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GENDRON DONATES TO ARMENIAN LIBRARY
Cabinet.com, MA
Oct 17 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
By NANCY HERPER
In June, Carla E. Gendron, a member of the Bedford Women's Club with
an international perspective, donated several works of art to the
Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massa.
Carla created these rubbings from Armenian memorial markers during
the years she lived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the late '60s. The
rubbings depict a pictorial and narrative history of inhabitants of
the once-vibrant Christian Armenian community in what has become a
mostly Moslem Dhaka.
Armenian Christianity began in 301 when King Tiridates III converted
to Christianity and declared Armenia, northeast of what is now Turkey,
to be the world's first Christian state. Today, more than half of the
world's Armenian population lives outside of the Republic of Armenia,
and one of the largest groups is in the United States. Immigrants
have brought books and artifacts to the U.S. Founded in 1971, the
Armenian Library and Museum of America (www.almainc.org)has become
a major repository for Armenian books and artifacts.
In 1968, Carla learned to speak functional Bengali and mastered
the technique of rubbing grave markers. With permission from the
curator of the cemetery, Carla set to work. The rubbings were done
with oil paint on either silk or cotton. The result is a collection
of beautifully produced images.
In 1974, Carla and Don Gendron moved to Cairo, Egypt, so Don could
accept a post as business manager at American University. Here, Carla
purchased numerous plaster-of-paris plaques representing scenes from
Egyptian tombs. She created rubbings from these replicas.
Having captured ancient people as they wanted to be represented,
Carla has lectured on her artistic technique in Maryland, Virginia,
New Hampshire and Cairo. Her work was exhibited in Tokyo. Locally,
her work will be on exhibition and for sale at the Acopio, opening
soon in Goffstown, along with notecards depicting her work.
As a member of the Bedford Women's Club since 1995, Carla has shared
her international experience with wit, prompting curiosity in the
members who hear her remarks and stories. In 2005, Carla brought
her friend Dr. Glen W. Swanson, an expert on the Middle East, to the
Women's Club.
After Carla's gracious introduction, Dr. Swanson invited the women
to reflect on Islam, its formative period and its development over
the centuries. He led us to consider such themes as Mohammad's
international exposure, the perfect Arabic of the Quran, the
injunctions in the Quran to protect minority groups, and examples of
Muslim tolerance over the centuries. Carla wanted us to reflect on
issues we had been confronting since 2001.
This year, Carla brought another friend who was a world traveler, Tara
Stuart, professor of Communication Emeritus at Keene State College.
This international educator spoke on her experiences traveling the
Silk Road by jeep. The audience learned much about the trade routes
across the Afro-Eurasian landmass and how the Silk Road influenced
the exchange of cultures between the Middle East and the Far East.
Born into a culturally and artistically curious family in Hamburg,
Germany, Carla Gendron has exposed the members of the Bedford Women's
Club to an international and historic perspective.
Nancy Herper is an active member of the Bedford Women's Club.
http://www.cabinet.com/bedfordjournal/bedfordreadersubmitted/1018923-308/gendron-donates-to-armenian-library.html
Cabinet.com, MA
Oct 17 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
By NANCY HERPER
In June, Carla E. Gendron, a member of the Bedford Women's Club with
an international perspective, donated several works of art to the
Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown, Massa.
Carla created these rubbings from Armenian memorial markers during
the years she lived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the late '60s. The
rubbings depict a pictorial and narrative history of inhabitants of
the once-vibrant Christian Armenian community in what has become a
mostly Moslem Dhaka.
Armenian Christianity began in 301 when King Tiridates III converted
to Christianity and declared Armenia, northeast of what is now Turkey,
to be the world's first Christian state. Today, more than half of the
world's Armenian population lives outside of the Republic of Armenia,
and one of the largest groups is in the United States. Immigrants
have brought books and artifacts to the U.S. Founded in 1971, the
Armenian Library and Museum of America (www.almainc.org)has become
a major repository for Armenian books and artifacts.
In 1968, Carla learned to speak functional Bengali and mastered
the technique of rubbing grave markers. With permission from the
curator of the cemetery, Carla set to work. The rubbings were done
with oil paint on either silk or cotton. The result is a collection
of beautifully produced images.
In 1974, Carla and Don Gendron moved to Cairo, Egypt, so Don could
accept a post as business manager at American University. Here, Carla
purchased numerous plaster-of-paris plaques representing scenes from
Egyptian tombs. She created rubbings from these replicas.
Having captured ancient people as they wanted to be represented,
Carla has lectured on her artistic technique in Maryland, Virginia,
New Hampshire and Cairo. Her work was exhibited in Tokyo. Locally,
her work will be on exhibition and for sale at the Acopio, opening
soon in Goffstown, along with notecards depicting her work.
As a member of the Bedford Women's Club since 1995, Carla has shared
her international experience with wit, prompting curiosity in the
members who hear her remarks and stories. In 2005, Carla brought
her friend Dr. Glen W. Swanson, an expert on the Middle East, to the
Women's Club.
After Carla's gracious introduction, Dr. Swanson invited the women
to reflect on Islam, its formative period and its development over
the centuries. He led us to consider such themes as Mohammad's
international exposure, the perfect Arabic of the Quran, the
injunctions in the Quran to protect minority groups, and examples of
Muslim tolerance over the centuries. Carla wanted us to reflect on
issues we had been confronting since 2001.
This year, Carla brought another friend who was a world traveler, Tara
Stuart, professor of Communication Emeritus at Keene State College.
This international educator spoke on her experiences traveling the
Silk Road by jeep. The audience learned much about the trade routes
across the Afro-Eurasian landmass and how the Silk Road influenced
the exchange of cultures between the Middle East and the Far East.
Born into a culturally and artistically curious family in Hamburg,
Germany, Carla Gendron has exposed the members of the Bedford Women's
Club to an international and historic perspective.
Nancy Herper is an active member of the Bedford Women's Club.
http://www.cabinet.com/bedfordjournal/bedfordreadersubmitted/1018923-308/gendron-donates-to-armenian-library.html