The following announcement was provided by Mosesian Center for the Arts:
The Mosesian Center for the Arts will hold its annual fundraising benefit on Wednesday, May 24. Themed MOVING FORWARD, this year’s event will celebrate Mosesian Arts’ strides toward becoming a regional destination for the performing and visual arts.
Honorees of the evening’s Mosesian Awards are internationally acclaimed Sayat Nova Dance Company, moving culture forward throughout the world, and local arts hero Barbara Epstein, who as first president of the Board of Directors helped put the wheels in motion for an arts center at the Arsenal. The ensembles of Sayat Nova Dance Company will perform, along with cast members of Mosesian Arts’ upcoming Watertown Children’s Theatre production of Singin’ in the Rain Jr. Tickets include international hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, awards and entertainment on the main stage, and a selection of desserts. Guests will also be among the first to see the accompanying gallery exhibition, Flow: Art Inspired by Movement & Sound.
According to Executive Director Darren Farrington, the theme MOVING FORWARD represents a determination to emerge from the public health and social and economic challenges of the past three years. “The arts community spent the first couple of years of the pandemic waiting to return to operations as they were before March 2020. After being reopened for over a year now, however, we see changes in audiences, in artists, and in the world, and we know that we can never go back to ‘before.’ The only path from here is ‘moving forward.’” To support the arts center’s path forward, event proceeds will support exceptional programs in visual and performing arts education, including Watertown Children’s Theatre; free art exhibitions, artist talks, and opening receptions in newly expanded galleries; and diverse events on MCA’s stages and in the community, including opportunities and access to the arts for older adults “Aging Creatively,” and American Sign Language (ASL) Storytime programs free of charge to libraries throughout Greater Boston and MetroWest.
The Mosesian Awards to be given at the event recognize individuals and organizations that exemplify the overarching commitment to the arts and this community shown by Charles Mosesian, an early major donor to the arts center.
Sayat Nova Dance Company, receiving the Mosesian Award for the Arts, preserves and promotes the Armenian culture through the art of dance. The company seeks to foster an atmosphere of friendship among individuals sharing the pride and indomitable spirit of the Armenian people, while educating multicultural awareness within all ethnic communities worldwide. Founded in 1986, they began a journey of bringing talented individuals together from all ages and backgrounds to join in bringing Armenian folk dance to life. The group performs extensively throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Armenia, with each dance symbolizing the livelihood, the aspirations, the legends, the celebration of life, and appreciation of beauty.
Barbara Epstein, receiving the Mosesian Community Award, has worked to elevate and celebrate the arts throughout her 37 years in Watertown. She has been a member of the Watertown Cultural Council, enrichment coordinator for the Watertown elementary and middle schools, and president of the founding board that dreamed and launched the Mosesian Center for the Arts. She and a small ad hoc group instigated the master planning process that led to the establishment of the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee. YardArt, conceived during the 2020 pandemic, was her most recent project to harness art to strengthen community and honor the creativity within all of us.
Individual tickets and sponsorship packages are available at www.mosesianarts.org. The reception begins at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, May 24. Awards and entertainment will begin at 7:15 PM.
The Mosesian Center for the Arts is located at 321 Arsenal Street in Watertown, Massachusetts on the Arsenal on the Charles Campus. The venue is easily accessible from I-95/128, Routes 9, 16, 20, and 90 (Mass Pike), and the MBTA. See the “Getting Here” page on the venue’s website for detailed directions from various points and for information on free parking.
https://www.watertownmanews.com/2023/05/02/mosesian-center-for-the-arts-benefit-honoring-armenian-dance-company-longtime-supporter-of-the-arts/