Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

UCLA: Opening Program: Janyak: Armenian Art of Knots and Loops

Emil Lazarian
FOWLER MUSEUM, UCLA
March 23 2023
SPECIAL EVENT
April 23, 2023 | 2:00PM – 4:30PM

IN PERSON

RSVP

Join us for an afternoon of art and music. Following a tour of Janyak: Armenian Art of Knots and Loops by exhibition curator Gassia Armenian and opening remarks by UCLA’s Narekatsi Chair of Armenian Studies Peter Cowe, enjoy one of Armenia’s leading folk singers, Hasmik Harutunyan, who will perform with UCLA ethnomusicology candidate Armen Adamian, who will play the duduk, a traditional woodwind instrument. Light refreshments will be served in the courtyard. 

2:30 pm: Opening remarks

3:00 pm: Exhibition walk-through

3:30 pm: Musical performance

This program is co-sponsored by the Armenian Music Program at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Armen Adamian is a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology at UCLA. His research examines the aesthetic dimensions and political implications of folk music in the post-Soviet Republic of Armenia. Alongside his academic work, Adamian is the co-founder and artistic director of the LA-based Armenian folk revival ensemble Lernazang, and instructor of UCLA’s Armenian Music and Dance Ensemble.

Gassia Armenian is the curatorial and research associate at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, where she conducts collections research and facilitates curatorial and scholarly endeavors. She also liaises with domestic and international institutions, private collectors and lenders to the Fowler, and manages various aspects of planning and organizing the museum’s exhibitions and publications. Over the past 25 years, Gassia has helped to mount many exhibitions at the Fowler. Prior to that, she served as a consultant and project coordinator for the U.S. Agency for International Development for Junior Achievement of Armenia, developing and implementing civics education training programs and teaching methodologies.

Peter Cowe is Narekatsi Distinguished Professor of Armenian Studies and director of the UCLA Center for World Languages. His research interests include: Late Antique and medieval Armenian intellectual history, the Armenian kingdom and state formation across the medieval Mediterranean, Muslim-Christian dialogue, and modern Armenian nationalism. The author of five books in the field and editor of 10, he is the past co-editor of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies and has served on the executive board of the Society for Armenian Studies and Association Internationale des Études Arméniennes. A recipient of the Garbis Papazian Award for Armenology, he has been inducted into the Accademia Ambrosiana, Milan and awarded a doctorate honoris causa by the Russian-Armenian University of Armenia.

Hasmik Harutyunyan is a renowned singer of Armenian folk music and a Meritorious Artist of the Republic of Armenia. A student of folk revivalist Hayrik Muradyan, Harutyunyan was a member of the Akunq Azgagrakan Ensemble and is a co-founder of the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble. She has recorded several albums for Traditional Crossroads of New York and Face Music of Switzerland. Her record Armenian Lullabies was recognized by the New York Times as one of the best world music recordings in 2004. Hasmik has published a collection of Armenian lullabies titled, Ororner–Lullabies, and a collection of traditional Armenian folk songs for children titled, Arev, Arev, Yek, Yek. Currently, Hasmik is mentoring the LA-based ensemble Lernazang and directing workshops for UCLA’s Armenian Music and Dance Ensemble. 

Opening Program: Join us to hear from exhibition curators, participating artists, and other key players who make possible our presentations of world arts and cultures. 

Parking available in UCLA Lot 4, 198 Westwood Plaza, directly off Sunset Blvd; $3/hr or max $15/day. Rideshare drop-off at 305 Royce Dr.

Image credit: Marie Pilibossian, Armenian needle lace, early to mid-20th century; thread and needle used as a knotting tool; Fowler Museum at UCLA, X80.1162; Gift of Marie Pilibossian

https://fowler.ucla.edu/events/opening-program-janyak-armenian-art-of-knots-and-loops/

Pixels of Memory David Hotson Architect uses printed porcelain to create a memorial facade for St. Sarkis Armenian Orthodox Church

Emil Lazarian
The Architect’s Newspaper
By Chris Walton • 

Architect: David Hotson Architect
Location: Carrollton, Texas
Completion Date: April 2022

An impressive new complex for the St. Sarkis Armenian Orthodox Church in Carrollton, Texas, opened last year. The facility was designed by David Hotson Architect, a practice based in New York.

