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12/03/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Baku Opposes Minsk Group Approach, Rejects Compromise for Karabagh Settlement 2) Karabagh President Discusses Telethon Results with Cabinet 3) Turkey Condemns Slovak Recognition of Armenian Genocide 4) Ukraine Court Orders New Run-off Election 5) Schiff Criticizes Genocide Remarks of Turkish Official 6) How to Lose a Girl in 40 Days While Sleepless in the Valley 7) Tidbits From The Diner 8) Separatism--No Longer a Dirty Word? 9) Forget The Fat Lady--Let Hasserjian Sing 10) Veteran Photographer Harry Koundakjian Photo Exhibition and Public Program 11) Earth Tones--Works of Two Abstract Expressionists 1) Baku Opposes Minsk Group Approach, Rejects Compromise for Karabagh Settlement BAKU (Armenpress)--Ahead of the scheduled December 6 meeting with Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian, Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov announced that his country is ready to continue negotiations on the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, but only if Azerbaijan's proposals serve as a basis for a resolution. The foreign ministers are due to meet in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the sidelines of an annual meeting of foreign ministers of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member states. The three co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, tasked with mediating a settlement to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, will also attend the meeting. Mamedyarov revealed that he recently met with the Minsk Group co-chairmen, within the framework of UN General Assembly's 59 session, and has told them that their proposals are unacceptable. Dissatisfied with the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, Azerbaijan recently urged the UN General Assembly to intervene in the long and bitter territorial dispute with neighboring Armenia over Mountainous Karabagh. The OSCE has, meanwhile, asked the assembly to stay on the sidelines and not interfere with their efforts. Talks "can only progress in an atmosphere of confidence between the parties. Anything in the direction of building confidence and of avoiding a division of the General Assembly is helpful," said US envoy Susan Moore, speaking on behalf of the OSCE. 2) Karabagh President Discusses Telethon Results with Cabinet STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)--Mountainous Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghukasian held a meeting with cabinet members on December 2, to discuss the results of the November 25 telethon held in the US. Ghukasian gathered National Security Council members, Prime Minister Anushavan Danielian, National Assembly Speaker Oleg Yesayan, cabinet ministers, and other officials to stress the necessity of strict control over the spending procedures of the $11.5 million raised for the construction of the strategic North-South "backbone" highway, which will facilitate communication between northern and southern sections of Karabagh, boost the local economy, and further improve the unrecognized republic's security. Nearly 100 kilometers of it has already been built since the project's launch four years ago. One of the most important issues for the Armenian diaspora, Ghukasian noted, is the future of Karabagh--more specifically the strengthening of its political and economic independence. "The diaspora believes in Karabagh and considers it a duty to contribute to its development," the President emphasized. The next telethon, he said, should be directed towards developing the economy of the Mardakert region, which has suffered most from Azeri aggression. Summarizing his US visit, Ghukasian expressed gratitude to the diaspora, as well as citizens of Armenia and Karabagh for their active participation in the telethon. He also noted that diaspora organizations have expressed their willingness to be more actively involved in lobbying for Karabagh's position in the international arena and stressed that the Armenian people can realize pan-national issues only through the joint efforts of Armenia, Karabagh, and the diaspora. All-Armenian Hayastan Fund executive director, Naira Melkumian, said she expects at least 90 percent of the pledges to materialize into cash in the coming weeks. She said the fund will need only $1.5 million to finish by 2007 work on the 170-kilometer road that will connect the northern and southern sections of Karabagh through the capital Stepanakert. The money promised is about twice the sum collected at the previous Los Angeles telethon in November 2003. Melkumian, who previously served as Karabagh's foreign minister, described the figure as "unprecedented," attributing it to "economic progress" witnessed by diaspora Armenians visiting Armenia and Karabagh. 