CURRENT EXHIBITS

Who Are the Armenians
Opening October 1, 2007

All nations have a story to tell. The epic story of the Armenian people is a saga of cultural triumphs and survival as a people throughout long periods of oppression, destruction and genocide. Armenians have always had an effusive spirit that carried them through disasters while reaching cultural heights as exemplified by: Armenia's pre-Christian period, the nation being the first to adopt Christianity, the creation of the Armenian alphabet, the dawn of the glorious Golden Age of literature in the 5th century, the important role the Armenians had in the Byzantine empire and during the Crusades, and the literary reawakening in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Discover this amazing story here at the Armenian Library and Museum of America. Learn about this wonderful cultural heritage. Find your own answer to the uestion: Who are the Armenians?

UPCOMING EXHIBITS

PAST EXHIBITS

In celebration of the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet, the Armenian Library & Museum of America (ALMA) will be exhibiting a unique collection of 30 artworks of ornamental letters inspired by medieval illuminations. The plates, originally drawn by master-restorer Herra Karagozyan, represent samples of ornamentations drawn from the thousands of manuscripts housed in the Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran, the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan, Armenia. The collection on exhibit enables the visitors to view the evolution of the art of ornamentation from 9th to late 15th centuries in Armenia.



"Undercover: Armenian Textiles of Bed and Bath"

--Extended through December 31, 2006--

The exhibit highlights domestic textiles and accessories from the Museum's collections including clothing, lace and embroideries for the boudoir and bath. Experience a visit to a bath house during the late Ottoman Empire. See the museum's collection of textiles and bath accessories, including bath wraps, embroidered bundle cloths, wooden bath shoes with in-laid mother-of pearl, costumes, and grooming supplies used in Armenian homes and at the bathhouse.



ARMENIAN RUGS & WEAVINGS: Textiles of Hearth and Heart

April 19-August 31, 2006

This exceptional exhibit featured a wide range of the weavings from the mountains of Armenia and the Transcaucasus. The museum is the largest Armenian museum in the world, outside of the Republic of Armenia, and is the largest ethnic museum in Massachusetts.

The exhibit included a dozen rugs carefully selected from the over 200 Armenian Inscribed Rugs in the collection, plus a wide range of smaller woven textiles (bread covers, kilims, bedding boxes, saddlebags, oven covers, salt bags and other domestic examples) that are not usually seen by the public. When one hears the term 'Armenian weavings', most people think of the striking oriental rugs, particularly the Kazaks and Karabaghs, which often overshadow the simpler household pieces.

Many of the textiles to be exhibited are from the museum's new Offen-Alimian Collection, and were publicly exhibited for the first time. The exhibit also included a dozen exceptional works on loan from the Armenian Rug Society (ARS). The ARS is a national association of collectors and connoisseurs of Armenian rugs, an ancient tradition that is too often overshadowed by the extensive weavings of neighboring Turkey and Iran. The ARS participation allowed the museum to highlight several genres of Armenian rugs outside of the museum's own holdings, and enabled visitors to familiarize themselves with the wide range of Armenian weavings. The ARS rugs were all from private collections, and rarely seen by the public.

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Putting Armenia on the Map: Armenia in Cartography

February 20-August 31, 2006

The exhibit showcased the rich map collection at ALMA and the shifting location of "Armenia" as expressed through maps, from the factual to the fanciful.

"Traditional Water Rituals"

--February 20-August 31, 2006--

The exhibit examined the symbolism of purifying water in Armenian culture, both Christian and pre-Christian. This belief system is expressed through the vishaps (ancient dragons who hoard water rather than gold), the fortune telling rituals of Hampartzoum, fertility rituals of Vartivar, salvation through Baptism.

June 4-August 31, 2006

The exhibit features a wide range of memorabilia, art and artifacts pertaining to the legacy of William Saroyan. Items showcased at the exhibit have been carefully selected from ALMA's collection. William Saroyan is regarded as the greatest playwright of Armenian heritage in the 20th century. Born in 1908 in Fresno, California, Saroyan was remarkably prolific, writing over 1500 stories, novels, and plays. "The Time of Your Life" play won Saroyan the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. Less known is his short wistful play "Hello Out There" written in 1941. As part of the programs dedicated to William Saroyan, on June 11 ALMA & Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance presented a reading of the play "Hello Out There" at ALMA. The play was directed by Zoya Khachadurian, followed by a talk about Saroyan's work by the playwright's niece.

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