Category: 2023

Project SAVE is the oldest and largest archive in the world solely dedicated to preserving and sharing photographs of the Armenian global experience

BOSTON— Project Save Photograph Archives announced a major move to a new space this summer. The new location–600 Pleasant Street in Watertown, MA–will feature an exhibition gallery and larger office space.

When its doors open this fall, Project Save will be one of the few hubs for photography not just in the Boston area but in the entire region, featuring exhibitions from the archives, various workshops and lectures, as well as exhibits of contemporary photographers.

The move represents a significant milestone and comes less than two years under the leadership of the new executive director, Dr. Arto Vaun, who has brought a fresh perspective and transformative vision to Project Save. Vaun’s commitment to elevating Project Save’s profile and highlighting its true value has already produced a wider impact and attracted a larger audience.

Through initiatives such as the annual Artist and Research Residency, the “Conversations on Photography” series, and interactive new website, Project Save has launched a bold new vision to claim its rightful place in the national and international field of photographic cultural work.

A photograph from Project SAVE’s archives

Founded in 1975 by Ruth Thomasian, Project Save Photograph Archives is a groundbreaking nonprofit that champions photography as a means of preserving and sharing the global Armenian experience and social history in general. Its collection spans over 80,000 hardcopy original photographs from around the globe, making Project Save the oldest and largest such archive in the world.

According to Vaun, “We’re living in a time when once again there are forces actively trying to rewrite history and erase any traces of Armenian culture. There’s no clearer, more powerful and direct evidence to counter such attempts than photographs.” 

In the past year, Vaun has also built a new Advisory Board with experts from premiere institutions such as the Getty Museum, the Smithsonian, Harvard, the Library of Congress, Boston Public Library, and Oxford. The members range from curators and archivists to scholars and acclaimed photographers and artists.

“The fact that such successful professionals who are non-Armenian have enthusiastically joined our board tells me that Project Save has great potential that’s beyond just the Armenian world,” Vaun said. “It also reaffirms the fact that Project Save’s legacy is extremely unique, important, and must be secured for future generations.”

According to Vaun, the upcoming move is part of a larger plan for growth. “Our 50th anniversary in 2025 will be a major milestone. The goal is for Project Save to secure its own permanent building in the next five years. It would further solidify Project Save’s identity as one of the few important photographic archives and museums in North America, and one of the most vital organizations dedicated to social history and the global Armenian experience.”

Project Save has launched the JumpStart campaign to rally investors around its new vision and plan. “Amazingly, we’re like a 48-year-old startup,” said Vaun. “The product is already built, unique, and strong. It has incredible potential and wide appeal. But there’s never been the proper kind of investment to realize that potential. So this is a very exciting and rare opportunity not only for our organization but for all those who care about introducing a wider demographic to Armenian culture and history.”

For more information visit the Project Save website.

An ambulance at the entrance of the Stepanakert Medical Center

Transport of patients in need of critical care from Artsakh to Armenia resumed, after Azerbaijan had halted all movement on the Lachin Corridor earlier this month, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday.

The ICRC, which has been facilitating such medical transfers since the Artsakh blockade started on December 12, said that 17 patients from the Artsakh Hospital were transported to various medical centers in Armenia. The group also added that 11 others, presumably relatives, accompanied the patients.

The ICRC added that 17 patients who were transported to Armenia for treatment will return to Artsakh through the organization’s mediation.

According to the latest health data, 31 children are currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Arevik Medical Center in Artsakh, five of whom are in the neonatal and intensive care units.

Another 83 patients are currently hospitalized at the Stepanakert Medical Center, six of whom are in the intensive care union with three of them in critical condition.

After an attempt by Azerbaijani forces to plant a flag on Armenia’s sovereign territory was rebuffed on June 15, Azerbaijan completely such down traffic along the Lachin Corridor to humanitarian transports by the ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping units. Last week a concrete barricade was placed at an illegally opened checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor.

On Saturday, Russian peacekeepers were able to bring in urgently-needed medical supplies from Armenia to Artsakh by helicopter, the Artsakh Information Service said.

“A one-year-old child who has been diagnosed with hemorrhaging encephalitis and was in critical condition for two days in the neonatal and intensive care unit of the Arevik medical center of Artsakh, was airlifted to a specialized medical center in the Republic of Armenia on June 24 by a helicopter of Russian peacekeepers to receive appropriate medical care,” the Artsakh information center reported.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (center) hosts talks with foreign ministers Ararat Mirzoyan (right) and Jeyhun Bayramov on May 4 in Washington

Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to be at odds on key issues related to a proposed peace agreement, Parliament Vice-Speaker Ruben Rubinyan told reporters on Monday, ahead of scheduled talks in Washington this week.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov will hold talks in Washington beginning Tuesday. The new round of meetings is expected to last until Thursday, Miller said.

“Very sensitive diplomatic discussions are going to take place here. We expect the talks to commence tomorrow, on Tuesday and continue through Thursday. Secretary Blinken will meet with the Foreign Ministers of both Azerbaijan and Armenia,” Millers said.

“We continue to believe that peace is within reach, and direct dialogue is key to resolving the remaining issues and reaching a durable and dignified peace,” the spokesperson added.

“We expect progress,” Rubinyan, who serves as Armenia’s special envoy on Turkey-Armenia normalization efforts said on Monday about the Washington talks.

“Armenia’s position is that we want to have the kind of text for a peace treaty that would be in our interests and would be possible to sign. Naturally, this is a difficult process, there are issues around which we disagree. But there are also issues that we already agree upon. But there are disagreements on main issues,” Rubinyan explained, adding that Yerevan expects that position of the sides may be brought closer

Rubinyan added that Yerevan is hoping that an agreement on sovereignty and jurisdiction of parties within context of unblocking transport links will be stipulated on paper.

He said Armenia wants to have a peace treaty in line with its interests as soon as possible and pointed out three most important issues.

“First, to place a specific map on the basis of mutual recognition of territorial integrity. Second, address the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, which we believe must take place through a direct dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert through an international mechanism. Third, the institution of guarantors,” Rubinyan said, highlighting the need for such guarantors because Azerbaijan has violated every clause of the November 9, 2020 agreement.