3) Turkey Condemns Slovak Recognition of Armenian Genocide (AFP, AP)--Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul Thursday denounced as "unacceptable" a resolution by the Slovak parliament recognizing the 1915 massacre under the Ottoman empire of hundreds of thousands of Armenians as genocide. On Tuesday, the Slovak parliament adopted a resolution saying: "The Slovak parliament recognizes the genocide of Armenians in 1915 during which hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were killed and considers this act a crime against humanity." But Gul also sought to downplay the issue, saying the initiative was spearheaded by the Slovak opposition and not the government. The resolution was adopted in the same session as another one giving the green light to opening negotiations on Turkey's accession to the European Union but were voted on separately, Slovak parliament spokesman Michal Dyttert said. "This is unacceptable...We will take the necessary (diplomatic) steps," Gul told reporters, but declined to elaborate. "I think this development is the result of (Slovak) domestic politics. Opposition parties sometimes behave irresponsibly...The Slovak government did not support it," he said. The Turkish foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement, blaming the Slovak resolution on "a fait accompli by one political party (to) accept as genocide the tragic events of 1915." "Passing judgment on the contested periods of another's history cannot be among the duties and responsibilities of national parliaments," it said. "It is clear that this decision, taken for political profit by distorting events that took place under the conditions of World War I and caused great suffering to Turks and Armenians alike, does not constitute a responsible course of action," the statement said. The massacre of Armenians during World War I is one of the most controversial episodes in Turkish history. In 2001, France triggered a storm in its relations with Turkey when its parliament passed a law acknowledging the massacres as genocide. Ankara retaliated by sidelining French companies from public tenders and canceled several projects awarded to French firms. Meanwhile, Armenia has asked European Union leaders to discuss the policies of Turkey, toward the former Soviet republic at an upcoming EU summit. In a letter, President Robert Kocharian asked EU leaders to discuss what Armenia sees as a Turkish economic blockade during their December 17 meeting, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in a televised interview late Wednesday. Turkey keeps its border with Armenia closed, aggravating the impoverished country's economic plight. EU leaders are to vote at the forthcoming summit on whether to open membership negotiations with Turkey. 4) Ukraine Court Orders New Run-off Election KIEV (AP)--The Supreme Court declared the results of Ukraine's disputed presidential run-off election invalid on Friday and ruled that the run-off should be repeated on Dec. 26, bringing cheers and fireworks from tens of thousands of opposition supporters massed in Kiev's main square. The ruling, made after five days of hearings by the court's 18 justices, was a major victory for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, who had rejected the government's demands that an entirely new election be held. The opposition had pinned its hopes on the court's ruling in its bid to overturn the results of the Nov. 21 run-off vote in which Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was declared the winner. The opposition said the vote was rigged to cheat Yushchenko of victory. The ruling was a stinging blow to outgoing President Leonid Kuchma and powerful ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who a day earlier had sharply derided the idea of holding a new run-off. Kuchma had been pressing for an entirely new election, apparently in hopes of replacing his favorite Yanukovych with a stronger candidate. The spiraling political crisis has undermined his hopes to ensure he is succeeded by a supporter, has paralyzed his government with protests and has raised fears of a split in Ukraine between its east--where support of Kuchma and traditional ties with Russia are strong--and its west--where many want to move closer to the rest of Europe. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed, and both sides have promised to abide by the decision. There was no immediate reaction from Yanukovych or his supporters. Representatives from Yanukovych and the Central Election Commission left the courthouse before the judges announced their decision. The court ruling said a new run-off vote should be held nationwide on Dec. 26. Parliament scheduled a marathon all-weekend session to pass legislation corresponding to the Supreme Court verdict. It will need to pass changes to the membership of the 15-member Central Election Commission and in election law to help prevent fraud. Parliament, filled with opposition supporters while many government delegates stay away, has been chipping away at Kuchma's authority. On Friday, it passed a non-binding resolution calling for the