Artist Panel at Armenian Museum to Feature Harvard’s Christina Maranci & Hrag Vartanian of Hyperallergic

The Armenian Museum of America is offering a series of events on September 23-24 including a panel discussion on “The Image as Disruption and Identity” with artist Ara Oshagan, curator Ryann Casey, art critic Hrag Vartanian, and Prof. Christina Maranci of Harvard University.

- Special Weekend of Programs to Include Free Admission and Member Tours -

The Armenian Museum of America will host a series of programs the weekend of September 23-24 highlighted by an artist panel discussing Ara Oshagan’s “Disrupted, Borders” exhibition currently showing in the Museum’s contemporary galleries.

The event will bring Oshagan together with curator Ryann Casey, art critic Hrag Vartanian, and Professor Christina Maranci, all of whom touch upon contemporary art and politics in their respective work.

The panel, titled “The Image as Disruption and Identity,” is free and open to the public, and will take place in the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries on Saturday, September 23 at 2:00 pm, followed by a light reception. The Museum is also offering free admission for all visitors that weekend, along with free guided tours of “Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders” to its members.

“This show connects many of the diasporic and homeland entanglements that have occupied me over the past decade or more, from Los Angeles to Beirut to Artsakh,” states Oshagan. With more than 55 works on display, “Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders” combines photography, collage, installation, and film.

“The panel will concentrate on the role that image-making plays in our understanding of diasporic identity, displacement, and our collective history,” Oshagan explains. “Of particular interest is the use of historical objects and family archives in the conversation around dislocation, borders, and (un)imagined futures.”

About the Panelists

Ara Oshagan is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and cultural worker whose practice explores collective and personal histories of dispossession, legacies of violence, and identity. He works in photography, film, collage, installation, and public art. Oshagan is an artist-in-residence at 18th Street Art Center in Santa Monica and curator at ReflectSpace Gallery in Glendale.

Ryann Casey curated “Disrupted, Borders" and is a New Jersey based artist and educator. She is an adjunct Professor of Photography, Art History and Critical Theory at Stockton University, and her current photographic and curatorial projects focus on themes of loss, trauma, and memory. Casey has curated a number of exhibitions surrounding Armenian artists and history.

Dr. Christina Maranci is one of the world’s foremost experts on Armenian architecture. The first woman and first person of Armenian descent to serve as Harvard University’s Mashtots Chair of Armenian Studies, Dr. Maranci’s research focuses on at-risk Armenian churches and monasteries. She is also one of the Armenian Museum’s esteemed academic advisors.

An artist, curator, and critic, Hrag Vartanian has written widely on Armenian artists and cultural production for over two decades. After co-founding Hyperallergic in 2009, Vartanian has served as the arts magazine’s editor-in-chief ever since. His writings have appeared in the Brooklyn Rail, Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, and NPR.

More Weekend Offerings

Museum admission will be free for all visitors on September 23-24, sponsored by the Alan K. and Isabelle DerKazarian Foundation. “We’ve participated in Smithsonian’s free Museum Day program the past few years,” says Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “So when it was cancelled this year, we decided in partnership with the Alan K. and Isabelle DerKazarian Foundation to offer free admission on the same weekend as Watertown’s Faire on the Square celebration, and show the Museum’s connection to the community.”

“In addition to the panel discussion and free admission, we are offering a special benefit to Members of the Armenian Museum. The artist Ara Oshagan and curator Ryann Casey will offer free tours of the exhibition exclusively for Members on September 23 at 11:00 am and on September 24 at 12:00 noon,” adds Sohigian. “We hope everyone will take advantage of these offerings as we kick off our fall programming.”

This artist panel and “Disrupted, Borders” have been generously sponsored by Michele M. Kolligian in memory of Haig Der Manuelian for his dedication and foresight in sharing Armenia’s rich history and culture with the world, including an impressive collection of manuscripts that he gifted to the Armenian Museum.

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Displays Marash Textile

Detail from Marash embroidery at MFA, Boston

We are very proud of this cooperation with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: This large textile, which may have been a hanging or a tablecloth, bears horizontal rows of embroidered flowers. This piece was made using one of the stitches particular to the city of Marash. Marash was well-known in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for its Armenian population and their industries including weaving and embroidery.

The date of its acquisition, 1923, requires us to consider this object with particular care and concern. The Armenians of Marash experienced tragedy at the turn of the 20th century, not once, but twice. During the Armenian Genocide the community was targeted by the Ottoman Empire. There was widespread ethnic cleansing resulting in the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians living in the Armenian Highland. In 1920, when the city was under control of the French army after World War I, the Turkish army attacked to reclaim the territory and the Armenians of Marash were targeted once more.

