Bismarck Tribune, North Dakota
Nov 8 2014
Armenian art exhibit now open
By Faith Harron
A new art exhibition is open at the Heritage Center and State Museum.
“God Given: Cultural Treasures of Armenia” will be on display for one
year and features the work of traditional/folk artists Norik and Irina
Astvatsaturov, who fled, with their children, from ethnic and
religious persecution in Baku, Azerbaijan, and came to North Dakota.
Their artwork is representative of their heritage, history and
experiences. Norik Astvatsaturov is a Bush Foundation Artist
Fellowship recipient whose work consists of copper and bronze repousse
work with inlaid semi-precious stones. Irina Astvatsaturov works with
Russian and Eastern European beadwork techniques to create colorful
beadwork on black velvet.
North Dakota Council on the Arts’ folklorist, Troyd Geist, wrote a
complementary piece, while a documentary about the artists will
repeatedly air in the new theater at the Heritage Center and State
Museum.
From: A. Papazian