A Message of peace on display
By Rosario Teixeira/ Special to the Independent

Chelmsford Independent, MA
Sept 16 2004

The 11th Peace of Art exhibit will be at the Kennedy School of
Government, Taubman Building, Cambridge, from Sept. 24 through 25 in
conjunction with the United Nations Association of Greater Boston
Film Festival.

This year, the event is subject to the theme “Enduring Hope: The
Tenacity of the Human Spirit.”

Chelmsford resident, artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian is the
creator and founder of Peace of Art. He left Soviet Armenia in 1979
to pursue his artistic freedom in the United States.

He has been in Massachusetts ever since, and in the last 18
years he has resided in Chelmsford.

Peace of Art was previously exhibited at the Chelmsford Public
Library during the month of August. This is a traveling art exhibit
which addresses the universal human condition and it intends to
promote peace, independent of political associations and religious
dogma.

Cambridge is the city known for the place of residence of the
most Nobel Peace Prize winners, champions of peace and social
justice, therefore it was important for Peace of Art to be exhibited
here.

Currently the 10th Peace of Art exhibit is on display at the
Cambridge City Hall, located at 795 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge,
until Sept. 17.

The exhibit is available for viewing during regular City Hall
hours of operation.

Peace of Art exhibit represents the endurance of the human
spirit and a message of hope permeates through each piece in the
exhibit. In this collection, Varoujan addresses sensitive issues
around the globe, the specks of injustice, blotches of hunger and
homeless, weapons of mass destruction, sickness, despair, repressed
voices that have been silenced, blinded and deafen trying to survive.
It is through the creative process that the artist addresses issues
of his/her time and often the art work not only presents the problem
but points out toward a solution as well. The Peace of Art images
form a mosaic of humanity, reflections of ourselves and our society,
promoting dialogue and challenging the viewer to reach his/her own
conclusions. His paintings speak eloquently, as an inescapable mirror
where we see ourselves and our society.

“Artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian uses the universal language of
art to communicate the universal language of the human spirit,” said
Pamela Frank, from the United Nations Association of Greater Boston.

In referring to “Peace of Life” she said that “this work speaks
to our changing world and our role as global citizens to value human
life” and it is in line with the theme of the film festival. “Peace
of Life” represents the preciousness of life. In this piece, a blind
man holds his eye ball in between his fingers attempting to see the
magical world. Often we are blinded by the events around the globe,
and we loose sight of the important things and how we can make a
difference.

“[…] it is important to make artwork accessible to as many
people as possible,” said Boston City Councilor John Tobin, chairman
of the Council’s Committee on Arts, Film, Humanities and Tourism.
“Mr. Hejinian’s series of sketches tackle some of the most important
issues of our time: war, fear, intolerance, hunger, violence, and
homelessness. The Peace of Art exhibit is especially important right
now in light of current events around the world.”

For more information about the artist visit
For information about Peace of Art, please
log onto , send e-mail to contact@Peaceofart.org or
call 508-580-3151.