AGBU HYE GEEN YOUNG CIRCLE SELECTS SPEAKERS FOR MARCH CONFERENCE
asbarez
Monday, February 13th, 2012
GLENDALE-The AGBU Hye Geen has selected its speakers for their upcoming
conference entitled “Symbolism in Art, Architecture and Design.” This
year’s conference continues to focus on the status of the Armenian
Diaspora living in the U.S., with a particular focus on symbolism as
a means of expression.
The topic for the 7th annual conference explores the meaning of the
many images incorporated into our lives, from the images woven into
rugs, to the details incorporated in the structures that surround us,
to the items we use every day.
The goal of the conference is to educate the broader community, both
students and non-students alike, on design as a concept and the use
of symbols to convey thoughts and ideas.
This year’s four speakers have decades of experience between them.
They bring their knowledge and expertise to translate and explain
the meanings of the images and details that may have lost their
significance to our present day society. They will examine the symbols
and themes that have emerged and have been expressed in the designs
produced by Armenians throughout history to the present.
Opening remarks will be done by Narineh Mirzaeian, a Los Angeles based
designer and an associate at Gehry Partners, LLC, an architectural firm
with a global reach. She will discuss the elements of design and its
various permutations in the objects we see and use on a daily basis,
from utensils to textiles.
Aram Alajajian is an award winning architect and principal of
Alajajian-Marcoosi Architects, Inc.. His topic, Symbolism in Armenian
Architecture: Past and Present, will present the symbols used in
architecture throughout history from historical churches and public
buildings to present structures.
Peter Frank is an associate editor at Fabrik magazine, an art critic
for the Huffington Post, curator at the Riverside Museum. The subject,
Caucasian Standard Time: Armenian-Americans and California Art in the
Postwar Era, will look at the work of the artists and their importance.
Hratch Kozibeyokian is a master weaver, carpet designer and a textile
restorer and conservator with many years of experience. A long standing
tradition throughout the world, he will present Iconography in Armenian
Woven Art and explore their use and meaning.
The conference will take place on Saturday morning, March 10, 2012,
at Woodbury University, Burbank, California in the Ahmanson Main Space.
The AGBU Hye Geen emphasizes that the conference is open to both
men and women since these topics are of interest to everyone in the
community as a whole.
Continuing in its conviction of collaborating with other groups for
the overall good of the community, the Young Circle is partnering with
the Woodbury Armenian Student Association (ASA) for the production
of the conference.
The 7th annual conference will be held, for the first time, at
Woodbury University in Burbank, California. Woodbury University is
a leading institution specializing in the field of architecture. As
such, Armenian students at the campus will be presenting their
architectural designs for a prize sponsored by the Woodbury Armenian
Student Association.
AGBU Hye Geen is an organization that focuses on empowering Armenian
women today as agents for change while preserving and honoring their
achievements. The AGBU Hye Geen Young Circle helps the organization
stay relevant by exploring different issues facing the current
generation of Armenians now living in the United States. The AGBU Hye
Geen organizes an annual conference to explore the potential of the
Diasporan community in the various aspects of its development. Most
recent topics have included “Music as a Mirror” and “The Power of
Broadcast Media on Ethnic Communities.”
Registration is at 10am. Conference is from 10:30 am to 2pm. Lunch
will be provided during a 30 minute break.
From: A. Papazian