BOSTON — Art and a painful history are intertwined in a painting that southeastern artist Myra Roberts did of Aurora Mardiganian, the noted survivor of the Armenian Genocide. The work was commissioned in 2018 by Laura and Steve Avakian, then based in Sanibel, Fla.
Now, the Avakians, back in Massachusetts, are looking for a good home for the painting, titled “Never Forget,” as they are downsizing.
In a recent interview, Laura Avakian, who had worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before retiring in 2006, said the couple realized that they would rather donate the painting to a deserving Armenian organization rather than to keep it.
As Laura Avakian recalled, she and her husband were approached in Sanibel to be sponsors for an exhibit by Roberts, titled “Spokeswomen,” highlighting her works depicting accomplished, world-famous women, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama and Greta Thunberg. The couple started talking to Roberts about the Armenian Genocide and wondered if she could do a painting on it.
“We wanted to commemorate and honor his [Steve’s] heritage,” Laura Avakian said.
Laura Avakian recalled that Roberts was intrigued and agreed to take on the commission. She delved deep into the subject and landed on Aurora Mardiganian as a subject, with the background featuring Steve Avakian grandparents marching through the desert during the Genocide.
