Reframing A Founder: A Long-Overdue Look At Gorky Through The Lens Of Community And Armenian Identity

Created for inclusion in the citywide “100 Years of Arshile Gorky” centennial celebration in Watertown, Massachusetts, “Redrawing Community & Connections” at the Armenian Museum of America is an exhibit highlighting the work of Armenian-American artist Arshile Gorky.

Gorky, born Vostanik Manoug Adoian, is known for the birth of Abstract Expressionism in the United States. But not everyone knows that he was an Armenian artist. Immigrants who fled the genocide in Armenia settled in Watertown in the early 1900s and many worked at Hood Rubber Company, including Gorky.

And what makes this exhibition even more notable? “This exhibit was a lot of firsts for our community and the Armenian Museum of America (AMA), including this being the first exhibit of Gorky’s work in an Armenian museum anywhere in the world,” said Jason Sohigian, AMA Executive Director.

Sohigian explained that the show is curated by Kim Theriault, author of “Rethinking Arshile Gorky.” She brings a unique approach to Gorky by highlighting him as an Armenian artist, something that often is missed.