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ALMA CHANGES NAME TO ARMENIAN MUSEUM OF AMERICA, INC.
ALMA, ARTS, MASS. | DECEMBER 23, 2013 3:34 PM
WATERTOWN - As of December 24, the Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA) will drop a couple of words from its name and add a
few: it will now be known as the Armenian Museum of America, Inc.,
in recognition of its preeminent function as a museum.
"By this change, this institution will be known for its uniquely
distinct role as probably the largest Armenian museum outside of
Armenia. We continue to enhance the holdings of our expanding adjunct
research library named for the late Mesrop Boyajian," wrote Haig Der
Manuelian, the ALMA board chairman.
ALMA was founded in 1971, with the dream of capturing and presenting
the 3,000-year-old Armenain heritage which has survived against
serious odds to people within the community or those outside.
"Those of us then involved saw our mission to honor our ancestors and
the victims of the Armenian Genocide by creating a permanent, living
memorial library and museum. At that time, we expected significant
acquisitions mostly for our intended library while hoping against
hope possibly for a modest number of artifacts. For that reason,
when we decided upon a name for our organization, the word 'Library'
preceded the word 'Museum,'" DerManuelian added.
In 1996, Dr. James Russell, the Mashdots Professor of Armenian
Studies at Harvard University, wrote, in part, describing ALMA's
collections: "Over all, it is perhaps the most important Armenian
museum collection after the Armenian State Historical Museum in
Yerevan and the collections of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
in Israel." By then, the museum's holdings had multiplied "beyond our
wildest expectations - including eclectic major collections from the
Bedoukian Families, numerous inscribed Armenian rugs from the late
Arthur T.
Gregorian, Kutahya tiles from the Karabians, among so many other gifts
generously donated to build our collections," Der Manuelian noted.
He added that recent collections have been even more impressive.
Within the past four years, ALMA has acquired the Yousuf Karsh
collection of photographic portraiture, post-Soviet Armenian paintings
from the famed Norton Dodge Collection, the Berj Garabedian Metal
Arts Collection and the Almasian Family Map Collection, and numerous
other accessions. The museum has more than 20,000 objects and the
Mesrop Boyajian Research Library has more than 27,000 titles.
ALMA has mounted three major travel exhibits, "Who Are the Armenians,"
the "Gamavor Exhibit" and the "The Ongoing Armenian Genocide: Death,
Denial & Desecration." The Gamavor Exhibit is currently being
translated for a tour of France. The Genocide Exhibit was shown
primarily in various non-Armenian sites including an eight-month
showing at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the third largest such museum
in the United States. That Holocaust Museum was impressed sufficiently
as to seek to develop its own permanent Armenian Genocide Exhibit.
- See more at:
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/12/23/alma-changes-name-to-armenian-museum-of-america-inc/#sthash.lpzgTfse.dpuf
From: Baghdasarian
ALMA, ARTS, MASS. | DECEMBER 23, 2013 3:34 PM
WATERTOWN - As of December 24, the Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA) will drop a couple of words from its name and add a
few: it will now be known as the Armenian Museum of America, Inc.,
in recognition of its preeminent function as a museum.
"By this change, this institution will be known for its uniquely
distinct role as probably the largest Armenian museum outside of
Armenia. We continue to enhance the holdings of our expanding adjunct
research library named for the late Mesrop Boyajian," wrote Haig Der
Manuelian, the ALMA board chairman.
ALMA was founded in 1971, with the dream of capturing and presenting
the 3,000-year-old Armenain heritage which has survived against
serious odds to people within the community or those outside.
"Those of us then involved saw our mission to honor our ancestors and
the victims of the Armenian Genocide by creating a permanent, living
memorial library and museum. At that time, we expected significant
acquisitions mostly for our intended library while hoping against
hope possibly for a modest number of artifacts. For that reason,
when we decided upon a name for our organization, the word 'Library'
preceded the word 'Museum,'" DerManuelian added.
In 1996, Dr. James Russell, the Mashdots Professor of Armenian
Studies at Harvard University, wrote, in part, describing ALMA's
collections: "Over all, it is perhaps the most important Armenian
museum collection after the Armenian State Historical Museum in
Yerevan and the collections of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
in Israel." By then, the museum's holdings had multiplied "beyond our
wildest expectations - including eclectic major collections from the
Bedoukian Families, numerous inscribed Armenian rugs from the late
Arthur T.
Gregorian, Kutahya tiles from the Karabians, among so many other gifts
generously donated to build our collections," Der Manuelian noted.
He added that recent collections have been even more impressive.
Within the past four years, ALMA has acquired the Yousuf Karsh
collection of photographic portraiture, post-Soviet Armenian paintings
from the famed Norton Dodge Collection, the Berj Garabedian Metal
Arts Collection and the Almasian Family Map Collection, and numerous
other accessions. The museum has more than 20,000 objects and the
Mesrop Boyajian Research Library has more than 27,000 titles.
ALMA has mounted three major travel exhibits, "Who Are the Armenians,"
the "Gamavor Exhibit" and the "The Ongoing Armenian Genocide: Death,
Denial & Desecration." The Gamavor Exhibit is currently being
translated for a tour of France. The Genocide Exhibit was shown
primarily in various non-Armenian sites including an eight-month
showing at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the third largest such museum
in the United States. That Holocaust Museum was impressed sufficiently
as to seek to develop its own permanent Armenian Genocide Exhibit.
- See more at:
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/12/23/alma-changes-name-to-armenian-museum-of-america-inc/#sthash.lpzgTfse.dpuf
From: Baghdasarian