Hotson’s office came to work on the project through Stepan Terzyan, an Armenian architect who had worked for him on projects in New York and Armenia. (Pre-2008, Hotson’s practice had a location in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.) Terzyan’s family, with sponsorship from Hotson, immigrated from Armenia to Texas, where they joined a local Armenian church which was worshipping in a converted residence. Seeking a permanent home, the congregation began work on a new-construction complex. Terzyan worked with the effort’s lead donor and philanthropist Elie Akilian on early stages before subsequently inviting Hotson to head the design team.

The church’s site, in a suburb north of Dallas, spans 5 acres. In addition to the church itself, the campus includes an athletic building, a community center, a courtyard, and an event hall (with seating for up to 400 people), all designed by Hotson’s office, working with Terzyan in the role of project architect.

The porcelain panels were printed in Italy and shipped to Texas. (Courtesy David Hotson Architect)

The church’s design was inspired by Saint Hripsime, an Armenian church completed in 618. David Hotson told AN that the church’s inspiration included many designs characteristic of Armenian ecclesiastical architecture, including a monolithic character and sculptural feel.

The cornerstone for the church was laid in 2018. Reinterpreting Saint Hripsime’s structural masonry and diagonal piers with contemporary materials, Hotson sought to achieve the modern look Akilian had requested while remaining respectful to the history of the church. Inside, the worship area is a bright, minimal space defined by vaults, domes, and the play of light and sound. Outside, Hotson also skillfully handled the design of a memorial that took shape on the facade: A cross made of 1.5 million pixels, one for each victim of the Armenian genocide, defines the facade’s primary ornament.

Hotson had met representatives from the Italian porcelain manufacturer Fiandre, who had developed a system in which designs could be printed on facade slabs. The ventilated rainscreen system, developed by Fiandre’s sister company, Granitech, could support a “very high resolution” image on a thin slab, Hotson said. The design team incorporated “geometrical and botanical strands” into an Armenian cross to develop a pattern for the facade and took care to frame its major apertures.

The pixelated cross was generated with a Grasshopper script. The pattern appears to be a cross from a distance, but at close range, ornamental motifs traditional in Armenian decorative arts become visible, creating a “nested” pattern, as Hotson described it. This was achieved by alternating the densities of the pixels that the script produced and then arranging the pixels by density, allowing for both the larger architectural-scaled design and intermediate layers.

The 1.5 million icons were generated using a Grasshopper script. (David Hotson)

Samples of the printed panels, 1 square meter in size, were shipped to the site to ensure that the color and contrast were precise, as this was crucial to honoring the monolithic aspect of the church. Other aspects of the facade, including a zinc roof and precast concrete panels, also had to be color matched to make certain the effect continued across the entirety of the exterior.

Equipped with the desire to see to it that the project was delivered with a high degree of precision, Akilian worked as his own general contractor. Fiandre manufactured the panels with a 1-centimeter gap between each unit—the same width as each pixel—ensuring alignment across the entirety of the west-facing facade. The pixel-level layout of each panel was mapped out by Hotson’s office and shared with Fiandre, which began fabrication in early 2020. Production was paused as factory output was brought to a halt by the pandemic, and manufacturing was completed later that year. A local subsidiary installed the facades, which were shipped without breakage from the factory in Italy and put in place with extremely minimal adjustments required.

The arrangement of the pixels at varying densities allow for designs to be perceived at both architectural and smaller scales (Courtesy David Hotson Architect)

The patterned facade is west-facing and as such receives intense sunlight in Texas’s climate. Considering this, the choice of an ultraviolet-resistant material was crucial to the project’s longevity.

At the same time, the design team wanted to create a “luminous, ethereal interior lighting condition … entirely illuminated by natural light during the day,” Hotson told AN. Natural light enters the interior through glazing in the dome, in addition to limited glazing on the patterned facade, creating a “present luminous environment” in which color-temperature shifts and cloud coverage are perceivable in the interior.

Hotson said that this move complements the acoustics of the interior, which are shaped to support up to 250 worshippers. The air-conditioning units were located east of the church, and conditioned air was brought into the church at a low velocity through registers under the pews, “eliminating any mechanical vibration … with reverberant vibration acoustics very close to those of traditional Armenian churches,” Hotson shared. This limited energy use, with conditioned air being directed only into occupied volumes of the church. While this approach was aesthetically complementary to the daylighting, it was also designed in respect to Armenian church services, which are conducted as a conversation chanted between the priest, located on the altar, and the choir, located in a loft. The church requires no artificial acoustics and is left acoustically uninterrupted by MEP systems.

