SANTA FE, N.M. — Richard Hratch Tashjian, a well-known artist, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at the age of 99 in Santa Fe.
Born on June 27, 1926, in Dorchester, Mass., Richard lived a life rich in creativity, love of nature and devotion to the fine arts.
Richard served honorably in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II from 1944 to 1946, where he was an aerial photographer. Following his military service, Richard pursued his education with fervor, graduating from the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston in 1950 and further enhanced his skills in design under the tutelage of Professor Gyorgy Kepes at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Visual Design Architectural Center in Cambridge.
Throughout his career Richard established himself in the field of advertising art. He worked for The Boston Herald and Stone and Webster Engineering Company before opening his own art studio and gallery in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he shared his talent and passion with the community for many years.
His artistic contributions were widely recognized. In 1975, he received the A.S.A. Ara S. Boyan Award in Humanities for his role in Living Arts and in 1990 he was honored with a commemorative medal in Theodosia, Crimea, as a visiting artist celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Hovhaness Ayvazovsky.
Richard was deeply devoted to his heritage and community. He was the founder of the Armenian American Artists Association of America and travelled widely to exhibit his work across the Armenian diaspora and beyond. His paintings can be viewed in galleries in Santa Fe, NM, Los Angeles, CA, the Armenian National Gallery in Yerevan, Armenia, the Minas Avetisyan Museum in Jajur, Armenia and the Armenian Museum of America in Watertown.
