Hamazkayin ArtLinks 2015 Brings Together Artists and Youth at Catskills Weekend

HUNTER, N.Y.””Scholar Talar Chahinian, photojournalist Scout Tufankjian, filmmaker Eric Nazarian, novelist Aline Ohanesian, and actor and playwright Eric Bogosian offered workshops for Armenian youth at the inaugural Hamazkayin Artlinks program, held at a villa in the Catskill mountains from Aug. 27-30. The program also featured a performance and talk by violinist Nune Melikian.

Sponsored by the Regional Executives of the Eastern USA, Western USA, and Canada, the program was directed by scholar Khatchig Mouradian.

Chahinian discussed modern Armenian cultural history. After a brief overview of the modernization of the Armenian language and the development of modern Armenian literature in pre-genocide Constantinople, post-World War I Paris, and post-World War II Lebanon, the participants engaged in a lively discussion about the challenges facing the Armenian language and culture today.

Tufankjian guided the participants on a journey into the world of photography and photojournalism through her books Yes We Can and There is Only the Earth. The discussion that ensued focused on photojournalism in areas of conflict and war, Armenian communities around the world, and identity.

Ohanesian offered a workshop on long-form writing, and discussed structure and “magic”