As the church’s capacity did not require sprinklers, the vaults were designed as “scaleless, billowing volumes of illuminated space without any contemporary details that would distract from the simplicity of the composition,” Hotson said. The design team worked with Formglas, a Canadian manufacturer, to realize the glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) vaults, which were shaped with double-curved glass. The vaults were shipped and assembled as a kit of parts and set in precast concrete, with their mix carefully color-matched to the gray porcelain and precast facade elements.

The campus’s exterior elevations were clad in porcelain panels. (Dror Baldinger, FAIA)

Hotson said that a neutral gray “can be the most difficult color to match, as any shift in hue, value, or surface texture can show up.” When projected across large material spans, this can be further accentuated. The GFRC and precast elements could not use the same mix owing to differences in their manufacturing processes, so a methodical process of color-matching samples had to be completed to ensure uniformity in the facade. Exterior pavers and soffit finishes in the church’s entry courtyard were also realized with porcelain, aligning with the joints in the church’s precast walls.

Hotson’s overall design, combined with the advances in printed facades, created a remarkable project, recognized with an honorable mention in the Religious category in AN’s Best of Design Awards last year. The church represents a respectful interpretation of ecclesiastical architecture that advances the use of contemporary materials and fabrication methods. It does not seek to incorporate a memorial element in an additive way but retains it as integral to a complex design. St. Sarkis has already established itself as a home for the local Armenian community and is poised to continue to do so for years to come.

A prior version of this article misstated how Hotson received this commission. It was not won via competition but instead came through Armenian architect Stepan Terzyan, one of Hotson’s former collaborators, who also served as project architect for the church complex.

 

  • Architect: David Hotson Architect
  • Location: Carrollton, Texas
  • Completion Date: April 2022
  • Client: Elie Akilian
  • Porcelain Tiles: Fiandre
  • GFRC: Formglas
  • Facade Installation: GV Facades
  • Contractor: HighCoCo
  • Structural Engineer: GWC Engineering
  • MEP/FP Engineer: Gupta & Associates
  • Lighting Designer: Tirschwell & Co.
  • Landscape Architect: Garden Transformations

Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan Confirms Joint Peace Treaty With Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian
Written By

Saumya joshi

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that there would be a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This comes after official joint statements have been agreed upon at the highest level. Notably, the two countries ended the war that killed about 6,800 soldiers and displaced around 90,000 civilians, as per Associated Press reports. Even after the war has ended, tensions emerged over a six-kilometre road known as the Lachin Corridor. Taking to Twitter, Pashinyan wrote: “There will be a

Pashinyan’s tweet received a response from the US State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson on Friday. US Spokesperson Vedant Patel retweeted the tweet and wrote: “@SecBlinken is very engaged in facilitating peace discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we are encouraged by the progress made toward lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus. We very much appreciate @NikolPashinyan’s message on that progress.” 

Both countries have agreed to sign a peace agreement on Thursday and Armenian PM has been expecting strong support from the international community for this narrative. In the tweet, he also confirmed that there would not be “а new escalation”. Both countries, Azerbaijan and Armenia, have an ongoing dispute over  Lachin Corridor which is the “only land connection between Armenia and the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan”, reported AP. The road has been blocked by protesters claiming to be environmental activists since mid-December which would stop food supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh’s 120,000 people. Due to this dispute, there have been predictions of a new escalation but the Armenian PM’s latest tweet has confirmed that there won’t be any. However, there has been no confirmation from Azerbaijan on the same. 

Armenia: EU awards €300,000 to Ijevan to implement cultural strategy

Emil Lazarian

The Armenian city of Ijevan has won the EU4Culture project competition and will receive a grant of up to €300,000 from the European Union to implement the city’s Cultural Development Strategy. The project’s official launch event took place today in Ijevan. 

The strategy aims to improve cultural infrastructures through continuous creative activities, to ensure a vibrant cultural life closely related to economic development, contribute to the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, improve cultural development capacities and effectively manage the cultural sector. The strategic approaches were presented to the public of Ijevan, and the strategy has been approved by the community council.