Three years later this textile made its way into the MFA’s collection. “We display this hanging as an expression of our commitment to researching Armenian objects at the MFA, to acknowledging the Armenian Genocide, and to honor the will of the Armenian people to survive.”

This label was written with the support of the Armenian Museum of America (Watertown, MA). Gift of Denman Waldo Ross (1853-1935), Cambridge, to the MFA. (Accession Date: November 1, 1923).

Exhibit Featuring Saroyan Artworks Opens at Armenian Museum Following Donation from Joan Agajanian Quinn

Following the donation of Ruben Amirian’s “Homage to Mesrop Mashtots,” a 14-foot composite work celebrating the Armenian alphabet, art collector and Museum Trustee Joan Agajanian Quinn has gifted two watercolors by literary genius William Saroyan and two drawings from his son Aram Saroyan to the Armenian Museum of America. All five works are now on display in the new exhibit “My Name Is Saroyan,” inspired by Armenian literary culture both past and present.

“After the success of our 2022 exhibition ‘On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection’ at the Armenian Museum, the Quinn family is happy to broaden the Museum’s collection of contemporary artists with these donations,” explains Quinn. “We continue to be impressed with the way the Museum displays Armenian art which spans the time frame from ancient to modern times. The contemporary exhibits on the third floor have been professionally and artistically compared to the top museums in the country.”

Quinn is the co-host of “Beverly Hills View” and has been the producer and host of the “Joan Quinn Profiles” for more than 35 years. The Los Angeles native was West Coast Editor of Andy Warhol’s “Interview,” Society Editor of the “Los Angeles Herald Examiner,” and the founding West Coast Editor of “Condé Nast Traveler.”

The Quinns have loaned art to museums all over the world, including the Louvre, MoMA, LACMA, Museum of Arts and Design, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Fresno Art Museum, Hammer Museum, and the Huntington Art Museum. Part of the extensive Quinn family collection was loaned to the Armenian Museum for the exhibits “On the Edge” and “Discovering Takouhi: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn,” which showcases contemporary Armenian artists.

“There’s a long tradition of contemporary exhibitions here at the Armenian Museum and the last few shows have taken things to new heights,” says Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “’On the Edge’ was very well received, and we opened a new exhibition, ‘Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders,’ that fits perfectly with our permanent collection, from manuscripts to diaspora and cultural identity, and even Artsakh with the installation of the ‘Shushi Portraits’ series. On top of this, the new exhibition of four Saroyan works adds more excitement to the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries.”

One of the most prominent American-Armenian literary figures of the 20th century, William Saroyan also wrote music and painted throughout his life. Visual works from his later years, like the watercolors currently on display in “My Name Is Saroyan,” have been compared to the Abstract Expressionism made famous through figures like Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko, and Adolph Gottlieb. The Pulitzer Prize winning author has artworks in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and the Weisman Art Museum of Minneapolis, among others.

Earlier this month, the Armenian Museum’s Sound Archive released a rare and previously unknown recording of William Saroyan singing at the home of the writer Hamasdegh in 1939. Click here to listen to this seven minute recording, digitized and restored from a lacquer disc which captures a spirited moment between some of the most prominent Armenian-American literary figures of the time.

Succinct and provocative, Aram Saroyan’s brand of minimalism is reflected in a range of media, including his two Uchida marker drawings displayed in “My Name Is Saroyan.” The son of William Saroyan, Aram is an artist, poet, novelist, memoirist, and playwright, having made his debut with six poems and a book review in the 1964 issue of “Poetry.” He became famous for his one-word or “minimal” poems, a form he developed in the 1960s that is often linked to Concrete poetry. Saroyan’s honors include the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. He resides in Los Angeles.

Ruben Amirian’s “Homage to Mesrop Mashtots,” (click here to read about this donation by Joan Agajanian Quinn) currently exhibited alongside William and Aram Saroyan at the Armenian Museum, contains 38 canvases representing the letters of the Armenian alphabet. Each canvas is 12 by 16 inches. Assembled altogether, the series extends to an impressive 14 feet wide by four feet high.

Opening Reception of "Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders” Exhibition

Thank you to all who attended the opening reception of "Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders." It was a full house with over 150 art and photography lovers in attendance. “A lot of my work connects to things in the Museum collection (i.e., illuminated manuscripts and hmayil prayer scrolls). To have ancient manuscripts and reflect on them in a contemporary space is very special,” Oshagan told the audience. 

This exhibition is sponsored by a generous donation from Museum President Michele M. Kolligian in memory of Museum Founder Haig Der Manuelian for his dedication and foresight in sharing Armenia’s rich history and culture with the world, including an impressive collection of Armenian Manuscripts that he gifted to the Museum.

"Disrupted, Borders," curated by Ryann Casey, is now on view in the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries through October 29, 2023.

