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AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.agbu.org
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, May 11, 2012
Hye Geen's 7th Annual Conference Uses Arts and Design to Connect
Southern California Students with Armenian Heritage
This spring, AGBU Hye Geen brought together some of the leading voices
in the arts and design industry for its 7th annual interdisciplinary
conference series, `The Status of Armenian Communities Living in the
United States.' Coordinated by Hye Geen's Young Circle, the 2012 event
was held on Saturday, March 10, at Woodbury University in Southern
California and was organized under the heading of `Symbolism in Art,
Architecture and Design.'
The conference, which was moderated by Cynthia Kossayan, a researcher
at the Los Angeles architecture firm Karten Design, explored the ways
Armenian heritage has been preserved through the decorative arts for
centuries. Subjects ranging from the designs of ancient Armenian
churches to modern art were presented by six distinguished panelists,
including Narineh Mirzaeian, lecturer and architect at Gehry Partners;
Aram Alajajian, the Yerevan-born principal of Alajajian-Marcoosi
Architects; Haig Messerlian, AGBU Western District Committee chairman;
Sona Yacoubian, Hye Geen founder and chairwoman; Hratch Kozibeyokian,
a textile specialist and owner of the carpet store Ko'Z'Craft; and
Peter Frank, art critic and associate editor of Fabrik Magazine.
The conference's opening remarks were delivered by Ani Khachoyan, a
member of Hye Geen's Young Circle, and Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,
Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church. In his welcome,
he applauded AGBU Hye Geen for creating forums to discuss the diverse
perspectives of Armenian culture, and its continuous efforts to
connect with youth. This year's event proved to be no exception, as
the various panelists engaged an audience filled with students. The
first speaker, Mirzaeian, introduced them to the role of symbolism in
design trends and everyday life in Armenia through her presentation,
`Random Acts of Design.' Both symbols and geometric shapes were
surveyed in the second lecture, `Symbolism in Armenian Architecture -
Past and Present,' by Alajajian, who examined the prototype of
Katahunj, the oldest known Armenian observatory (circa 7000 B.C.), and
the ways it inspired his award-winning design of the St. Gregory
Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale, California.
The illustrative presentations underscored the ways AGBU Hye Geen,
which was established in 1994 to advocate for Armenian women, has
broadened the scope of its work in recent years. Messerlian, the
event's third speaker, praised Hye Geen's major cultural and social
projects in Armenia and the US, and commended it for being `an
organization that not only focuses on empowering Armenian women, but
also sponsors exciting and daring conferences, always speaks with an
original voice, and encourages our audiences not only to just look and
hear, but also to see and listen, to make a connection, and a
difference.' Yacoubian, who has led AGBU Hye Geen for almost two
decades, pointed to the ways Armenian youth can continue to make a
difference in their communities, urging them to learn more about their
cultural heritage through design.
In her remarks, she stated, `the Armenian Highlands have inspired our
architects and sculptors to design our monasteries and churches and
khatchkars. The landscape and colors of the rich flora of our homeland
have inspired our painters. And, Armenian history has influenced our
craftsmen, silversmiths, jewelers, and rug weavers to incorporate
Armenian symbols.' The use of those symbols was detailed by the fifth
speaker, Kozibeyokian, whose presentation, `Iconography in Armenian
Woven Art,' focused on shapes within textiles and their historical use
in sacred Armenian rituals, royal ceremonies, and domestic
life. Transporting the audience to a more recent period, Frank, the
conference's final panelist, gave his presentation, `Caucasian
Standard Time: Armenian-Americans and California Art in the Postwar
Era,' which built on, and brought an Armenian perspective to, the
recent Getty Center festival `Pacific-Standard Time: Art in
L.A. 1945-1980.' He invoked the work of Armenian-American artists such
as John Altoon and Paul Sarkissian, who helped usher in a cultural
revival in California in the second half of the 20th century.
To conclude the conference, Nare Gabrielian, the head of Woodbury
University's Armenian Student Association, announced the winners of
the Architecture Department's recent design competition, which drew
submissions from many of the school's Armenian students.
The conference was one of Hye Gee's numerous initiative targeting
young adults. On Saturday, May 5, it also organized the presentation,
`Youth and the Search for Fulfillment' at the AGBU Pasadena Center. It
featured Cynthia Kossayan, Yeghig L. Keshishian, Virginia Gulesserian,
and Sarmen Keshishian, all recent graduates or current students, who
were joined by Salpi A. Garavaryan and Charles Pilavian,
Ph.D. Together, they discussed some of the challenges facing youth in
the diaspora, and the importance of living as an Armenian American as
opposed to an American Armenian. Praising the prevalence of family
values, they also pointed to the key role that education plays in
producing strong leadership in the community. The event drew a crowd
of close to a hundred attendees.
Since 1994, AGBU Hye Geen in Southern California (www.hyegeen.com) has
worked to preserve and honor achievements of Armenian women, provide a
forum for them throughout the world, promote their role in family and
society through research, education, and advocacy, and provide overall
support to empower Armenian women as carriers of the Armenian cultural
heritage.
Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit www.agbu.org.
