WATERTOWN (Watertown News) — An intersection in East Watertown will be named in honor of an Armenian artist who made his home in Watertown for several years.
On Tuesday, February 11, the City Council voted to name the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Hazel Street for Arshile Gorky.
The City of Watertown’s website includes the following details of his life: “After surviving the 1915 Armenian genocide and its aftermath, Gorky arrived in Watertown in February 1920 as part of a third wave of Armenians immigrants arriving in the United States to escape persecution. He lived in Watertown with his sisters until late 1924 to early 1925, when he moved to New York City. Gorky’s impact on art history and his continued influence on contemporary art cannot be overstated. Watertown has long been a haven for Armenian immigrants and the East End of Watertown, where Gorky lived, is proud to be the home of several Armenian art and cultural organizations. ”
The request to name the intersection for Gorky came from members of a working group for the “100 Years of Arshile Gorky” celebration. The Working Group includes Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner Liz Helfer, resident Jack Dargon, and representatives of the Armenian Museum of America, the Mosesian Center for the Arts and the Historical Society of Watertown.
The proposal first went to the Council’s Committee on Public Works on February 3, which voted 3-0 in support of naming the intersection for Gorky.