withdrawal of the country's 1,600 peacekeepers out of Iraq--a symbolic snub of Kuchma, who ordered the deployment. Earlier, parliament brought down Yanukovych's government with a no-confidence vote. The crisis has also strained relations between Russia, which has staunchly backed Yanukovych, and the West, which has refused to accept the official results of the vote. Putin immediately congratulated Yanukovyck on victory after the Nov. 21 run-off, and Kuchma made a hastily arranged visit to Moscow on Thursday for support from Putin as the opposition appeared to be gaining momentum. President Bush, asked about Russia's stance on Thursday, said any new election "ought to be free from any foreign influence." Before the court's ruling, Poland's president, who has served as mediator in Ukraine's political crisis, warned that the country should hold a new vote quickly or else violence could break out. 5) Schiff Criticizes Genocide Remarks of Turkish Official Lawmaker Calls for Renewed Effort for US to Recognize Armenian Genocide In Light of Comments by Turkish Parliament Human Rights Commission Leader WASHINGTON, DC--Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) this week condemned recent remarks by Mehmet Elkatmis, head of the Turkish Parliament's Human Rights Commission, in which he accused the United States of committing genocide in Iraq. Elkatmis declared, "Never in human history have such genocide and cruelty been witnessed. Such a genocide was never seen in the time of the pharaohs, nor of Hitler, nor of Mussolini." Congressman Schiff is circulating a letter to his colleagues in the House of Representatives to make them aware of Elkatmis's comments and to urge Congress to pass legislation commemorating the Armenian Genocide. Congressman Schiff also released the following statement: "The Turkish Government's effort to deny the murder of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children by the Ottoman Turks has reached a new level of hypocrisy. The Government of Turkey spends massive sums on high-priced Washington lobbyists to convince Congress and the Administration that US-Turkish relations will be irreparably harmed by American acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide. At the same time, the Turkish government does nothing to repudiate the scurrilous charges leveled by a senior parliamentarian who is a member of the ruling party. "It is clear to me that since the Turkish government has no compunction about accusing the United States of genocide, we should not be hesitant to recognize those murdered by a government that no longer exists. It is also clear to me, given the relatively mild reaction to Mr. Elkatmis' remarks, that the potential fallout from a Congressional resolution has been greatly exaggerated by the Turkish government's lobbyists." Just recently, an amendment authored by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA)--and included in the House version of the Foreign Operations spending bill--that would have stopped the Government of Turkey from using US foreign aid to lobby against a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide was dropped from the final FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill (H.R. 4818). In July during consideration of the Foreign Operations spending bill, the House of Representatives voted to adopt the Schiff amendment, prohibiting the Government of Turkey from using US foreign aid to lobby against H.Res. 193, a resolution that officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide and marks the 15th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan signing the 1987 Genocide Convention Implementation Act. (Also known as the Proxmire Act, this put the United States on record as being strongly opposed to the heinous crime of genocide.) H.Res. 193 passed the House Judiciary Committee on May 22, 2003, shortly after its introduction on April 10, 2003. However, because of significant lobbying efforts by those who deny the Genocide, the resolution has been languishing on the House calendar for over a year. The day after the House passed the Foreign Operations bill, Speaker Hastert issued a joint statement with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (TX-22) and Majority Whip Roy Blunt (MO-7) in opposition to the Schiff amendment on the Armenian Genocide. The Speaker's statement expressed the House Majority Leadership's determination to drop the Schiff amendment from the final version of the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill and their intention to block the consideration of H.Res. 193--even though Speaker Hastert made a public pledge in 2000 to the Armenian American community to schedule a floor vote on such a resolution. The Senate passed its version of the Foreign Operations bill (S. 2812) on September 23 without the Schiff amendment. Last week, a conference committee combined nine appropriations bills--including the Foreign Operations spending bill--into