Artscope: Treasures Unveiled in ‘Gandzaran!’ Present Contemporary View of Armenians Today

By Erica DeMatos, Artscope Magazine

The Armenian Museum of America, located in Watertown, not only contextualizes Armenia’s lengthy and turmoiled past, but it also presents a more contemporary view of Armenian people today. Treasures are unveiled in “Gandzaran! Notable Selections from our Collection,” threading generations of people together through modern interpretations of a shared culture. Shadows, carvings, etchings and textiles all permanently engrave the history of a displaced country onto a physical plane, memorializing the lives that were lost to a genocide.

Melkon Hovhannisyan’s impressionistic paintings are earthy and moody, with vibrant colors that bleed into one another and subjects that are almost indistinguishable from their background. “The Walk,” 1995, is a momentary glimpse of two figures, faceless and limbless yet they still feel alive. It seems as though the two people are moving forward despite being pushed back by an imagined wind, making their journey even more difficult. The figure toward the right of the painting almost appears to have a pair of wings, hearkened by the gossamer-thin streak of white just below their head. Maybe it is a guiding angel, encouraging the person in the foreground to continue ahead despite their troubles.

“Untitled,” c. 1996, is a darker, more morose image from Hovhannisyan than its angelic counterpart, perhaps alluding to a devilish circle of religious practice. The edges of the painting are engulfed in a shadowy blackness that encircles a grouping toward its center where human-like figures are spread around in a symmetrical fashion. The painting is jagged and dangerous, with its almost exclusively vertical nature that feels pointed like a sharp knife. The figures are connected by a draped piece of fabric, but it is unclear if it is a form of protection from the outside world. This image feels more inhuman than “The Walk,” and the two displayed side by side conjure feelings of religious contention but faith in community.

Each person’s story is interwoven yet individual, relying upon a common faith and a shared story. The Armenian Genocide and its effects are well-documented throughout the collection of archives, but it also provides insight into the personal lives of those who survived, and those who survive their families today.

Art New England Review of Gandzaran! at the Armenian Museum of America

Written by Maureen Canney

When one hears about the private vaults of a museum, it conjures images of a treasure hunt or some archaeological endeavor. At the Armenian Museum of America, they have termed a new exhibit, Gandzaran—an Armenian word related to the monastic vaults of old, where religious works were kept safe and protected. The Museum has opened its vault to this contemporary/modern art collection showcasing 39 works by 24 artists from around the world.

Ryann Casey, curator of the exhibit with the assistance of co-curators Gary Lind-Sinanian and Elias Trout, speaks with affection and reverence to what she witnessed as she surveyed the paragons kept secure in the museum’s vault. “This was a treasure hunt with way more contemporary art represented than I originally thought. As I was going through the archives I was seeing things I had not anticipated. Armenian art is venerated for its historical content but this spoke to a rich and diverse collection of contemporary art.”

In one instance, Casey caught the glint of gold on a shelf and pulled out a Martin Barooshian etching of Gomidas Vartabed which she notes as “one of those perfect moments you’re looking for,” as she built on the idea of showing what is otherwise unseen. She was stunned by the “supremely spectacular gems that she could not wait for people to see.”

Detail from Apo Torosyan (b. 1942), Bread 214 (1994), mixed media, donated by the artist, 2001.261.2.

From Apo Torosyan’s Bread 214, an austere statement of poverty and famine with his use of individual pieces of bread, to Minas Avetisyan’s Richard, acrylic on board with its musings of colors and lines, these artists are represented in sculptures, paintings, photographs, etchings, and works in texture, tone, and food.

Casey wanted to show the forward movement of contemporary artists from the genocide of 1915 to now. “What does contemporary art look like in contemporary times? You see different mediums, movements, eras, and approaches to art, even the materials that the artist uses. It’s all important and pivotal to understanding this robust and complicated aspect of what is Armenian art,” she explains.

This exhibition speaks to the sundry and unique works of art that are receiving a moment to breathe and inspire, irritate or confound the audience—as art should be allowed to do through display and query.

Gandzaran/Treasury Exhibition Puts Spotlight on Art Collection

Martin Barooshian (1929-2022), “Gomidas Vartabed 4/50,” c. 1970-1979, signed color intaglio etching, 24x22, donated by Haig Der Manuelian.

The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown has recently opened its latest exhibition in the Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries, “Gandzaran! Notable Selections from Our Collection.” The show is curated by Ryann Casey, and co-curated by Gary Lind-Sinanian and Elias Trout. 

“Gandzaran!” showcases 39 works by 24 artists from around the world. It is scheduled to run through August 4, 2024.

In recent centuries, Armenian fine art often focused on illuminations, reliquaries, and other pious objects, the most significant of which were secured and hidden in the gandzaran (գանձարան), or treasury, of a monastery. These treasure vaults were designed to protect religious works, which would be displayed periodically for the faithful, then returned to the vaults to be preserved for the ages.

“Drawing from the vaults of the Museum here in Boston, its own gandzaran of sorts, this exhibit highlights the development of Armenian art in the 20th and 21st centuries, from religious motifs to the Soviet period and its continuous reinterpretation among contemporary artists around the world,” says Curator Ryann Casey.

