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WHITE HOUSE WON'T LEND SMITHSONIAN A 1925 RUG WOVEN BY ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ORPHANS
In the Air, Art+Auction's Gossip Column
Oct 22 2013
A special book launch event at the Smithsonian has been cancelled
due to the White House's refusal to lend out the Armenian Orphan
Rug, according to the Washington Post. The book, "President Calvin
Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug," by Dr. Hapog Martin Deranian,
looks at the history surrounding the creation of the rug and the
Near East Foundation - a U.S.-sponsored program to help orphans of
the 1915 genocide of the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire. The
efforts of the Near East Relief Organization raised over $100 million
between 1915 and 1930, and saved over one million refugees, including
100,000 orphans.
The October 20th release of the book was meant to include the
Smithsonian event and the display of the rug - woven by refugee
orphans who were aided by the United States. The rug was presented
to President Calvin Coolidge at the White House in 1925.
It remains there, in storage, though no explanation has been provided
as to why the White House curators are refusing to lend it out for the
occasion. In a statement they offered little insight into the decision:
"The Ghazir rug is a reminder of the close relationship between the
peoples of Armenia and the United States. We regret that it is not
possible to loan it out at this time."
- Meredith Caraher
(Image: Detail from the cover of "President Calvin Coolidge and the
Armenian Orphan Rug.")
http://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheair/2013/10/22/white-house-wont-lend-smithsonian-a-1925-rug-woven-by-armenian-genocide-orphans/
In the Air, Art+Auction's Gossip Column
Oct 22 2013
A special book launch event at the Smithsonian has been cancelled
due to the White House's refusal to lend out the Armenian Orphan
Rug, according to the Washington Post. The book, "President Calvin
Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug," by Dr. Hapog Martin Deranian,
looks at the history surrounding the creation of the rug and the
Near East Foundation - a U.S.-sponsored program to help orphans of
the 1915 genocide of the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire. The
efforts of the Near East Relief Organization raised over $100 million
between 1915 and 1930, and saved over one million refugees, including
100,000 orphans.
The October 20th release of the book was meant to include the
Smithsonian event and the display of the rug - woven by refugee
orphans who were aided by the United States. The rug was presented
to President Calvin Coolidge at the White House in 1925.
It remains there, in storage, though no explanation has been provided
as to why the White House curators are refusing to lend it out for the
occasion. In a statement they offered little insight into the decision:
"The Ghazir rug is a reminder of the close relationship between the
peoples of Armenia and the United States. We regret that it is not
possible to loan it out at this time."
- Meredith Caraher
(Image: Detail from the cover of "President Calvin Coolidge and the
Armenian Orphan Rug.")
http://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheair/2013/10/22/white-house-wont-lend-smithsonian-a-1925-rug-woven-by-armenian-genocide-orphans/