the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 4818). The Conference Committee left the Schiff amendment out of H.R. 4818, which passed the House of Representatives and Senate on November 20. Congressman Schiff is a Member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, a co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California's 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City. 6) How to Lose a Girl in 40 Days While Sleepless in the Valley By Skeptik Sinikian Here's a simple breakdown of what life in the Armenian online dating fast lane is like so far. This will serve as a recap of the events that have transpired over the course of the last few months. I decided to pose as a single available Armenian bachelor online on one of the dozens of websites set up to help Armenian singles meet. Here's what I've found out so far. You can register for a profile. That's free. You can post your picture up. That's also free. You can send "flirts" to other users. That is...free as well. So where's the catch? When you actually try to contact someone from the website they try to pick your pocket. It's information highway robbery! Dear friends, there is, indeed, a price to pay for love or companionship and as I discovered in my previous column, the price tag starts at around 60 dollars. So where does this leave my experiment? After all, I'm a man of simple means and not because I'm frugal by nature. It is due in large part to a bad relationship I had in college with a woman named Sallie (Last name Mae). Sallie and I parted ways eventually but not before I had borrowed a lot of money. Well, it turns out Sallie wanted all her money back PLUS interest, so here I am a working stiff, drinking "Two Buck Chuck" ($1.99 a bottle Charles Shaw wine for anyone who has never been to Trader Joe's) and drinking straight coffee instead of them fancy lattes everyone is raving about. I've been driven to such a point of frustration with this experiment that I'd need at least ten issues of Asbarez to get all of my thoughts out in the open. But I've decided to take a hiatus from my own experiment and cover some of the stories that people have emailed me over the course of the last three weeks. Here's one of my favorites. As always, my opinions and comments will follow in brackets where it is appropriate. I apologize for anyone who's going through Skeptik's Political Commentary Withdrawal Syndrome. We'll try to have something more Skeptik-esque next week. A friend of mine recently met a 30 year old, apparently divorced Armenian male who is in the pharmaceutical business. He's from Fresno but has relocated to a city in the Los Angeles area that is closer to the beach. Here is the story [you know you love gossip so keep reading]. They meet online and exchange flirts, emails, etc. [I guess some people have the money to waste on things like this...must be nice]. They meet in person and start dating for about a month. She goes out with him, his brother, and his girlfriend. Everything seems okay, right? [In general, when things seem like they're going great after only a month of dating, you clearly don't know much about dating and should slow the pace down a little]. She thinks that everything is totally "cool" [her words, not mine] because he was "totally into [her]," calling her and text messaging her like an Armenian teeny bopper with a new cellular phone, making plans to hang out, the whole nine yards. Just to make the ending of this story even creepier, he sends her cute notes a hundred times a day, wants to spend all of his free time with her, and even asks her to go to church with him [Church? Is that even considered a date? What do you do to follow up on that brilliant idea? Get "His" and "Hers" matching plots at Forest Lawn? Creep!] He goes from all this to completely stopping the phone calls. [Now, I don't know this person, but my friend who told me the story, assured me she's attractive, smart, and has a good head on her shoulders. Otherwise I'm with you on this one. I thought there was something weird about her too]. He ends up sending her a text message that says he'll call her when he wakes up from his nap and never calls back [this is the all too familiar--the old I'm taking a nap trick]. Our innocent victim texts the creep the following Monday morning and still no response. She calls him that night and leaves a message. No response. Next day, same routine. Still nothing. The day after, she starts worrying and leaves ANOTHER message [hmmm...in my grandmother's village in the old country they had a word for this kind of behavior ...it was called a HINT! But who am I to judge]. Apparently, this was completely out of character. Normally, this guy would text message her literally 2 minutes after seeing her. By the end of the third day, this girl starts freaking out [the Armenian mother personality took over I guess]. Finally, she blocks her number so it comes up private [only in the modern age of cell phones would this be possible? What did people