Event photographs by Daniel Ayriyan.

Rare Armenian Manuscripts Restored through Bank of America Art Conservation Project Grant

(Left to right): Kerry Miles, Art and Heritage Project Manager at Bank of America; Maryann Ekberg, Managing Director, Bank of America Private Bank; Jason Sohigian, Executive Director, The Armenian Museum of America; and Michele M. Kolligian, President, The Armenian Museum of America.

As part of its Art Conservation Project, Bank of America provided a grant to the Armenian Museum of America of Watertown, Mass., to restore 21 illuminated manuscripts from its collection, one of which dates back to the 13th century, the museum announced today. Bank of America selected the Armenian Museum of America as one of the 23 cultural institutions that have been named recipients of the 2023 Bank of America Art Conservation Project, a program that provides grants to nonprofit cultural institutions to conserve important works of art.

This year's recipients represent a diverse range of artistic styles, media, and cultural traditions across China, Colombia, France, Lebanon, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S.

The Armenian Museum of America has the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in the United States. Among them is an extremely rare collection of 21 handwritten and hand-illuminated manuscripts, of which approximately 10 are on display in the museum's galleries at any given time. One example is a small hymnal, or sharaknots in Armenian, which contains hymns to be chanted and performed on feast days. Attributed to the prolific artist Karapet of Berkri, the illumination depicts the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Since 2010, Bank of America's Art Conservation Project has supported the preservation of paintings, sculptures, and archeological and architectural pieces of critical importance to cultural heritage and the history of art. More than 237 projects across 40 countries managed by nonprofit cultural institutions received funding to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art that are in danger of deterioration.

"We are incredibly grateful to Bank of America for providing us with this leadership grant so our manuscripts will be preserved so that they can be viewed by the public and studied in perpetuity without risk of further damage. This partnership will allow visitors to view the art and culture of the past, and to see it in the context of the present in our galleries," said Jason Sohigian, executive director of the Armenian Museum.

"By the medieval period, Armenians had a rich literary society. Since then, many manuscripts and illuminations have been looted or destroyed, a process that intensified during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Preservation has taken on a renewed importance, as Armenia's cultural heritage remains at risk," he added.

"The Armenian Museum of America is an indispensable resource for the preservation of the rich heritage of the Armenian people. The conservation of these artifacts enriches the community and allows people of all backgrounds to appreciate how the inspirational story of the Armenian people fits into the history of America," said Miceal Chamberlain, President, Bank of America Massachusetts.

The conservation of these rare books will be completed by experts from the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan, which is the largest and most significant Armenian library and archive in the world. The manuscripts require restoration and preservation due to worn edges, light damage, and dust.

introduction video

The Art Conservation Project is one demonstration of BofA's commitment to promoting cultural sustainability and making the arts more accessible and inclusive in communities.

BOA Art Conservation Project Grant (Episode I)

This video highlights Bank of America's Art Conservation Project, which recently provided a grant to the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, MA to restore 21 illuminated manuscripts from our collection. We are doing this work in collaboration with experts from the Մատենադարան - Matenadaran.

The work began on site last month with Gayane Eliazyan, head of the Matenadaran's Restoration Department, senior restorer Susanna Barseghyan, and researcher/chief depositor David Ghazaryan.

BOA Art Conservation Project Grant (Episode II)

Our latest video offers another exclusive inside look at the Armenian Museum of America’s restoration lab in Watertown, Massachusetts, where leading experts carefully restore illuminated manuscripts by applying techniques that clean them and restore them to their original state.

BOA Art Conservation Project Grant (Episode III)

This third progress video on the project demonstrates the ongoing work in our book restoration lab on-site at the Museum in Watertown (Boston) where leading experts from Armenia carefully clean and repair these priceless books.

Watertown cable network news coverage

Video coverage by Dan Hogan from Watertown Cable Network. Watch as a small hymnal, or sharaknots, which contains hymns is delicately restored.

Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project has supported the preservation of paintings, sculptures, and archeological and architectural pieces of critical importance to cultural heritage and the history of art. More than 237 projects across 40 countries managed by nonprofit cultural institutions received funding to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art that are in danger of deterioration.

Ties that Bind: Armenian Master Revives Diaspora Collection // Hairenik Media

Our collection of illuminated manuscripts and prayer scrolls received a monumental restoration, with support from Bank of America's Art Conservation Project. Susanna Barseghyan, a master restorer from the Matenadaran, spent the summer in residence at the Armenian Museum, painstakingly cleaning and repairing the ancient parchment and leather bindings. Hairenik TV went "behind the scenes" for a preview of this priceless collection in the heart of Watertown.

photo galleries

book restoration I

Hmayils (or prayer scrolls) restoration

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