The launch event was attended by Andrea Wiktorin, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Vache Terteryan, First Deputy Minister of ICT, Artur Martirosyan, Deputy Minister of ESCS, Hayk Ghalumyan, Governor of Tavush, Natia Micheladze-Bakhsoliani, Head of the Goethe-Zentrum-Eriwan, Anatoly Beifert, Head of the EU4Culture project, and Artur Chagharyan, Head of Ijevan community.

The Ijevan Municipality project, ‘WE ARE OUR MOUNTAINS’, will be implemented in 2023-2024. The main approaches of the project are the decentralised cultural development and the focus on the settlements of Ijevan, as well as the development of creative and proactive thinking among the community residents. The project’s general objective is to build a solid and cooperative cultural field in the extended community of Ijevan by promoting the development of the cultural economy and the preservation of cultural heritage.

The first component of the project – the management of the cultural sector – will be improved by increasing the visibility and recognition of Ijevan’s cultural heritage through intensive communication and branding, an inventory/mapping of tangible and intangible cultural assets of Ijevan will be carried out, and continuous training in the field of cultural management will be provided through experience exchange visits with partner communities and joint through initiatives.

The second component of the project –  active cultural and economic life – will be promoted through local creative cultural initiatives. Small grants will be awarded to encourage the collaborative and creative cultural sector and preserve cultural heritage. They will be joint initiatives of business representatives, civil society and individuals who will be trained and present their ideas in the format of “Giving Ideas-Getting Ideas”.

The third component of the project – cooperative, culture-based economic development – will be promoted by holding annual cultural festivals.

The Ijevan municipality will implement the project in cooperation with the “Urban” Sustainable Development Foundation.

The EU4Culture project is funded by the European Union to support culture and the creative sector with a special focus on non-capital cities and towns in the Eastern Partnership Countries. The project is implemented by Goethe Institut (lead), Czech Centres, Danish Cultural Institute and Institut Français de Géorgie.

Find out moreFor additional information, contact Lilit Ghalumyan /Head of Education, Culture, Sports, Youth, Social Support and Health Department of Ijevan Municipality.

https://euneighbourseast.eu/news/latest-news/armenia-eu-awards-e300000-to-ijevan-to-implement-cultural-strategy/

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 24-03-23

Emil Lazarian

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 17:17,

YEREVAN, 24 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.26 drams to 388.07 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 6.14 drams to 416.17 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.07 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.04 drams to 473.33 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 340.54 drams to 24678.37 drams. Silver price up by 6.74 drams to 285.72 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.

Asbarez: Teachable Moments: Modern-day Superheroes Do Not Wear Capes

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Columns, Latest, Op-Ed, Top Stories

March is Women’s History Month


BY SAREEN KASPARIAN

March welcomes spring with longer and warmer days, when trees sprout new leaves and colorful flowers bloom, but March is also designated as Women’s History Month in the United States, a month set aside to honor women’s contributions in history.

As I identify independent, successful, and educated women as role models, I learn from their experiences and proudly reflect on their accomplishments. In my own life, I admire my mom, who finds a way to balance it all– from a demanding career to family life to community service. As a student, I look up to Rita Kaprielian, a distinguished and passionate educator and leader who recently received a medal of honor from His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos for 40 years of service.

In a wider view, I find inspiration in famed entrepreneur Carolyn Rafaelian, founder of Alex and Ani jewelry company, who uses her company and status to raise awareness for Armenia. I find inspiration in elected officials like Rep. Anna Eshoo and Rep. Jackie Speier, who represent and support the Armenian American community in the halls of Congress.

Of course, we can’t forget the Kardashian empire. Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé have a massive impact on popular culture, with a social media following that numbers in the millions. Through various channels, they raise awareness about the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh by sharing personal sentiments and posts from organizations like the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and community advocates like Eric Esrailian. 

Although contributions by the rich, powerful, and famous are impactful and important, they don’t diminish the incredible accomplishments of two women whom I idolize even more today for their heroism in and for Artsakh.

Lara Setrakian’s career as a recognized and prominent journalist and news correspondent is noteworthy in and of itself. However, what truly sets her apart is her role as the voice of change.  Determined to shine international light on one of the deadliest conflicts of modern time, Setrakian was one of the first journalists to cover the “bloody battle” of Artsakh, an unknown region to the world of media. As I watched her interview with Ali Velshi from MSNBC News, I was captivated by her poise, passion and purpose.  

