By Marylynda Bozian-Cruickshank
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
NEW YORK — On Wednesday, September 21, a celebratory event for all Armenians in the Tri-State area took place at St. Vartan Cathedral in honor of the 25th anniversary of the independence of Armenia.
Under the auspices of Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Armenian Church of America, the event culminated with an art exhibit, prayer and concert. Attending the celebrations was the evening’s guest of honor, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. Also present were dignitaries, Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan and Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Zohrab Mnatsakanian, as well as members and representatives from more than 15 Armenian organizations.
The evening commenced with the art exhibit titled “25 years, 25 Artists,” which was curated by art collector and philanthropist Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian. The pieces she had chosen showcased some of the most noted contemporary Armenian artists from around the world, from private collections. Aside from her and her husband, Dr. Raffy Hovanessian, other collectors who shared their paintings with viewers were Andreas Roubian, Nazar and Artemis Nazarian, Hagop Vartivarian, the Tekian family and Paul Nakian.
“The artist is the speaker and the collector is the listener. The artist is the sender of the cultural message and the collector is the receiver of that cultural message, their commitment to the power of art goes hand in hand,” Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian said.