do before blocking their phone number? I guess they just knocked on your door wearing a mask, paper bag or something over their heads]. She calls his cell and he answers, kind of disguising his voice a little bit. After she asks him how he is, our Don Juan responds with silence. Then hangs up. She calls back and it goes straight to voice mail. According to the victim in this story, "this is truly the most bizarre dating experience ever in my entire dating past." Le Fin--The End. Just when you think you've met them all, along comes a slime ball like this guy. As the narrator of this story explains, "He was obsessed with me, then turned on a dime and disappeared." Folks, this is just the tip of the iceberg. You wouldn't believe what both men and women have been writing to me about dating. I feel like Sarah Jessica Parker's character on "Sex in the City" (not that I watch the program or anything) and I'm glad all of this is out there. The best part of this whole experience is that it has opened my eyes to what Armenians go through to find that perfect match. After reading all these emails--each more disturbing, funny, or depressing than the next--the only perfect match I wanted was the one that I'd use to set myself on fire to avoid any similar misery. Here's the question I pose to everyone out there who indulges me by reading my mental dribbling every week. What would you do in this situation? How would you act differently? And finally, what do you think this guy's real story was? My money is on him being married and he was lying about being divorced. Then again, I've been known to be wrong before and when it comes to relationships. I'm about as clueless as a supermodel at a rocket scientist convention. So write to me at skeptiksinikian@aol.com because I want to hear your answers, theories, horror stories or even success stories. Skeptik Sinikian is not a relationship counselor or a licensed therapist but if you buy him a fancy latte, he may just share his opinions with you free of charge. He can be reached at SkeptikSinikian@aol.com or at 7) Tidbits From The Diner By Tatul The leftovers--and taste--of the Thanksgiving turkey in one's refrigerator and mouth take a while to dissipate. I found out, though, that the strong flavor and aroma of Turkish coffee, the kind served at Costa's Diner, will reset your taste buds and make them ready and rearin' to go for Christmas pudding and eggnog. Speaking of Turkish Coffee, sometime ago, a friend of mine took out a pen and crossing out the "Turkish" printed on the Diner menu, wrote in "Armenian" instead. Costa, who was watching from behind the counter, walked over with a benign smile on his face, took the menu from my friend's hand, looked at it, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Why, for heaven's sake? Your people and mine have accumulated so much culture over so many centuries--the Turks, on the other hand, have next to nothing to speak of. Be generous, let them have the credit for this one..." He walked away, trying to erase the scribbling on his once spotless menu. That, was a long time ago. This morning I was ready for some strong coffee and the company of my friend Marty, who hadn't seem to have arrived yet. I had almost drained my cup, feeling some of the grinds in my teeth, when he walked in, looking like a man in trance. Seeing me he attempted a smile, but since Arty's departure to Canada, Marty's smiles were hard to tell from a sneer. "What's wrong, Marty?" I said, "You look like you have seen a ghost!" "Two ghosts, to be exact," he said, taking the seat across the table with his collection of newspapers. "A double whammy, on the eve of the coming 90th Anniversary of the Metz Yeghern..." "What are you talking about? What double whammy...?" "Don't you read the papers? Didn't you hear that the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission, the same TARC whose unlamented demise was received with a sigh of relief by Armenians everywhere, has been heard, right around Halloween, making cryptic noises with an obvious intent to trick and treat our communities all over again..." "Read it! Read it!" Marty continued, shoving a paper in front of me, "it's bad enough, that the TARCish forces are trying to revive the specter of a cruel hoax, another bunch of aging groupies, after so many years, are trying to re-market the disastrous performances of a fallen star called Levon (l'Etat c'est Moi ) Ter Petrosyan... Well? No comments?" "I don't know what to say," I mumbled, feeling a chill creeping up my spine... "All this talk about the dead rising again makes me very nervous... I need another cup of Turkish coffee!" "You mean Armenian coffee... don't you?" growled Marty with darts shooting out of his eyes... "Here," interrupted Costa, putting two cups of steaming coffee in front of us, "Have a Greek coffee. I hope you don't mind, I was eavesdropping. You know what? Don't let these people discourage you; you have a just cause, and no matter what they say, don't give up. We gave up on the rights of the Pontus Greeks, under foreign pressure, and now it's too late. Don't let that happen to you..." There was profound sadness in his voice; Costa's grandfather was among the thousands of deportees from their native Pontus. We looked at him in silence as he returned to the kitchen. We slowly finished drinking the hot, bitter Greek coffee and left the Diner together. 