The following announcement was provided by the Armenian Museum of America:
The Armenian Museum of America of Watertown (Boston) recently announced a new exhibition of 45 works by Armenian-American artist Varujan Boghosian. “Fragments of Memory: The Art and Legacy of Varujan Boghosian” offers a rare opportunity to experience the elegant, poetic constructions created by an artist who left a profound mark on the world of contemporary art. Curated by Ryann Casey, the exhibition is sponsored by the Alan and Isabelle Der Kazarian Foundation.
Varujan Boghosian (1926–2020) was more than just an artist; he was a mentor, a teacher, and a friend to many. He greeted everyone with warmth and generosity, making even perfect strangers feel like long-lost friends. His welcoming nature was particularly evident at Provincetown’s Berta Walker Gallery, where his encounters often left visitors with a newfound understanding of art and literature, and with smiles that carried the spirit of his personality. Boghosian was deeply committed to supporting young artists and fostering creativity in the next generation.
“Working only with found materials, Varujan created constructions and collages through the use of old and discarded objects. In the resulting elegant works, we find that the old and ordinary have been endowed with wonder and mystery, wit and pathos,” said Berta Walker. “Boghosian used his carefully culled raw materials to create works of pure and lyric visual poetry. Haiku in found objects.”
“Boghosian’s work is inspired by the past, by an appreciation of the lives and legacy of myth, of people and objects that have gone before, and a love of images and iconography. He is a sculptor, assembler, constructionist, beachcomber, scavenger, collector, historian, and conservator, and gathers the relics of our common experience, transforming them, often with humor, into poetic tributes,” wrote Gillian Drake in Cape Arts Magazine.
Boghosian was born in New Britain, Connecticut. His father emigrated from Armenia in the aftermath of the Genocide and was a cobbler, before going to work in the Stanley tool works. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Boghosian attended the Vesper George School of Art in Boston. In 1953 he received a Fullbright Grant and went to Italy. When he returned, he became a student of the influential Joseph Albers at Yale School of Art and Architecture.
Boghosian is an award-winning artist who has been presented in museums across the country and is in public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of America Art, the New York Public Library, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He was a phenomenal teacher, holding positions at Yale, Brown, and Dartmouth.
“This exhibition was an incredible collaboration. Last year when the artists’ daughter Heidi Boghosian contacted the Museum about donating his work to our collection, Executive Committee Member Joan Agajanian Quinn led the process of selecting 10 of the works that would represent his various styles and exhibit well together,” explained Executive Director Jason Sohigian.
“Once we decided to exhibit the works, Curator Ryann Casey worked with Heidi to select another 28 works from her personal collection,” he continued. “From there, the Berta Walker Gallery loaned nine larger works for the exhibition to round out the scope of work. The end result is sure to impress visitors to our Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Galleries!”
Ryann Casey is a New Jersey-based curator, artist, and educator. She holds a BA in Photography from Stockton University and an MFA/MS in Photography and Art History from Pratt Institute. Casey is the Exhibitions Coordinator at Stockton University Art Gallery and teaches Photography, Art History, and Critical Theory as an adjunct professor.
Over the past two years, Casey has curated exhibitions at the Armenian Museum including “Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders,” “Gandzaran! Notable Selections from Our Collection,” and “Filtered Identity: The Art of Tigran Tsitoghdzyan.”
The opening will take place on Saturday, April 26 at 6:30 pm, and offer an opportunity to meet the artists’ daughter Heidi Boghosian and network with fellow art enthusiasts. Guests will have the chance to view the artist’s poignant and transformative works, which resonate with themes of mystery and human experience.
The Armenian Museum of America is committed to preserving and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Armenian people through art, history, and education. The museum serves as a vital resource in the Watertown Cultural District and welcomes visitors from all backgrounds to learn about and appreciate Armenian culture. The galleries in Watertown (Boston) are open Thursday through Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
For more information, please visit www.armenianmuseum.org/boghosian.