In another interview with Robert Nicholson, Setrakian shares parts of her personal life as a mother and journalist and why she and her family returned to Armenia amid mounting tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  Setrakian’s impressive resume, which includes a Harvard degree, former role as a Middle East correspondent for Bloomberg TV and ABC, founder of News Deeply and her current position as President of the Applied Policy Research Institute in Yerevan, makes her a widely recognized and respected expert. Her commitment to reporting with honesty and integrity has earned her a reputation for excellence in the field.  “When asked to tell human stories from the Lachin Corridor crisis, I naturally obliged. Covering underreported stories through the people on the ground has been my guiding principle as a journalist,” wrote Setrakian.  

And then there’s Dr. Biayna Sukhudyan, a modern day Sose Mayrig. While her battle is different, she demonstrates the same selflessness and dedication, embodying qualities of strength, nurturance and love.  Sukhudyan is the Chief of Neurology and Epilepsy Service at Arabkir Medical Center in Yerevan.  In March 2021, Sukhudyan and her colleagues launched a medical program to serve patients in war-torn Artsakh. This included traveling to Artsakh for a week every two months as well as ongoing online support to doctors, medical staff, and patients. However, her most recent trip was out of the ordinary.

Leaving her family in Yerevan, Sukhudyan departed on December 11th and was not able to return home because of the blockade. In an interview with Billy Hallowell, Senior Writer of Faithwire.com, Sukhudyan shares her experience as a physician struggling to help her patients with severe medical conditions with limited resources– and often times deprived of food, gas and medications. 

“During this period of blockade, some particularly difficult operations which would never have been carried out under normal conditions were nevertheless carried out” said Sukhudyan. It makes Sukhudyan very nervous when she thinks about the continuation of the blockade.   “With no road or air access, medications and specialists, this situation is catastrophic.  Something must be done. We cannot wait for the next genocide… because this is genocide.” 

Although Sukhudyan was stranded in Artsakh for more than 30 days, she embraced her ties to the people of Artsakh.  “We are separated from our families and patients in Yerevan, but on the other hand, it would be very difficult for us to leave here (Artsakh) and go.” 

Sareen Kasparian is currently a junior at Crescenta Valley High School and a member of the Pasadena Nigol Touman chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation. Teachable Moments is a knowledge exchange, a column dedicated to sharing generational insight as we intertwine experience and reasoning with modern day problems and solutions.




Armenian American Museum Launches Elevate Campaign at Sold Out Elevate Gala

Emil Lazarian

Press
Contact:

Shant
Sahakian, Executive Director

Armenian
American Museum and Cultural Center of California

(818)
644-2214

[email protected]

 

FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

ARMENIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM LAUNCHES ELEVATE CAMPAIGN AT SOLD OUT
ELEVATE GALA

 

Glendale, CA () – The Armenian American Museum and
Cultural Center of California announced the launch of the new Elevate Campaign at
the sold out Elevate Gala on Sunday, March 19, 2023. The signature event of the
year welcomed a capacity audience of donors, supporters, public officials, and
guests at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The Elevate Gala raised $7
million in support of the Armenian American Museum through sponsorships, ticket
sales, donations, and gift announcements.

 

The Elevate Gala kicked off with heartwarming and comedic welcoming
remarks from the internationally acclaimed and award-winning entertainer Kev
Orkian who served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

 

The National Anthems were performed by the renowned Soprano Mariné
Ter-Kazaryan.

 

The Invocation was conducted by Primate of the Western Diocese of
the Armenian Church of North America Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Prelate of
the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church Bishop Torkom Donoyan,
Minister of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America Reverend Hendrik
Shanazarian, and Representative of the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of the United
States and Canada Monsignor Parsegh Baghdassarian.

 

“The vision of the Armenian American Museum has infused in our
spiritual and national life a most precious milestone which has unified us to
justify the legacy of the Martyred Saints of the first Genocide of the 20th
Century,” stated Board of Trustees Co-Chair Archbishop Hovnan Derderian in his
remarks on behalf of the Board of Trustees. “Tonight’s Gala is another step
forward to mobilize our efforts and send to the community a new level of hope,
resilience, and commitment to serve this country and our ancestral land of
Armenia.”