8) Separatism--No Longer a Dirty Word? By Garen Yegparian The December 13, 2004 Fall Books issue of The Nation seems to have been designed with Armenians in mind. It contains Peter Balakian's letter to the editor replying to a September 20 review of his The Burning Tigris by Meline Toumani. The latter seems to be one of those Armenians who is so conflicted about her identity, yet also motivated by the most noble of urges to stand on principle, that she ends up sounding practically anti-Armenian. The issue also contains analyses of modern Islam and the post-WWII red scare era, both arenas of great impact and importance for Armenians. But most interesting is a signed editorial by Kirkpatrick Sale titled "Blue State Secession" that describes a November 5-7 conference held in Vermont. It seems the US Civil war has not put the issue of secession to rest since 28 separatist organizations already exist in the country. In light of the US election results, much petty chatter has been heard about seceding, most of it a means of venting extreme exasperation. But this conference seems to have been much more earnest and serious. Organized by the Second Vermont Republic a grassroots movement working to make the state a republic as it was from 1777 to 1791, and Fourth World an England based organization supporting separatist movements for independence in the other three "worlds," this conference was three days of speeches, presentations, and debate demonstrating the depth of feelings about this issue in light of the remarkable passions ignited by November 2's lead-up and fallout. This reminded me of an article in the Fall 1999 issue of Foreign Policy, "Too Many Flags?" wherein Juan Enriquez documents the accelerating pace of new state formation over the course of the 20th century. He then proceeds to argue that globalization is simultaneously bringing the world closer while allowing it to break up into its component parts. In addition, he contends that while the Western hemisphere has not experienced this proliferation of states, it is not immune to it. Numerous other essays addressing issues of self determination and the redrawing of international boundaries all point to the cutting-edge nature of our struggle for Artsakh and other occupied Armenian lands. Our efforts can no longer be dismissed as nationalist irredenta. Here, we must remember that nationalism is a dirty word for both the left and right ends of the political spectrum, albeit for different reasons. It seems to me that our political organizations and structures should be developing contacts with groups such as Fourth World. If we are concerned about the ramifications of such activities on existing relationships, then a new entity could easily be established to handle these matters discretely. To pass up an opportunity to become engaged in what is a worldwide process is a crime against our nation. Observe the Caucasus, former Soviet Union, Europe, China, the Arab Middle East, India-Pakistan, Indonesia, the indigenous peoples' movements in the Americas, and even the above US based examples for inspiration, bases of support, and channels of cooperation. Let's make this the millennium of Armenian restoration. 9) Forget The Fat Lady--Let Hasserjian Sing By Vazken Haroutunian AGBU Alex Manoogian Center in Pasadena, California has seen its share of performances, from Armenian folk music, to theatrical presentations, and even the obligatory poetry recital. But the rustic walls of the converted church hall weren't expecting to be shaken as hard as they did on Saturday, November 13 during the performance of operatic tenor Levon Hasserjian. Although a powerful voice in its early stages of maturation, it wasn't Maestro Levon's performances of Verdi or Schubert that caused the shaking, but the thunderous applause and standing ovations from the dual encores. Disco's dead. Rock n' Roll is on life support, but Opera is back with a vengeance. Over 200 packed the portion of the auditorium-church hall to hear the young Hasserjian belt out aria after aria and throw in the occasional Armenian patriotic favorite to bring down the house. Individuals who missed this concert missed a performance by a young tenor who has a bright future and the personality and swagger to match. Levon Hasserjian ("Uncle Leo" to his closest confidants) was born in Antelias, Lebanon, where he began his study of music at the Melkonian Educational Institute, under the guidance of Maestro Sebouh Markarian. He later spent three years at the Lebanese Music Conservatory, where he trained with Professor Garo Jaderian. Having