet had a chance to see this exhibit, we encourage you to do so since it will be on view now through Nov. 30. Our galleries in Watertown (Boston) are open Thursday thru Sunday from 12-6.

Jared Bowen is the Emmy award-winning host of the weekly television series, Open Studio with Jared Bowen, which takes viewers inside the creative process, offering a blend of profiles, performances, and contemporary exhibitions by artists in Greater Boston, New England, and across the country. 

Los Angeles Art to be Explored in Panel and Reception in Galleries of the Armenian Museum of America

(L-R) Laddie John Dill, Gregory Wiley Edwards, and Joe Fay

Following a successful opening of “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection,” the Armenian Museum of America recently announced a panel discussion with three prominent artists in the exhibition.

On Saturday, October 29, the Museum is hosting a conversation with Laddie John Dill, Gregory Wiley Edwards, and Joe Fay moderated by Bolton Colburn. The panel begins at 2:00 pm and will be followed by a gallery reception at 3:30 pm. The collectors Joan Agajanian Quinn and her daughter Amanda Quinn Olivar will also be present.

“On the Edge” includes more than 75 works by leading artists including Lita Albuquerque, John Altoon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lynda Benglis, Vija Celmins, Claire Falkenstein, Frank Gehry, David Hockney, Helmut Newton, Ed Ruscha, and Andy Warhol.

“Our new contemporary show has excited visitors and art critics in Boston so we are pleased to offer this program to the public,” explains Executive Director Jason Sohigian. WBUR called the show one of the top five things to do in Boston and it was reviewed by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mark Feeney in the Boston Globe. WGBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen has featured the exhibit on NPR’s Morning Edition, Boston Public Radio, and Open Studio.

“On the Edge” was curated by Rachel McCullah Wainwright. “The work and artists on display represent a period of history that transformed art making,” states Wainwright. “Art made in Los Angeles during the late 1960s and 1970s onward is defined by a unique spirit of anti-conformity, a play of new materials, a celebration of light, and the California cool ethos.”

The panelists have several works in the exhibition. Laddie John Dill’s neon “portrait” of collector and muse Joan Agajanian Quinn sits on a narrow wall in the center of the large gallery. Dill gained notoriety with materials such as glass, metal, neon, and cement, and his work embodies gesture and dynamic physical presence through its use of industrial materials.

Gregory Wiley Edwards’ large abstract expressionist canvas “Expanded Resonance” captures your attention immediately upon entering in the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries. His style is influenced by performance, activism, and his investigations into African art and philosophy.

Joe Fay has two pieces in the current exhibition including a colorful portrait of Joan Quinn. Inspired by the natural world, Fay gleaned a philosophy of experimentation that motivates his practice.

The moderator of this event will be Bolton Colburn, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University. He is a former director of the Laguna Art Museum, senior curator of the Laguna Art Museum, and senior curator of the Orange County Museum of Art.

The exhibition and this panel discussion are presented by the JHM Foundation. The suggested donation to attend is $15, and it is free for students and members of the Armenian Museum.

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. To RSVP for the October 29 event, please visit www.tinyurl.com/oct29ama.

Jared Bowen Highlights ‘On the Edge’ Exhibit on NPR’s Morning Edition and Boston Public Radio

GBH Arts Editor Jared Bowen covered “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Collection” on NPR’s Morning Edition on August 11, 2022 and on Boston Public Radio on August 16, 2022.

"This is a great show because it introduces us to all of this fabulous art from the 1970s through the 1990s that was happening in California," said Bowen. What makes this exhibit particularly engaging is the role of Joan Agajanian Quinn, as "she is the one who has facilitated this major exhibition at the Armenian Museum of America because she has Armenian heritage."

The Quinns were immersed in artist circles and supported several now-famous artists in their early days, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney, and Andy Warhol. Because of her charisma, Joan was an inspiration and muse for many of them, with renditions ranging in style and technique from Renaissance portraiture to pop art.

"Artists were sketching her or making their own interpretations of her — be it in neon or through sculpture. What I love about that is that you see this wide array, all of these different artistic viewpoints of her," Bowen said.

