The Ararat-Eskijian-Museum and Research Center (AEMRC), California State University, Northridge – Armenian Studies and the Armenian Rug Society is presenting “Threads of Hope: Collections of Heirlooms Rescued from Suffering to Reflect on the Miraculous Revival of Armenian Life.”
The exhibition opens on Sunday, June 1, at the Deukmejian Community Center at 2 p.m., followed by a lecture by Hratch Kozybeyokian at 4 p.m. at the Ararat-Eskijian Museum/Sheen Chapel at 15105 Mission Hills Road in Mission Hills.
For over 30 years, the AEMRC has collected embroideries from families with the goal of preserving them for future generations. The embroidery collection at the museum has exceeded 1,000 pieces, of which 250 pieces will be on display for this exhibit.
The oldest collection is from Eregli, Konya, dated 1870. Most of the embroideries have been preserved by families as heirlooms that survived the genocide. They are described “as a testament of our young maiden’s creative world.”
The 19th-century Armenian home held an abundance of laces and embroidered textiles, especially during weddings and feasts, where they displayed their finest work. “These intricate needlework are the outcome of a society where there was no rights or prestige for the young maidens. Therefore, their embroideries became their voice instead of words, became their inner world.”
This unique community exhibition is described by the organizers as “the resilience of Armenian women and their survival after their horrific ordeal and their zeal to re-establish their lives.”
The lecture and the exhibition are free and open to the public on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 5, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15.
For additional information, contact the Ararat-Eskijian Museum and Research Center at (747) 500-7585 or via email at eskijian@ararat-eskijian-museum.com.