performed in Lebanon and Cyprus as the principal soloist with the AGBU choir and the Holy See of Cilicia's Shnorhali Choir, Hasserjian is currently studying voice with Kathleen Darragh and coaching under Dan Bridston and Robin Reed. That's the background on his musical training and history but there's more to this stout, proud young man. On stage in his tuxedo and hair tied back in a pony tail--reminiscent of the style worn by Italian men in Rome ogling the women on the Spanish steps, Hasserjian commands a presence during performances that is only upstaged by his humility and dedication to his passion off of the stage. It was a long path that Hasserjian took to get to the Manoogian Center in Pasadena--we're not just talking Lebanon to the US. Hasserjian, like many of his generation, has worked and continues to work at a regular 9-5 job that has little to do with his first love--opera. A few years ago, he made a decision to take better care of his health, organize his personal finances, and devote himself to honing his God given talent to sing opera. "He just has a passion for the music," commented Ardashes Kassakhian, a friend and supporter of the young tenor. "His knowledge of opera is remarkable and his dedication to his craft is to be admired." Kassakhian tells of Uncle Leo's Opera circle--an unofficial group of friends of the tenor's who regularly attend the Los Angeles Opera's performances partly for the operas and partly for the pre and post commentary by Hasserjian. "If you want front row tickets to Lakers vs. Phoenix game, right behind Jack Nicholson at the Staples Center, I'm sure there's someone out there and I don't know them," observes Kassakhian. "But say it's the night of a performance of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro with Bayradakian as the lead and tickets have been sold out for weeks. Who are you going to call? I know who I will. Levon is our Opera hook up!" There are a lot of young and talented Armenians out there who talk about their dreams, who dream about their passions, but who rarely follow the path their talent or dreams have laid out for them. Hasserjian's an exception and one from whom we can expect greater things to come. 10) Veteran Photographer Harry Koundakjian Photo Exhibition and Public Program WATERTOWN--Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives and the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) opened a fifty-photograph exhibition of veteran, award-winning Associated Press (AP) photographer Harry Koundakjian's work on November 14 to run through January 14. The exhibition, divided into five subject areas, covers his entire career as photo journalist. Themes include World Leaders, Defining Moments, Natural Disasters, Hye Armenian Eyes, and Harry the Photographer. As the AP's chief photographer in charge of all 13 Arab countries in the Middle East, North and East Africa, Turkey, and Iran, Harry has been everywhere imaginable and covered everyone from royalty to revolutionary. He has had entrée into public and private events, has recorded death and destruction, and captured life at it highest and lowest moments. His photographs tell innumerable stories. Th exhibition is an extraordinary expression of one man's passion for being in the right spot at the right time with the right equipment to get the newsbreaking photograph, regardless of the danger. He has been shot at--he landed on his Nikon zoom lens when he ducked for cover as bullets zoomed past him. He has witnessed the human misery of earthquake victims and the torturous actions of assassins. He has also captured the kiss of world leaders in a moment of affection. Ruth Thomasian, founder and executive director of Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives, has served as exhibit curator working with Harry to choose images and develop captions. She has caught the human interest focus that permeates all of Harry's work, as well as his boundless energy. The section on Harry the Photographer shows him drying film over a charcoal fire during his coverage of United States First Lady Pat Nixon's tour of West Africa. We see him in Aden, South Yemen accompanied by his British body guard and an information officer, whose job it was to protect Harry as he captured the news, not to restrict or interfere with his work. And Harry loves to tell of being nick-named by those Brits as Harry the Horse, because of his passion for working hard, just like a horse. On Tuesday evening, Dec. 7, at 7:30, ALMA will host a panel discussion accompanying Harry's exhibition. Harry will join colleagues Steve Kurkjian, investigative reporter at The Boston Globe, and Garo Lachinian, photographer, formerly Director of Photography at the Boston Herald, in sharing their points of view on the topic, Image is Everything: Photography and the World's Defining Moments. They are sure to go beyond the basics of news making into social and political issues that color how the news is communicated everyday. The program, which