Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Cambridge: Murals Unveiled At Armenian Church

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Cambridge: Murals Unveiled At Armenian Church

    MURALS UNVEILED AT ARMENIAN CHURCH

    Cambridge Chronicle, MA
    June 15 2006

    The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, located at 200 Lexington St.,
    Belmont, unveiled two historical murals and an art exhibit by artist
    Daniel Varoujan Hejinian on May 28. The murals are 48 inches by 79
    inches each, and are located on the side walls of the church.

    They depict the baptism of King Drtad and the creation of the Armenian
    alphabet.

    To the left of the center altar, one mural celebrates the 1,700th
    anniversary of Armenia Christianity. This panel depicts the Baptism of
    King Drtad as the first Christian King in 301 A.D. Saint Gregory the
    Illuminator stands on the bank of the Euphrates River and baptizes
    the King, who is bowed in humility. Queen Ashkhen and the king's
    sister Princess Khosrovitookht stand behind him, wile two soldiers
    witness the event. Also depicted in the mural are Mount Ararat in
    the distance, and in its shadow, the Holy Echmiyadzin Church, which
    was built 305 A.D. by Saint Gregory and King Drtad.

    Located on the wall to the right of the center altar, the second
    mural celebrates the 1,600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet
    and Armenian culture. It depicts Saint Mesrob Mashdotz who created
    the Armenian alphabet in 405 A.D. for the purpose of translating the
    Bible into the Armenian language. In this panel, Saint Mesrob holds
    a pen while through a stream of light the alphabet floats to him
    through divine inspiration. Behind him, there is the symbolic image
    of Ft. Mekhitar, who in the 1700's founded the Mekhitarist Order in
    the island of San Lazarus. Also depicted in the background is the
    bell tower of the San Lazarus Monastery, because its congregation was
    devoted to the advancement of learning and the publication of works
    in the Armenian language, in addition they established schools in
    populated Armenian communities throughout the world.

    The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont, is the seventh
    church to display religious murals painted by Varoujan.

    Saints Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Chelmsford,
    Massachusetts, was the first church to commission Varoujan's religious
    murals. Twenty years ago, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian completed 46 murals
    covering the northern and southern walls of Saint Vartanantz Armenian
    Apostolic Church. Since then, he has painted many religious murals
    and paintings in Armenian Churches throughout the United States.

    Varoujan has painted several corporate murals in the Renaissance style
    such as the Causeway Street Mural, a five-story high mural, which is
    the gateway to the North End; the murals at Fillippo's Restaurant in
    the North End; and Luccia's Restaurant in Winchester.

    For more information, visit armenianchurch-art.com.- Rosario Teixeira
Working...
X