 

Elevate Gala Chair Diana Timuryan thanked the sponsors who
generously supported the event and the Elevate Gala Committee members who contributed
their time to help organize the event with the museum team.

 

Major Sponsors included Rima & Donnell Cameron, Armen &
Gloria Hampar Family Foundation, Avadis & Nancy Tevanian, Jack & Zarig
Youredjian, Ayvazian Family Foundation, The GASKA Alliance Foundation,
Anonymous, Dr. Vicken & Sossy Aharonian, Ron & Kourtni Arakelian, Bank
of America, Gregory & Gina Felikian, Steve & Sandi Hampar, Nabil &
Hanan Karabetian, Berdj & Mary Karapetian, Matthew & Audrey Matoesian,
William McMorrow, Nora Tertzag Hampar Charitable Trust Ara & Nina Ohanian,
Sarkis & Nune Sepetjian, and Isaac & Frieda Vartanian.

 

The Elevate Gala Committee members included Mayda Altounian,
Alvard Barseghian, Angela Bedoyan, Ani Bekarian, Araxie Boyamian, Garine
Depoyan, Hilda Fidanian, Aida Gharakhani, Marie Jeanne Harmandayan, Natalie
Hariri, Christine Hovnanian, Tanya Kalaydjian, Maro Kasparian, Dr. Alexia
Kevonian, Erika Toriz-Kurkjian, Carmen Libaridian, Margaret Mgrublian, Narine
Mouradian, Aleen Orucakciel, Dzovig Zetlian, and Elizabeth Zoryan.

 

Senator Anthony J. Portantino delivered remarks on behalf of the
State of California, who has invested $19.6 million to support the historic
project including a new $9.8 million grant in the 2022-2023 State Budget that
was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

 

Executive Director Shant Sahakian celebrated the Groundbreaking
Campaign that helped the museum reach the historic groundbreaking of the cultural
and educational center in Summer 2021 and successfully complete the first phase
of construction featuring the museum parking garage and building foundation in
November 2022. He announced the launch of the Elevate Campaign to set sights on
the next major milestone of the project as the landmark center is elevated to
the horizon as a destination for education, enrichment, and inspiration for
generations to come.

 

“In the education world, we talk a great deal about the concept of
windows and mirrors,” stated Executive Director Shant Sahakian in his message on
behalf of the Armenian American Museum. “That if we want our children and our
young people to thrive – they need mirrors. They need to be able to see
themselves in the books they read, in the films they watch, in the stories they
hear, and yes – in the museums they visit. They also need windows – that allow
them to peek into the past to discover their roots, transport themselves into
places that they have never been before, learn about cultures that are not
their own, and in doing so, learn more about themselves and everyone around
them.”

 

Ara Dance Studio delivered an uplifting dance performance
dedicated to the Armenian American Museum.

 

Master of Ceremonies Kev Orkian delivered a powerful musical
performance on the piano with a self-written piece called “Freedom.”

 

Mayor Ardy Kassakhian delivered remarks on behalf of the City of
Glendale, who has dedicated a premier location for the historic project in
Central Park, where the museum campus will be going through a major expansion
with the creation of a new central lawn, outdoor amphitheater, children’s park,
and much more.

 

Board of Trustees Member Dr. Nazareth Darakjian representing the
Armenian Missionary Association of America and Board of Trustees Member Vicky
Marashlian representing the Armenian Relief Society Western USA presented the
Park Entrance Plaza recognition. The Park Entrance Plaza will serve as the main
entrance for visitors through Central Park, greeting patrons as they are
welcomed to an immersive and impactful experience at the Armenian American
Museum. The presenters announced that the Park Entrance Plaza will be sponsored
by the Armen and Gloria Hampar Family Foundation in honor of the foundation’s
generous gift to the museum.

 

Board of Trustees Co-Treasurer Avedik Izmirlian representing the
Armenian Cultural Foundation and Board of Trustees Representative Dr. Raffi
Balian representing the Nor Or Charitable Foundation presented the Grand
Elevator recognition. The Grand Elevator will elevate guests between the first
level and upper levels of the museum with an unfettered view of the inspiring
Grand Lobby on the first level and the beautiful Hazarashen Skylight rising to
the sky. The presenters announced that the Grand Elevator will be sponsored by
Rima and Donnell Cameron in honor of the family’s generous gift in the beloved
memory of Rouzas and Janet Khoylian.

