Central Eurasian Studies at Harvard University
LECTURE- Armenia: Mountains, Monuments, Manuscripts and Miracles, Feb. 22
Posted by: Christie Hardiman <christie@almainc.org>
LECTURE: "Armenia: Mountains, Monuments, Manuscripts and Miracles"
by Professor Lucy Der Manuelian on Sunday, February 22, 2009
WHO: Professor Lucy Der Manuelian
WHAT: "Armenia: Mountains, Monuments, Manuscripts and Miracles"
WHEN: Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA), 65 Main Street,
Watertown, Mass. 02472
Posted By:
Christie Hardiman
PR and Membership Outreach Coordinator
Armenian Library and Museum of America, Inc.
Phone: 617.926.2562 x 4
Fax: 617.926.0175
Website: www.almainc.org
"Armenia: Mountains, Monuments, Manuscripts and Miracles"
Watertown, MA-- On Sunday, February 22, 2009, Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian,
Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Professor Emerita of Armenian Art and
Architectural History in the Department of Art and Art History at
Tufts University, will present a slide lecture at the Armenian Library
and Museum of America (ALMA) in connection with the Museum's current
exhibit "Who Are the Armenians?" The slide lecture, titled "Armenia:
Mountains, Monuments, Manuscripts and Miracles," will take place from
2 to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Der Manuelian will show slides that she shot during her many
expeditions to Armenia doing fieldwork and research for months at a
time during the Cold War and afterwards. Some were shot from the
helicopter she managed to obtain from the Soviets for filming her
television documentary on Armenian history and art, which has
broadcast on 58 PBS television stations in major cities throughout the
United States.
Der Manuelian will discuss Armenian fortresses and churches perched at
the tops of mountains, carved images of kings, princes and saints, and
brilliantly colored illuminated manuscripts created in Armenia during
the Middle Ages. Some are among the most impressive monuments in the
history of art, and an important source of information for Early
Christian, Romanesque and Gothic Art in the West.
Armenia's history is an international tale and Der Manuelian played a
significant role in the power politics of the Middle Ages, including
the Holy Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire (of which 30 emperors were
of Armenian descent), Western Europe, the Silk Road and especially the
Crusades. As the first country in the world to declare Christianity
its official religion, Armenia battled to survive and to maintain its
own identity, faith and culture. These are expressed through the
unique church architecture in Armenia, the kinds of sculptural
compositions carved on its walls, and the unusual details added to
traditional religious manuscript paintings.
The Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Professorship of Armenian Art and
Architectural History is the first endowed professorship in the field
ever established at any university worldwide, and Der Manuelian is the
first appointee. This professorship was preceeded by the pioneering
Lectureship in Armenian Art and Architecture established by Tufts
University in conjunction with Harvard University, Boston University,
McGill University, Boston College, Northeastern University and the
University of Massachusetts-Boston so that Armenian art would be
taught at each of these universities in succession and Der Manuelian
was the appointee. She received her B.A. degree from Radcliffe
College and Harvard, was awarded a Bunting Institute Fellowship at
Radcliffe, and received the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in art history from
Boston University. Hers was the first doctoral dissertation on
Armenian art written in the United States.
About "Who Are the Armenians?"
All nations have a story to tell. The epic story of the Armenian
people is a saga of perseverance, cultural triumphs and survival as a
people throughout long periods of oppression, destruction and
genocide. Armenians have always had a tenacious 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 in AD 301, the creation of the Armenian alphabet,
the dawn of the glorious Golden Age of literature in the 5th century,
the important role of the Armenians 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 question: Who are the Armenians?
About ALMA
Founded in 1971, ALMA's mission is to present and preserve the
culture, history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to
Americans and Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA's collection
has grown to over 27,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps
the largest and most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts
outside of Armenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now
represents a major resource not only for Armenian studies research,
but as well as for preservation and illustration of the Armenian
heritage. In 1988, ALMA acquired a 30,000 square foot facility in
Watertown, MA - one of North America's oldest and most active Armenian
communities. The facility includes exhibition galleries, Library,
administrative offices, function hall, climate-controlled vaults and
conservation lab.
Armenian Museum of America (subdivision of ALMA) is the only
independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora funded solely through
contributions of individual supporters. An active Board of Trustees
and volunteer base augments the museum's staff. The Museum and
Gallery maintains an active schedule of changing exhibits. In
addition, the Museum sponsors lecture and presentation program on
Armenian-related topics. The Mesrop Boyajian Library (subdivision of
ALMA) is used primarily by researchers and interested general public
seeking research materials on Armenians.
Museum & Gallery Hours: Friday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Library Hours: Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Free admission for ALMA members; $5 for non-members; $2 for
students; children 12 and under are free.
Driving Directions: Take route 95 to 128 to 90 (Mass Pike East)
towards Watertown. Take exit 17-Watertown/Newton. Go North 1 mile
towards Watertown Square. As you cross the small bridge, get into the
2 left lanes. Turn left onto Main Street. Turn right onto Church
Street, and then turn right into the municipal parking lot.
MBTA Buses: 71, 70/70A, 57, 52, 59, 502, 504. Please visit
www.mbta.com for schedules and maps.
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