News

Have you wondered about the meaning of the exquisite Eternity sculpture created by acclaimed artist Michael Aram and featured in the Eternity Garden in front of NAASR's new building? Cast and fabricated in bronze, this site specific 7 foot by 7 foot sculpture was a gift of the artist on the occasion of the opening of the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building in November 2019. The Eternity sculpture is Michael Aram's interpretation of a traditional Armenian symbol of eternity as manifested in ancient Armenian architecture, sculpture, and manuscripts. The "Arevakhatch," or "solar cross" has been prevalent in Armenian culture since medieval times, and...

What a spectacular year NAASR has had — opening our magnificent new Vartan Gregorian Building with elements of Armenian culture and history incorporated into every aspect, and hosting a sold-out crowd of nearly 500 at our inspiring 65th Anniversary Gala! We thank the entire worldwide community for making this dream a reality in 2019 and look forward to an even more active 2020!  We count on you to keep the momentum going in NAASR’s exciting new era. Please donate today to advance Armenian Studies and build a global community for the next generation.

World-renowned opera singer Isabel Bayrakdarian will perform songs of Gomidas and Sayat Nova at the sold-out Gala of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA, on Saturday, November 2, 2019. A versatile opera singer, and concert and recording artist, Ms. Bayrakdarian has performed to great acclaim with the premier orchestras of the world and will be celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Gomidas (1869–1935), the priest, musicologist, and choirmaster, with her performance at the NAASR Gala. Accompanying her will be the Borromeo String Quartet, one of the most important string quartets of our...

NAASR/Knights of Vartan Grant recipient Dr. Ani Shahnazaryan recently presented a paper on the project “A Digital Critical Edition of Aghvesagirk” at the Digital Armenian Conference organized by the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, the Association pour le Traitement Automatique des Langues (ATALA, Paris), the Calfa Association (Paris), and the French Society for Armenian Studies, with the support of the Laboratory of Excellence EFL (Paris), on October 3-5, 2019. Dr. Shahnazaryan is a Senior Researcher at the Matenadaran in Yerevan Ani writes that “I presented the digital innovation tools I used to create an online critical edition. Digital...

BELMONT, MA -- On Friday, November 1, 2019, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) will host the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of its spectacular, new, state-of-the-art global headquarters, named after Vartan Gregorian, President of the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York. The new building’s official name will be the NAASR Vartan Gregorian Building, fulfilling the request of the building’s principal benefactors, Edward and Pamela Avedisian of Lexington, MA. The public is invited to attend the ceremony from 4 to 7 pm, at 395 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA. This historic event is the result of a...