Curator in the Spotlight: Illuminating the Armenian Middle Ages

The Armenian American Museum and Ararat-Eskijian Museum will co-host “Curator in the Spotlight: Illuminating the Armenian Middle Ages” at the Brand Library & Art Center at 7 PM on Thursday, May 26, 2016. The event will host a lecture by Dr. Elizabeth Morrison, Senior Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Dr. Elizabeth Morrison will present the fascinating world of medieval Armenian manuscript illumination, which is admired across the world for its delicacy, vibrancy and sheer beauty. The luminous colors and complex figures of these precious relics made entirely by hand delight the eye and engage the senses. In addition to giving an overview of the illumination tradition, Dr. Morrison will focus on the work of T’oros Roslin, the most celebrated Armenian artist of the Middle Ages, whose novations were integral to the conception of the painted page for centuries to come.

Dr. Elizabeth Morrison received her Ph.D. in the History of Art from Cornell University and began work at the Getty in 1996. She has curated numerous exhibitions and published articles on both Flemish and French illumination. She has served on the Board of Directors of the International Center of Medieval Art and is currently a counselor for the Medieval Academy of America.

The program is part of a series programs taking place in conjunction with the “Armenia: An Open Wound” exhibition.

Presented by the City of Glendale and the Library, Arts & Culture Department in partnership with the Armenian American Museum and curated by the Museo Memoria y Tolerancia in Mexico City, “Armenia: An Open Wound” illustrates early Armenian culture on their ancestral lands and provides insight into the events which led to the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The exhibition highlights the unique contributions of the international Armenian diaspora with a focus on survivors who settled in Mexico during the early 20th century.

The exhibit will be on view at the Brand Library Art Galleries between April 16 and June 11, 2016 during the library’s regular hours: Tuesday and Thursday 12-8pm, Wednesday 12-6pm, and Friday and Saturday, 10am-5pm. Brand Library & Art Center is located at 1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale, California, 91201. All events at Brand Library & Art Center are free and open to the public.

For more information about the “Armenia: An Open Wound” exhibition and featured programs, please visit www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org or contact the Brand Library at (818) 548-2051.