The participants at ArtLinks
BY LILLY TOROSYAN
The annual Hamazkayin ArtLinks retreat program has quickly become one of the most beloved and anticipated Armenian events of the year. For one weekend every summer, a couple dozen students and young professionals from all over the United States and Canada gather in a different location to participate in workshops and taboo-breaking discussions on topics ranging from Armenian music to creative writing to film to leadership and beyond. Organized by the Hamazkayin Western Region, Eastern Region, and Canada regional boards, ArtLinks aims to engage youth in enlightening conversations about Armenian art, culture, and identity.
This year, the fourth installment of the program was held from June 28-July 1 on a beautiful Catholic retreat center in Elverson, Penn. About 40 participants were gathered in all, with ages ranging from 21 to 35. As everyone trickled in the first evening from all corners of the continent, the organizers provided a wine and cheese spread to kick off introductions. Though the official start of the program wasn’t until the next day, everyone took a crack at presenting themselves in their best Armenian, which received a round of applause from the organizers.
Day One: Confronting new ideas
Maral Varjabedyan kicked off the next morning, bright and early, with a relaxing yoga session. Afterwards, ArtLinks program director and founder, Dr. Khatchig Mouradian, began his workshop on public speaking. Upon concluding his animated presentation, he asked the participants to prepare a 2-5 minute presentation on a topic that they pulled out of a hat. In the following hour, students from Montreal, Detroit, Connecticut, and Los Angeles–among other places–volunteered to speak on topics as hilariously varied as fashion, human rights, and ice cream. It was the perfect ice breaker to a warm weekend.
The next presentation was given by Matthew Karanian, a lawyer and photographer, whose dozen plus journeys to Western Armenia have resulted in two groundbreaking travel books on the region. With a picture slideshow, Karanian spoke about his experiences visiting the land of his grandparents and the emotional encounters he has made with the hidden Armenians there. He then assigned everyone a task: during the course of the weekend, take one or two pictures of what you think ArtLinks represents and upload it to the Facebook page. “Be the storyteller and the publisher of your story,â€
