ALMA and ATP Host Juried Exhibition

ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Contact: Christie Hardiman
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 926-2562, ext. 4
Web:

Armenia Tree Project
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
March 14, 2008

Call for Submissions

ALMA and ATP Host "A Photographic Journey of Armenia’s Natural Treasures,"
A Juried Exhibition on Armenia’s Evolving Environment

Watertown, MA–The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) and Armenia
Tree Project (ATP) are organizing a juried exhibition of photographs of
Armenia’s natural environment. The exhibition, entitled "A Photographic
Journey of Armenia’s Natural Treasures," will be displayed in ALMA’s
Contemporary Art Gallery from September 11 through October 9, 2008. The
exhibition will run concurrently with a series of weekly events that
highlight the exhibition’s theme and raise awareness of Armenia’s
environmental challenges.

Eligibility

Anyone with photographs of Armenia’s landscape or natural environment is
encouraged to enter their work for a chance to have it on display and
available for purchase in this exhibition. Entrants need not be of Armenian
descent or trained artists so long as their work is of sufficient quality.

Criteria

Images must adhere to the exhibition’s theme of depicting Armenia’s
ecological heritage. The images need not be of present-day Armenia, but we
encourage submissions that depict both Armenia’s natural beauty and the
current challenges to Armenia’s environment. Photographs entered for judging
should be in digital format, but hard copies are acceptable. (Please do not
send originals as they will not be returned).

How to Enter

Entrants must review and complete the accompanying entry form. Up to 20
digital or hard copy photographs may be submitted for the judging panel to
review. The submitted images must be titled/labeled and accompanied by a
pricelist. Photographs that are chosen for exhibit will be shown in 16 x 20
simple black frames. Artists who want their photography to be in a different
sized frame will be responsible for providing the frame and responsible for
picking-up their work at the end of the exhibition should the work not sell.

Address

Submit applications to:

ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Deadline

Submissions must be received by Friday, May 16, 2008 for consideration.

Acceptance / Review and Selection Process

Submissions will be reviewed and selections made by a panel consisting of
ALMA and ATP staff, and honorary juror Judy Ann Goldman (see entry form for
juror details). In evaluating the work, the committee will consider the
quality of the photographs and their relevance to the exhibition’s overall
theme and mission. Additionally, the jury aims to select a wide-range of
photography to appropriately represent Armenia’s diverse nature and
landscape. No more than three photographs per entrant will be selected for
display. Each chosen exhibitor will be notified by phone call no later than
June 15, 2008. Exhibitors will be invited to attend a private opening
reception, which will take place on September 14, 2008.

Exhibition Conditions

1. Exhibitors who accept the invitation to display their work(s) must sign
ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery Exhibition Policies form.

2. Entrants should set reasonable price levels, keeping in mind that ALMA
and ATP retain 40 percent commission for each sale.

Contact

For more information about the exhibit or submission rules, please contact:

Christie Hardiman, ALMA’s Public Relations Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (617) 926-2562, ext. 4
Fax: (617) 926-0175

OR

visit or

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ABOUT ALMA

Founded in 1971, ALMA’s mission is to present and preserve the culture,
history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans and
Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA’s collection has grown to over
27,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largest and most
diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside of Armenia. As a
repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents a major resource not
only for Armenian studies research, but as well as for preservation and
illustration of the Armenian heritage. In 1988, ALMA acquired a 30,000
square foot facility in Watertown, MA – one of North America’s oldest and
most active Armenian communities. The facility includes exhibition
galleries, Library, administrative offices, function hall,
climate-controlled vaults and conservation lab.

ALMA is the only independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora funded solely
through contributions of individual supporters. An active Board of Trustees
and volunteer base augments the museum’s staff. The Museum and Gallery
maintains an active schedule of changing exhibits. In addition, the Museum
sponsors lecture and presentation program on Armenian-related topics. The
Library is used primarily by researchers and interested general public
seeking research materials on Armenians.

Museum & Gallery Hours: Friday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m., and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Library Hours: Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: Free admission for ALMA members; $5 for non-members; $2 for
students; children 12 and under are free.

Driving Directions: Take route 95 to 128 to 90 (Mass Pike East) towards
Watertown. Take exit 17-Watertown/Newton. Go North 1 mile towards
Watertown Square. As you cross the small bridge, get into the 2 left lanes.
Turn left onto Main Street. Turn right onto Church Street, and then turn
right into the municipal parking lot.

MBTA Buses: 71, 70/70A, 57, 52, 59, 502, 504. Please visit for
schedules and maps.

ABOUT ATP

Armenia Tree Project (ATP), a Diaspora-supported non-profit organization
(NGO) based in Watertown and Yerevan, conducts vitally important
environmental projects in Armenia’s impoverished and deforested zones and
seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since 1994, ATP has
made enormous strides in combating desertification in the biologically
diverse but threatened Caucasus region. Over 2,000,000 trees have been
planted and restored, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians
in seasonal tree-regeneration programs.

ATP works to further Armenia’s economic and social development by mobilizing
resources to fund reforestation. These vital new trees provide food, wood,
environmental benefits, and opportunities for economic growth. Our goal is
to assist the Armenian people in using trees to improve their standard of
living and protect the global environment. In so doing, we are guided by the
need to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the fewest resources first,
and conserve the indigenous ecosystem.

ATP works on three major program initiatives:

1) Planting Trees at Urban and Rural Sites
2) Environmental Education and Advocacy
3) Community Socioeconomic Development and Poverty Reduction

ATP has a full-time staff of 82, of whom 76 are employed in Armenia. The
Yerevan branch manages two state-of-the-art tree nurseries and a large-scale
reforestation nursery, partners with villagers to create tree-based
micro-enterprise opportunities, creates urban green belts for public use,
restores degraded forest lands, and employs hundreds of part-time workers to
restore forests from stumps.

www.almainc.org
www.armeniatree.org
www.almainc.org
www.armeniatree.org
www.mbta.com