 

Board of Trustees Co-Treasurer Talin Yacoubian representing
Armenian General Benevolent Union Western Region and Board of Trustees Member
Garbiel Moloyan representing Nor Serount Cultural Association presented the
Demonstration Kitchen recognition. The Demonstration Kitchen will provide a
one-of-a-kind learning experience for patrons with a wide array of culinary
opportunities including cooking presentations, cooking courses, and food-centered
social events. The presenters announced that the Demonstration Kitchen will be
sponsored by Avie and Nancy Tevanian in honor of the family’s generous gift to
the museum.

 

Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian presented Master of Ceremonies
Kev Orkian with a special Armenian American Museum Golden Pin in recognition of
his impactful support of the Armenian American Museum and the Elevate Gala.

 

Executive Vice Chairman Zaven Kazazian introduced the Honorable
Michael Amerian, Trustee with the George Ignatius Foundation, to make a special
surprise announcement at the grand finale of the event. Joined by fellow
Trustees George Phillips, Sr. and Honorable Walter J. Karabian, he announced
that the George Ignatius Foundation will be contributing $1 million in support of the Armenian American Museum, an announcement that was greeted with a roaring
applause by the capacity audience. The George Ignatius Foundation is a
non-profit organization which has generously supported several charitable
causes promoting Armenian history, culture, and religion since 1976.

 

“Together, we are going to elevate the Armenian American Museum,
we are going to elevate the community, and we are going to elevate the future,”
stated Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian in his closing remarks for the successful
event.

 

The Armenian American Museum is a world class educational and
cultural institution that is currently under construction in the museum campus
at Glendale Central Park. The museum will offer a wide range of public
programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions,
Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.

 

Contribute to the Elevate Campaign at https://www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org/Elevate.

 

###


Click here for all press photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/vZjTag3cVooLrpoe9


Kindly,

Arsine Sina Torosyan
Communications Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
116 North Artsakh Avenue, Suite 205, Glendale, CA 91206
Office: (818) 351-3554, Ext. 706
Direct: (818) 644-2215
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CivilNet: Biden invites Pashinyan to Democracy Summit, Aliyev not invited

Emil Lazarian
CIVILNET.AM

23 Mar, 2023 10:03

  • An Armenian soldier was killed yesterday afternoon by Azerbaijani forces near the village of Yeraskh on the Armenian border with the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry.
  • During a cabinet meeting today, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again warned of the risk of a new escalation with Azerbaijan, but expressed confidence that there will eventually be a peace treaty signed between the two countries.
  • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believes there is an opportunity to achieve an Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal.

Credits: Ruptly


Violence hits France in day of anger over pension changes

Emil Lazarian

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 11:48,

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. French police fired tear gas and fought with what they described as “thugs” in Paris and across France on Thursday as hundreds of thousands of protesters marched against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the pension age.

The ninth day of nationwide protests, mostly peaceful, disrupted train and air travel, Reuters reports. Teachers were among many professions to walk off the job, days after the government pushed through legislation to raise the retirement age by two years to 64.

Demonstrations in central Paris were generally peaceful, but groups of “Black Bloc” anarchists smashed shop windows, demolished street furniture and ransacked a McDonald’s restaurant. Clashes ensued as riot police drove back the anarchists with tear gas and stun grenades.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 149 police officers were injured and 172 people were arrested across the country. Dozens of protesters were also injured, including a woman who lost a thumb in the Normandy town of Rouen.

“There are thugs, often from the far-left, who want to bring down the state and kill police officers,” Reuters quoted Darmanin as saying after visiting Paris police headquarters on Thursday night.

Small groups continued to clash with police in Paris late into the night.

Police had also fired tear gas at some protesters in several other cities, including Nantes, and Lorient in the west, Lille in the north, and used water cannon against others in Rennes in the northwest.

Labour unions fear protests could turn more violent if the government does not heed mounting popular anger over pension curbs.

“This is a response to the falsehoods expressed by the president and his incomprehensible stubbornness” Marylise Leon, deputy secretary general of the CFDT union, said.

“The responsibility of this explosive situation lies not with the unions but with the government.”

Unions called for regional action over the weekend and new nationwide strikes and protests on March 28, the day Britain’s King Charles is due to travel to Bordeaux from Paris by train.

