Published March 15, 2005

Design ideas for memorial pile up
*Armenian Genocide Monument Council has 42 designs for
tribute. Deadline for ideas is today.

By Rima Shah,
Glendale News-Press

Artists worldwide have submitted design ideas for an Armenian genocide
monument that will be constructed on the Civic Auditorium grounds.

The Armenian Genocide Monument Council has received 42 design concepts
for the project, but the details have been kept under wraps, said
Peter Darakjian, one of the founding members of the six-member
monument council. A jury, created by the council, will soon begin a
detailed review of the work, submitted by architects and designers
from Japan, Germany, England and Canada, Darakjian said. The winner of
the design contest will be awarded $10,000.

Today is the deadline to submit design ideas, then the judging will
begin. Designs must be postmarked by today, said Artin Manoukian, a
founding member of the council.

The monument will be an important reminder to not repeat the mistakes
of 1915, when 1.5-million Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman
Empire, Darakjian said. Turkish officials deny that the deaths were
part of a genocide.

“Construction of the monument is important for Armenians as well as
for humanity at large so that what happened in 1915 is not repeated,”
he said. “The monument is also in memory of those who have perished,
as a reminder to not forget the past. This was the first genocide of
the 20th century. Had the world stopped them then there would not have
been any repetition of similar events.”

The 11-member jury will select the winners by April 15. An official
announcement is tentatively scheduled for April 22, Manoukian said,
two days before the Armenian Genocide is commemorated.

The City Council approved the monument in August 2001. The monument
council is raising funds for the project, which they expect to cost
about $500,000, Darakjian said. The City Council approved the Civic
Auditorium as a home for the monument in April 2003.

The Civic Auditorium was the ideal location because the grounds are
large enough to hold the population during events such as Armenian
Genocide Commemorative Day, Darakjian said.

The location also provided visibility to the monument, especially to
nearby Glendale Community College students as a reminder about the
past, Darakjian said.

Although there is no set deadline for completing the project, the
council hopes to have it done in a couple of years.

* RIMA SHAH covers business and politics. She may be reached at (818)
637-3238 or by e-mail at rima.shah@latimes.com