Around Town

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

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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)

The following piece was provided by the Armenian Museum of America:

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.

Entertainment

Armenian Museum of America Presents “Early Recordings of Armenian Classics” by Ara Dinkjian

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Musician and composer Ara Dinkjian will play Armenian recordings made over 100 years ago and share vintage photographs from that time period. The following announcement was provided by the Armenian Museum of America:

The Armenian Museum of America is elated to present “Early Recordings of Armenian Classics” featuring the eminent musician and composer Ara Dinkjian, on Nov. 9, 2023, at 7 p.m. In this distinctive event, Ara Dinkjian will discuss early recordings of well-known Armenian songs, play recordings made more than 100 years ago, and share historic photographs. “We invite music enthusiasts from all backgrounds, both Armenian and non-Armenian, to join us for this unique exploration,” says Jason Sohigian, AMA’s Executive Director. “Our Sound Archive, a digital repository of rare historic recordings, offers an auditory journey through time.

Entertainment

Armenian Museum Hosting Artist Panel on Free Museum Weekend

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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.” (Courtesy of Armenian Museum of America)

The following announcement was provided by the Armenian Museum of America:

The Armenian Museum of America will host a series of programs the weekend of Sept. 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, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m., 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.

Entertainment

Exhibit Featuring Artworks of Saroyan Artworks Opens at Armenian Museum

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This watercolor by William Saroyan was donated to the Armenian
Museum of America by Joan Agajanian Quinn; it was drawn on the back of a menu from “The
Ararat” restaurant in New York City on February 21, 1969. (Courtesy of Armenian Museum of America)

The following announcement was written by Elias Trout and provided by the Armenian Museum of America:

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.

Around Town

Armenian Museum Will Preserve Rare Manuscripts With BofA Grant

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Rare manuscripts at teh Armenian Museum of America in Watertown will be preserved with funds provided by a Bank of America grant. Pictured here: Kerry Miles, Art and Heritage Project Manager at Bank of America; Maryann Ekberg, Managing Director, Baernk of America Private Bank; Jason Sohigian, Executive Director, The Armenian Museum of America; and Michele M. Kolligian, President, The Armenian Museum of America. (Photo courtesy of Bank of America). The following announcement was provided by Bank 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 this week. 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.

Entertainment

Armenian Museum’s New Exhibition Explores Issues of Dislocation & Cultural Identity

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“Beirut Memory Project #56” (Digital Collage, 2018- 2021), Ara Oshagan features an individual looking out from among the bookshelves of a library that opens entirely onto a war-ravaged boulevard in Beirut. The following announcement was provided by the Armenian Museum of America

Using a variety of mediums from photography to film to collage, Ara Oshagan weaves geographies and spaces that consider the impact of borders on our personal collective history and the disruption of dislocation. Ara is a photographer and installation artist based in Los Angeles who has exhibited worldwide. Curated by Ryann Casey. The Armenian Museum of America (AMofA) recently announced the opening of its next contemporary art exhibition, “Ara Oshagan: Disrupted, Borders.” The show follows the AMofA’s blockbuster exhibit, “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection,” which received rave reviews and was viewed by thousands of visitors. “Disrupted, Borders” at AMofA is an expanded version of what was previously exhibited at Stockton University Art Gallery in New Jersey, and the show is being curated by Ryann Casey.

Around Town

Discuss the Future of Watertown Square, Tour Major Art Exhibit at Networking Event

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Watertown Square

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Business Coalition:

Come discuss the future of Watertown Square at the Watertown Business Coalition’s Coffee Connect on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The event is free and open to all. Representatives from the City of Watertown will be on hand to listen to business owners and residents about their vision for a revitalized Watertown Square. Also, hear about plans to create a cultural district in the center of town.