will include a question-and-answer period, will be monitored by Ruth Thomasian. That evening the photograph exhibition, 50 years/50 photographs: Harry L. Koundakjian, AP Photographer, will be open for viewing starting at 7pm at Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives and the Armenian Library and Museum of America. For more information call Project SAVE Archives at 617-923-4542 or email archives@projectsave.org. 11) Earth Tones Works of Two Abstract Expressionists LOS ANGELES--Recent works by two Armenian artists living in Los Angeles, Lucy Hagopian and Narine Isajanyan, are currently on exhibition at the Don O'Melveny Gallery. "Earth Tones" showcases the works of two abstract expressionists who were raised on different continents (Narine from Yerevan and Lucy from Caracas), yet their work reflects on the Earth as environment and universe; their images resonate with the dissonances of modern consciousness struggling against the eternity of nature. Both have painted with soil, sand, rock, metal, wood and tar, mixed in acrylics with a bent toward deep terrestrial and oceanic colors. Lucy Hagopian closely relates her work to her concern for the environment, as it motivates her, just as nature inspires her. But her work succeeds on its own apart from any social political reference by virtue of an aesthetic that performs a balancing act between representational and abstract impulses. It is as if she allows an instinct to portray a natural scene to transform into a deeper desire to create instead a landscape of her own inner universe, navigating with the aesthetics of abstract form, color, movement, and space. Perhaps Hagopian's trademark distinction as an artist is her technique of painting with a car: driving wet painted tires over a canvas in repeated and controlled 'brush strokes.' The resulting images are then integrated, if not consumed by an array of other elements painted by hand. Lucy explains her work best herself: "My work begins with a concept, but it doesn't end there. There is a give and take between chance and planning. I begin with an idea, yet allow the process of work to take its own course. Physical involvement and the action of painting is a constant part of the work. I switch from my mind to my heart, and allow my feelings, my instinct to guide me...The process of work takes its own course... and the end result is often a surprise to me...after its done I feel as I have known the work all my life." Interplaying layers of paint creating transparencies versus opaque surfaces are used as poetic expressions. Visual images become symbols. She switches between the machine created images and what the human hand can create. The process becomes a reflection of life in Los Angeles. Historical, social, environmental, and personal meanings can be found in the paintings. Narine Isajanyan returns to Don O'Melveny Gallery for a fourth time with work that is expressionist, minimalist, and conceptual by turns. Whether on canvas, paper, board, wood, or actually made of metal, her pieces become abstract landscapes that are as fluid within as they are consistent and organic as a whole. Her most recent large scale canvases are painted with acrylic mixed with sand, earth, metal shavings (even kitty litter). Reminiscent of Pollock's free use of space, they create bold unified fields energized by swirling movements of muted color under multiple layers of grays and blacks. Like the universe expanding in every direction without a center, her elements are nevertheless so harmonic as to create a single 'minimalist' impression. Many of Narine's very latest pieces almost recreate the feeling of lunar landscapes. Yet without intending to represent the natural world, without 'rational interference' in the spontaneous building of form on form, her images reflect the processes of nature responding within her. She is not imagining scenes from the some parallel world--she is creating that world. Included in "Earth Tones" will be two of Narine's works made exclusively from metal. On one piece, a spiraling steel cylinder crawls across an iron grid like a silver snake. Another shining rectangle of sheer steel, scraped in abstract patterns as if worn down by nature, is focused on a centerpiece of nails, their nail heads projecting out in a rectangle of their own. Thus hard industrial force and its sense of violence are transformed into a still life of beautiful, even serene balance. Located in the heart of the Avenues of Art Design on Melrose Ave in West Hollywood, CA, the Don O'Melveny Gallery features original modern, contemporary work with a lean to the abstract. From cutting edge to blue-chip, emerging to internationally recognized, the Gallery posses a wonderfully eclectic mix of fine art. The Don O'Melveny Gallery 5472 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 323-932-0076 Exhibition Dates:December 3-31 Artist Reception: Saturday, December 11, 6-10 pm All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.