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.agbu.org
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, May 11, 2012
Hye Geen's 7th Annual Conference Uses Arts and Design to Connect
Southern California Students with Armenian Heritage
This spring, AGBU Hye Geen brought together some of the leading voices
in the arts and design industry for its 7th annual interdisciplinary
conference series, `The Status of Armenian Communities Living in the
United States.' Coordinated by Hye Geen's Young Circle, the 2012 event
was held on Saturday, March 10, at Woodbury University in Southern
California and was organized under the heading of `Symbolism in Art,
Architecture and Design.'
The conference, which was moderated by Cynthia Kossayan, a researcher
at the Los Angeles architecture firm Karten Design, explored the ways
Armenian heritage has been preserved through the decorative arts for
centuries. Subjects ranging from the designs of ancient Armenian
churches to modern art were presented by six distinguished panelists,
including Narineh Mirzaeian, lecturer and architect at Gehry Partners;
Aram Alajajian, the Yerevan-born principal of Alajajian-Marcoosi
Architects; Haig Messerlian, AGBU Western District Committee chairman;
Sona Yacoubian, Hye Geen founder and chairwoman; Hratch Kozibeyokian,
a textile specialist and owner of the carpet store Ko'Z'Craft; and
Peter Frank, art critic and associate editor of Fabrik Magazine.
The conference's opening remarks were delivered by Ani Khachoyan, a
member of Hye Geen's Young Circle, and Archbishop Hovnan Derderian,
Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church. In his welcome,
he applauded AGBU Hye Geen for creating forums to discuss the diverse
perspectives of Armenian culture, and its continuous efforts to
connect with youth. This year's event proved to be no exception, as
the various panelists engaged an audience filled with students. The
first speaker, Mirzaeian, introduced them to the role of symbolism in
design trends and everyday life in Armenia through her presentation,
`Random Acts of Design.' Both symbols and geometric shapes were
surveyed in the second lecture, `Symbolism in Armenian Architecture -
Past and Present,' by Alajajian, who examined the prototype of
Katahunj, the oldest known Armenian observatory (circa 7000 B.C.), and
the ways it inspired his award-winning design of the St. Gregory
Armenian Catholic Church in Glendale, California.
The illustrative presentations underscored the ways AGBU Hye Geen,
which was established in 1994 to advocate for Armenian women, has
broadened the scope of its work in recent years. Messerlian, the
event's third speaker, praised Hye Geen's major cultural and social
projects in Armenia and the US, and commended it for being `an
organization that not only focuses on empowering Armenian women, but
also sponsors exciting and daring conferences, always speaks with an
original voice, and encourages our audiences not only to just look and
hear, but also to see and listen, to make a connection, and a
difference.' Yacoubian, who has led AGBU Hye Geen for almost two
decades, pointed to the ways Armenian youth can continue to make a
difference in their communities, urging them to learn more about their
cultural heritage through design.
In her remarks, she stated, `the Armenian Highlands have inspired our
architects and sculptors to design our monasteries and churches and
khatchkars. The landscape and colors of the rich flora of our homeland
have inspired our painters. And, Armenian history has influenced our
craftsmen, silversmiths, jewelers, and rug weavers to incorporate
Armenian symbols.' The use of those symbols was detailed by the fifth
speaker, Kozibeyokian, whose presentation, `Iconography in Armenian
Woven Art,' focused on shapes within textiles and their historical use
in sacred Armenian rituals, royal ceremonies, and domestic
life. Transporting the audience to a more recent period, Frank, the
conference's final panelist, gave his presentation, `Caucasian
Standard Time: Armenian-Americans and California Art in the Postwar
Era,' which built on, and brought an Armenian perspective to, the
recent Getty Center festival `Pacific-Standard Time: Art in
L.A. 1945-1980.' He invoked the work of Armenian-American artists such
as John Altoon and Paul Sarkissian, who helped usher in a cultural
revival in California in the second half of the 20th century.
To conclude the conference, Nare Gabrielian, the head of Woodbury
University's Armenian Student Association, announced the winners of
the Architecture Department's recent design competition, which drew
submissions from many of the school's Armenian students.
The conference was one of Hye Gee's numerous initiative targeting
young adults. On Saturday, May 5, it also organized the presentation,
`Youth and the Search for Fulfillment' at the AGBU Pasadena Center. It
featured Cynthia Kossayan, Yeghig L. Keshishian, Virginia Gulesserian,
and Sarmen Keshishian, all recent graduates or current students, who
were joined by Salpi A. Garavaryan and Charles Pilavian,
Ph.D. Together, they discussed some of the challenges facing youth in
the diaspora, and the importance of living as an Armenian American as
opposed to an American Armenian. Praising the prevalence of family
values, they also pointed to the key role that education plays in
producing strong leadership in the community. The event drew a crowd
of close to a hundred attendees.
Since 1994, AGBU Hye Geen in Southern California (www.hyegeen.com) has
worked to preserve and honor achievements of Armenian women, provide a
forum for them throughout the world, promote their role in family and
society through research, education, and advocacy, and provide overall
support to empower Armenian women as carriers of the Armenian cultural
heritage.
Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually touching the
lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please
visit www.agbu.org.