“It’s a show full of diversity that demonstrates the breadth of history in Armenia and the Diaspora, featuring paintings, etchings, and sculpture,” adds Ms. Casey. Some of the artists include Minas Avetisyan, Maria Manukyan Batlle, Jean Carzou, Edgar Chahine, Felix Eghiazarian, Charles Garabedian, Sarkis Hamalbashian, Jean Jansem, Kevork Mourad, Reuben Nakian, Naomi Pridjian, and Hovsep Pushman.

The show opened with a preview for Museum members on March 22. It was attended by more than 100 people including Museum Trustee Hapet Berberian, the family of the late Martin Barooshian, and the curator of his Trust, Michael J. Russo. Mr. Barooshian is an American-Armenian surrealist featured in the exhibition with two incredible etchings, including one of Gomidas Vartabed.

Executive Director Jason Sohigian noted at the opening, “We hope this exhibition gives visitors a glimpse of the range and complexity of our modern and contemporary art collection.” He went on to thank the artists who created these works, the donors who have gifted these pieces to the collection, and the people who support the Museum’s mission as members.

A section of the show reflects on collecting art. The first acquisitions outside of historic art in the collection of the Armenian Museum of America were primarily paintings donated by the founders, members, and artists. With a growing reputation, the Museum gradually attracted the attention of art collectors, establishing itself as a hub of Armenian cultural production and as a contributor to the wider arts community. “Armenian art is a living tradition--it is the Museum’s duty to embrace that dynamism as we acquire new works,” concludes Sohigian. “Our collections now include emerging artists alongside nationally and internationally renowned Armenian artists, representing a wide array of mediums, movements, and eras.”

The curator of the exhibition is Ryann Casey, a New Jersey based artist and educator. She holds a BA in Photography from Stockton University and an MFA/MS in Photography and Art History from Pratt Institute. She currently works as the Exhibition Coordinator at the Stockton University Gallery and is an adjunct Professor of Photography, Art History and Critical Theory.

The Armenian Museum of America is located at 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA. Its three floors of gallery space are open from Thursday to Sunday from 12:00 to 6:00.

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Digital Archive of Armenian Music Now Accessible via Armenian Museum of America Website

78 rpm records from the collection of the Armenian Museum of America are being digitized, restored, and shared on its website under the Virtual Resources tab (photo by Jonathan Lizcano)

By Jesse Kenas Collins

Over the past year, the Armenian Museum of America’s Sound Archive program has taken a giant step forward. Each month, the Museum posts a handful of songs digitized and restored from its collection of 78 rpm records on its website along with a historical writeup about the artists.

Along with more conventional musical recordings, some of the recordings touch on Armenian cultural, political, and educational history, as well as the history of recording technologies. The program is sponsored by a generous grant from the SJS Charitable Trust.

The Museum hosted musicologist Ian Nagoski to its galleries to weave the story of the influential but largely forgotten soprano Zabelle Panosian, who was born in Bardizag and emigrated to Boston in 1907. Ian’s talk drew from his recently published book “Zabelle Pansoian: I Am Servant of Your Voice,” co-authored with Harout Arakelian and Harry Kezelian.

In November, the Museum welcomed the world-renowned composer and musician Ara Dinkjian. Speaking to a packed house, Ara discussed the early history of some of the first recordings of Armenian music through the 1940's. The presentation built on Ara's book and CD compilation “Armenians in America on 78 rpm.”

“As we approach our fourth year presenting the Sound Archive at the Armenian Museum of America, we are proud to make this content available to people around the world,” says Executive Director Jason Sohigian. “For half a century now, the Museum’s collection of 78 rpm records has grown thanks to generous donors who have been entrusting us with their personal collections.”

“This music was almost lost to history at least twice in the past 100 years alone,” adds Sohigian. “First as a result of the Armenian Genocide, and then when audio technology has changed from records to other media in the 21st century. The Museum is now at the forefront of preserving and sharing these treasured archives of Armenian history and culture.”

The Sound Archive explores the Museum's extensive collection of recordings including some that serve as more than entertainment, anchored by a series of articles about moments of cultural and political history. In one segment, listeners can eavesdrop on a party at the home of the writer Hamasdegh (Hampartzoum Gelenian) on the night of June 10, 1939. The commemorative disc opens with an introduction by none other than William Saroyan.

A second article covers an NBC San Francisco radio broadcast from June 24, 1945, highlighting the Armenian National Chorus as well as advocacy work about the Armenian Question from celebrity chef George Mardikian and attorney Souren Saroyan of the Armenian National Committee.

Most of the posts focus on the most influential Armenian artists recording during the 78 rpm era. The Museum highlighted two post-war music icons, The Gomidas Band, a group at the frontier of kef style, and Guy Chookoorian, an artist and musical comic with a character and approach all his own.

Writing, research, and audio digitization is undertaken by this author along with Harout Arakelian and Harry Kezelian. To explore the archive of digitized recordings and articles dating back to 2021, please visit: www.armenianmuseum.org/sound-archive.

About the author: Jesse Kenas Collins is a digitization specialist responsible for the transfer of analog recordings to digital files for the Armenian Museum of America. Jesse is a museum professional and music preservationist with more than a decade of experience working in collections care, exhibitions production, and audio digitization. Jesse's preservation work and research into the music of the Middle East extends into his work with the restoration of historical musical instruments.