On Wednesday, Macron broke weeks of silence on the new policy, insisting the law would come into force by year end. He compared protests to the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Sports: Preview: Armenia vs. Turkey – prediction, team news, lineups

Emil Lazarian
 SportsMole 
By Andrew Delaney, Reporter | 1h

Turkey begin their quest to reach Euro 2024 with a trip to Yerevan to face Armenia on Saturday.

Turmoil between Armenia and Turkish allies Azerbaijan make this an extremely politically-charged encounter.

After a sensational start to their previous qualifying campaign, Armenia enter this section with much lower hopes after a drastic falloff in form.

A nine-game unbeaten run between 2020 and 2021 included a five-game winning streak which saw Armenia win their first three 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Georgia, Iceland and Romania were among the sides they beat and they sat top of the group involving Germany with 10 points from four games in qualification for Qatar.

All has unravelled since though, with the international retirement of Henrikh Mkhitaryan not helping matters, as Armenia took just two points from their remaining six qualifiers, finishing way off the top two.

Two wins in their last 19 fixtures also saw them relegated from League B of the UEFA Nations League last year, conceding 17 goals in their final five games.

Losing 5-0 at home to both Ukraine and North Macedonia in the last 12 months has dented confidence even further too, leaving Armenians with little hope of making progress from this group.

They have also conceded nine goals on two occasions in the past three-and-a-half years, to Italy and Norway.

This fixture will be the first played by the Turkish national side since the devastating earthquake which struck the country last month, so manager Stefan Kuntz will hope his squad can help bring the nation together at such a traumatic time.

On the pitch, it looks set to be a tricky group for Turkey to navigate, as Croatia are major competition regulars and Wales have reached three of the last four major tournaments.

With those two nations facing off in Split on the same night, Turkey must make a fast start with one or potentially both of the sides guaranteed to drop points on opening night.

Turkey cruised to promotion in the Nations League after remarkably finding themselves down in League C, but they completely took their eye off the ball, drawing at home to Luxembourg and losing in the Faroe Islands after promotion was secured.

They are the only two blips in Turkey’s last eight matches since they lost to Portugal in a World Cup playoff, winning their other six matches since.

Form was rocky after being the worst-performing side at Euro 2020, but the Crescent Stars were still unlucky not to qualify for Qatar having lost only once in their section.

In a devilishly close group, they were edged out of top spot by the Netherlands, but just about made the playoffs ahead of Norway and Montenegro.

These two nations were drawn together in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, with Turkey winning both games home and away 2-0.

Armenia form (all competitions):
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • D
  • L

Turkey form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • L
  • W
  • W


Armenia’s star quality comes in the form of two Argentine-born attacking outlets in Lucas Zelarayan and Norberto Briasco.

Briasco has only been used sparingly since his debut five years ago and will still have to battle with Sargis Adamyan for a starting spot up front.

Grant-Leon Ranos has been rewarded with a first call-up after scoring 16 goals for Bayern Munich II so far this season.

FC Astana duo Kamo Hovhannisyan and Varazdat Haroyan are their two most experienced players and should both start on the right-hand side of Armenia’s defence.

Despite never having a great record for Turkey, it will be hard for Kuntz to look past Getafe’s Enes Unal as his starting striker here.

The 25-year-old has netted six goals in his last four La Liga outings before the international break, and with there still being no call up for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Deniz Undav, who is yet to decide between representing Turkey or Germany, Unal should start.

There is plenty of class in the middle of the pitch for the visitors, with Hakan Calhanoglu, Orkun Kokcu and Kerem Akturkoglu all in excellent form across Europe.

The main worry is at centre-back, as Caglar Soyuncu and Merih Demiral have both barely featured this season, while Ozan Kabak has struggled at lowly Hoffenheim.

Armenia possible starting lineup:
Buchnev; Hovhannisyan, Haroyan, Voskanyan, Calisir; Barseghyan, Spertsyan, Bayramyan, Shaghoyan; Zelarayan, Adamyan

Turkey possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Zeki Celik, Soyuncu, Demiral, Elmali; Calhanoglu, Ozcan, Kokcu; Under, Unal, Akturktoglu

Zelarayan will almost certainly play a key role if Armenia are to do anything, and he may get some joy against a fragile Turkey rearguard.

However, the class in the ranks for the visitors is clear, and they should take three points back to Bursa, where they will face Croatia on Tuesday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.