WGBH, The Hidden Map, and Armenian Museum of America Team Up for Special Broadcasts

Executive Director Jason Sohigian and Filmmaker Ani Hovannisian filming the WGBH segments in the Armenian Museum galleries

WATERTOWN, MA--Following its popular nationwide premiere on PBS, the award-winning documentary The Hidden Map has been scheduled to air again in several cities from Los Angeles to Boston during the network’s August pledge drive.

Especially noteworthy is Boston’s novel approach to telling the Armenian story. Recognizing its vibrant Armenian community, WGBH made the important decision to spend an entire day recording studio breaks for the upcoming broadcasts at the Armenian Museum of America.

Collaborating with filmmaker Ani Hovannisian and the Museum’s Executive Director Jason Sohigian, the WGBH team created a program that celebrates Armenian heritage, history, and resilience, featuring lively exchanges and museum treasures to accompany the film. They hope to engage their diverse viewership with the 90-minute program which will premiere on the main channel GBH2 on August 15 at 7:30 pm.

Boston GBH2 Special-Event Premiere of The Hidden Map:

Monday, August 15 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 21 at 5:00 pm

If viewers miss the primary showings, they can also watch on GBH44:

Thursday, August 18 at 12:00 pm
Saturday, August 20 at 6:00 pm

August airdates and times in other PBS markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, Cleveland, and Arizona are available by checking the Hidden Map website.

The Hidden Map takes viewers on a daring journey with Hovannisian, a granddaughter of Genocide survivors, as she ventures to the lost ancestral Armenian homeland to uncover the forbidden past. A chance meeting with a Scottish explorer leads to a joint odyssey beneath the surface of modern-day Turkey, where the duo discovers sacred relics and silenced voices.

“It’s a huge exhale,” said Hovannisian, “to know that PBS has taken the Armenian story and championed the truth by sharing The Hidden Map with viewers. They do it because viewers are responding. It’s a team effort, just as it is our collective story. So, it was especially exciting to film studio breaks with WGBH hosts in the Armenian Museum of America where thousands of years of Armenian creation and rebirth go hand in hand with the film.”

Sohigian added, “It was an honor to host WGBH at the Armenian Museum for their pledge drive. We’ve watched Ani’s documentary every time it has aired on PBS, and look forward to these special broadcasts, especially as the museum and film reflect many of the same themes, namely the survival and resilience of the Armenian people. We are here to share that history and culture with the world.”

Viewers who pledge a nominal amount in support of PBS will help ensure additional airings on a national stage and receive premiums including hand-crocheted dolls made by women in Armenia and free passes to the Armenian Museum of America.

Online Concert to Feature an Exclusive Performance by the Komitas Quartet

WATERTOWN, MA--The Armenian Museum of America recently announced its 11th Online Concert featuring an exclusive performance by the Komitas Quartet of Yerevan. The concert will be shown online on Sunday, August 14 at 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST and 9:00 pm in Yerevan).

Founded in 1924, the Komitas Quartet is the oldest-established string quartet still performing today. The group is named after Komitas, who had a formidable impact on Armenian music at the turn of the 20th century.

From its early days, the Komitas Quartet was inspired by a variety of composers including Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Debussy, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev.

Arrangements of Komitas' songs are a vital part of the repertoire of the Quartet, thus giving the world a chance to listen to the rich diversity of Armenian music.

The Komitas Quartet has performed with world-famous musicians including Emil Gilels, Dmitri Shostakovich, Victor Merzhanov, and Itzhak Perlman. The Quartet has played all over the world, in countries including Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Japan, Canada, and the USA.

This concert will be recorded in Armenia exclusively for the Armenian Museum of America, and it is produced by Daniel Ayriyan. The performers are Eduard Tadevosyan (violin), Syuzi Yeritsyan (violin), Alexander Kosemyan (viola), and Anzhela Sargsyan (cello).

The Online Concert series is free thanks to a generous grant from the Dadourian Foundation. Preregistration is not required. The link will be available on the Museum’s Facebook page, YouTube Channel, and website www.ArmenianMuseum.org.