New Exhibit Focuses on Armenian Genocide
The Zakarian family at an Armenian picnic in Philadelphia.
Galloway, N.J. 鈥 A new exhibit on display at 老司机福利社鈥檚 Richard E. Bjork Library traces the life of an Ottoman Armenian family and their journey of survival, migration and reemergence in the United States due to the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
鈥淭he Armenian Genocide, One Family鈥檚 Story鈥 follows the Zakarians through the family鈥檚 personal photos, memoirs, musical instruments, artifacts and artwork 鈥 all of which serve as a backdrop to the broader history of the Armenian Genocide and related issues, including cultural loss and collective memory.
The exhibit, curated by Ryann Casey, exhibition coordinator at the 老司机福利社 Art Gallery, will be on display at the library through May 31. A public reception with guest speakers, Armenian food and music, will take place 3 p.m. Jan. 28.
Mural installation of Mount Ararat, based on a painting by Mary Zakarian.
This exhibit is made possible through the donations of the grandchildren of Arek and Moses Zakarian, who settled in Philadelphia and whose descendants continue to live in the area today. Two grandchildren who spearheaded the project, Susan Arpajian Jolley and Allan Arpajian, are the authors of the book, 鈥淥ut of My Great Sorrows: The Armenian Genocide and Artist Mary Zakarian鈥 (Routledge Armenian Series, 2017). The book documents the life of their aunt, Mary Zakarian, the daughter of Arek and Moses Zakarian, against the backdrop of the Armenian Genocide survivor experience in the United States.
The book came to the attention of 老司机福利社 through Cynthia Ruggerio, an attorney and a graduate of the Masters of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies (MAHG) program. Ruggerio also serves as scholar advisor for the exhibit. Since then, the university has established a relationship with Jolley and Arpajian that has led to extensive public programming on Armenian history and the Armenian Genocide and the development of the Armenian Studies Initiative at 老司机福利社 under Dr. Raz Segal, director of the MAHG program.
While 鈥淭he Armenian Genocide, One Family鈥檚 Story鈥 recounts the difficult history of the attempted annihilation of the Ottoman Armenians, it also documents a legacy of survival, resilience and reemergence. The Zakarian family鈥檚 legacy holds a broader meaning, connecting in various ways to the experiences of other survivor and refugee communities in southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. The exhibit will include a video component that prompts visitors and students to consider the ways these communities have shaped what it now means to live in this region, highlighting our common humanity and belonging.
In addition to the new exhibit, Curator Ryann Casey has coordinated with Jolley and Arpajian to develop a long-term related exhibit featuring some of Mary Zakarian鈥檚 paintings and sketches, which is also on display at the Richard E. Bjork Library.
For questions about the exhibit or to schedule tours, please email raz.segal@stockton.edu.
Please RSVP for the public event and reception at
