WATERTOWN, MA — From April 15 to April 19 the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) will host Witness, an exhibit by photographers Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian of The Genocide Project, at the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda. The exhibit portrays the harrowing story of the Armenian Genocide through the portraits and oral histories of Genocide Survivors.

The Genocide Project has taken the story of the Armenian Genocide to a new generation of audiences. The Project, which was started by long-time community activist Ara Oshagan and later joined by professional photographer Levon Parian and a team of interviewers, has brought together the written word with powerful images of survivors to present to the world those who saw the atrocities of 1915 and lived to tell about it.

The Genocide Project, which has been featured in media outlets including National Public Radio and the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, has held exhibits in the California State Capitol Building, Los Angeles City Hall, the Downey Museum of Art, as well as countless galleries, libraries, and public exhibit halls.

The exhibit is being held in conjunction with the 8th Annual ANCA Capitol Hill Observance of the Armenian Genocide. The Capitol Hill Observance will consist of a program and reception on Wednesday, April 17, in the Gold Room (Rm. 2168) of the Rayburn House Office Building, from 6 to 8 pm.

The Capitol Hill Observance offers Members of Congress the opportunity to commemorate the Armenian Genocide with their constituents and other members of the Armenian American community — including survivors of the Armenian Genocide — as well as with leaders of human rights organizations, the diplomatic community, and members of the clergy.

The Armenian American community is invited to join Members of Congress in marking the 87th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide as well as view the exhibit anytime from Monday, April 15 until Friday, April 19 in the Senate Russell Building Rotunda.

For further information on the exhibit or to RSVP for the Observance, individuals may contact the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (80 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA 02472; 617-923-1918/Fax 617-926-5525; email ancaer@anca.org ) or the Armenian National Committee of America Western Region (104 N. Belmont, Suite 208, Glendale, CA 91204, 818-500-1918/Fax 818-246-7353; email ancawr@anca.org).

The Armenian National Committee of America is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. The ANCA actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian American community.

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