Armenian Genocide Museum of America
1334 G Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005
PRESS RELEASE
November 5, 2009
Contact: Press Office
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 383-9009
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM BENEFITS FROM DAY OF SERVICE BY WASHINGTON
ORGANIZATIONS LED BY BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Sigma Chi Fraternity, Knights of Vartan, ACYOA, ARAMAC, Armenian
Network, and Armenian Assembly Volunteers Join Community-Wide Effort
Washington, DC – Volunteers from across the Washington, DC area joined
the Boy Scouts of America for a day of community service at the Armenian
Genocide Museum of America (AGMA), Saturday, October 31.
Supporting the Boy Scouts of America Troop 50 from Annandale, Virginia,
volunteers from Knights of Vartan – Ani Lodge, Armenian Christian Youth
Organization of America (ACYOA) from St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic
Church in Washington, DC, Armenian-American Action Committee (ARAMAC) DC
Youth, Armenian Network of America, Sigma Chi Fraternity at George
Washington University, and Armenian Assembly of America staff and
friends joined in a full day of service at the future site of the
museum.
"For many years virtually no attention was paid to the National Bank of
Washington (NBW) building, which will house AGMA. Designated on the
National Register of Historic Buildings, the site had been allowed to
deteriorate," said museum trustee and chairman of its building and
operations committee Van Z. Krikorian. "Under new management, the
museum’s architectural plans were given approval by the District of
Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board, and aspects of the historic
building that will be renovated and those that do not require
preservation were clarified. Therefore, we especially appreciated not
only the help but also the constructive spirit of the local community to
bring the museum project another step closer to realization. Plans for
similar efforts are under way, and we thank all those individuals and
organizations that participated and supported the Halloween cleanup."
"When the Boy Scouts proposed a day of service at AGMA," added AGMA
Director Dr. Rouben Adalian, "we welcomed the opportunity to take
another step toward ensuring the preservation of the historic aspects of
the bank building by removing many of the later additions that obscured
the authentic and original architecture of the interior space. With the
enthusiasm the Boy Scouts generated in the community and the strong
support of over 50 volunteers, we were able to implement a thorough
improvement of the site. The results speak for themselves. An open
interior space brightened with the filter of natural light has given
everyone who participated a sense of the wonderful qualities of the
exhibit spaces available in the bank building."
"I want to thank everyone who participated," continued Adalian, "with
special appreciation for the Boy Scouts who took a leadership role in
organizing the event. Aram Tramblian who heads Troop 50 is an
exceptional young man whose commitment to the purpose of the museum
energized an entire community and persuaded so many volunteers to join
his effort. I also want to thank Annie Totah and Peter Vosbikian,
trustees of the Armenian Assembly of America, who provided the support
and donated the supplies that made the day of service possible."
Joining the volunteers was also Dr. Harutyun Marutyan, from the National
Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, who is currently a
fellow at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the first scholar from Armenia doing
research at USHMM. "I wanted to contribute my share toward the
emergence of this important institution," said Marutyan.
As plans progress for the development of the Armenian Genocide exhibits,
AGMA also anticipates opening the site to future events to provide the
local community access to the historic building whose amazing
architectural features are all the more visible now thanks to all the
volunteers who turned out to extend their support to help preserve the
building and prepare the way for the future museum.
The Armenian Genocide Museum of America is an outgrowth of the Armenian
Assembly of America and the Armenian National Institute (ANI), catalyzed
by the initial pledge of Anoush Mathevosian toward building such a
museum in Washington, DC.