Cafesjian Museum of Art

Cafesjian Museum of Art
Գաֆեսճյան արվեստի կենտրոն
The Cafesjian Museum of Art in and around the Yerevan Cascade
Established	17 November 2009
Location	Yerevan, Armenia
Type	contemporary art museum
Collection size	more than 5,000
Visitors	more than 1 million
Director	Vahagn Marabyan
Website	official website

Officially, Cafesjian Center for the Arts (CCA, Armenian: Գաֆեսճյան արվեստի կենտրոն (Gafesčyan arvesti kentron), also known as the Cafesjian Museum Foundation) is an art museum in Yerevan, Armenia. It is located at the central Kentron district, in and around the Yerevan Cascade which is a complex of massive staircase with fountains, ascending up from the Tamanyan Street gardens and pedestrian zone.

Inspired by the vision of its founder, Gerard L. Cafesjian, the museum offers a wide variety of exhibitions, derived from the Gerard L. Cafesjian collection of contemporary art. Opened in November 2009, besides the exhibition of unique works of modern art, the museum offers a diverse program of lectures, films, concerts, and numerous educational initiatives for adults and children. Over one million people have visited the Center annually since its opening.

The museum is directed and run and the Cafesjian Museum Foundation.

History

View from a garden terrace of the Cafesjian Museum of Art at the Cascade

The Cafesjian Museum Foundation was established in April 2002 in Yerevan under the auspices of the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Cafesjian Museum Foundation of America. The Armenian government provided the Foundation with the half-constructed Yerevan Cascade complex along with the surrounding area.

The construction of the Cafesjian Museum was launched in April 2005 and was expected to be completed in April 2008.^[1] However, with a slight delay, the grand opening of the museum took place on 17 November 2009. The opening ceremony was attended by the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan, minister of culture Hasmik Poghosyan, minister of diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions in Armenia, various artists and political figures.^[2]

The Cafesjian Museum Foundation invested over 35 million dollars to complete the reconstruction of the Cascade.

Architecture

General view of the Cafesjian Centre

The museum is situated within the cascade complex of Yerevan and along the adjacent pedestrian zone and gardens at the entrance to the cascade from the Tamanyan Street. The beginning of the construction of the cascade dates back to 1971, designed by architects Jim Torosyan, Aslan Mkhitaryan, Sargis Gurzadyan. The first phase of the plan was completed in 1980. The cascade is a complex massive staircase on both sides with fountains in between, ascending up from the Tamanyan Street gardens and pedestrian zone. Having five levels, the number of the stairs is 572, ascending along 302 meters upwards.

However, only between 2002 and 2009 the complex was developed and the museum was opened through the Cafesjian Family Foundation.

The art center project was designed by the New York-based David Hotson Architects^[3]

The museum is considered one of the most ambitious works of contemporary architecture undertaken in any of the former republics of the Soviet Union." The New York Times described it as "a mad work of architectural megalomania and architectural recovery, (...) one of the strangest and most spectacular museum buildings to open in ages."^[4]

Structure

The Cafesjian Sculpture Garden

The museum consists of the 2 separate sections: the external "Cafesjian Sculpture Garden", and the internal "Cafesjian Art Galleries".

The Cafesjian Sculpture Garden is the front gardens of the cascade where many sculptures are exhibited. Sculptures are also exhibited in the garden terrace along the massive steps and fountains ascending up from the Tamanyan street gardens.^[5] With unobstructed walkways, long vistas, and formal garden areas, it has been specially designed to provide a modern setting for large-scale sculpture by many internationally recognized figures.
The "Cafesjian Art Galleries" including the Gallery One, Khanjyan Gallery, Eagle Gallery, Sasuntsi Davit Garden Gallery, Star Landing and the Special Events Auditorium, located underneath the exterior staircase and fountains. The galleries are home to a massive collection of glass artwork exhibited in several galleries and sections, including permanent shows or temporary exhibitions.

Collection

Fernando Botero, Mujer Fumando un Cigarrillo (Woman Smoking a Cigarette), 1987 bronze, dark brown patina

The majority of the museum's collection are derived from the private collection of the founder Gerard L. Cafesjian. With more than 5,000 works, the centre exhibits one of the most comprehensive glass collections in the world, particularly the works of the Czech couple Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, whose collaborative work revolutionized the use of glass as an artistic medium. Other important glass artists in the collection include Dale Chihuly, Bohumil Elias, Pavel Hlava, Jaromír Rybák, Ivana Šrámková, Bertil Vallien, Lino Tagliapietra, Mark Peiser, and Hiroshi Yamano.

The collection also has substantial holdings in drawing, painting and sculpture by many influential artists including Fernando Botero, Arshile Gorky, Jennifer Bartlett, Lynn Chadwick, Barry Flanagan, Jaume Plensa, and François-Xavier Lalanne.

Works

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Sculptor	Work
Lynn Chadwick	Sitting Figures, Stairs, Two watchers
Barry Flanagan	Hare on Bell
Fernando Botero	Cat,^[6] Roman warrior,^[7] Woman Smoking a Cigarette

Programs and Events

Nighttime view of Yerevan from atop the Cafesjian Museum of Art at the Cascade

The museum organizes regular programmed events throughout the year:^[8]

Encounters with Art: is a program launched in October 2010 as a series of events for adults, focusing on arts and artists. It takes place at the first Thursday of each month.
Cafesjian Classical Music Series: under the slogan "to bring the best of the world art to Armenia and present the best of Armenian culture to the world", the Cafesjian Center for the Arts regularly organizes concerts for classical music lovers. It takes place at the first Wednesday of each month at the Special Events Auditorium. The program was launched in July 2010.
Traditional Folk Dances at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts: it is regularly performed by the "Karin Dance Ensemble" on the last Friday of each month between May and September. It is an open show of traditional Armenian folk dance where hundreds of people join, irrespective of the weather at the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden. The program was launched in May 2010.
Music Cascade: the series are among Yerevan's most popular pastimes. Many local renowned bands such as the Armenian Jazz Band, Cadence Ensemble, Katuner, Chico and Friends, Dorians, Suren Arustamyan and Arsa are among the regular performers. Live concerts of jazz, pop and rock music are performed at the Special Events Auditorium every Friday and Saturday, since March 2010.

On August 20, 2010, The Khanjyan gallery of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts hosted the informal meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states. The meeting was attended by the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan; the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitriy Medvedev; the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev; the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rakhmon; the interim leader of Kyrgyzstan, Rosa Otunbayeva, as well as the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Nikolay Bordyuzha.

Gallery

First level
Second level
Third level
Fourth level
Fifth level

References

↑ "Cascade Capital Holdings: Cafesjian Family Foundation". Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
↑ The grand opening of the Cafesjian museum took place in Yerevan
↑ Cafesjian museum of art sequences
↑ Kimmelman, Michael (November 18, 2009). "Armenians Greet Their New Extravaganza of a Museum". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
↑ Cafesjian Sculpture Garden
↑ Cat, CCA
↑ Roman warrior, CCA
↑ Programs at Cafesjian Museum of Art

External links

Official website of Cafesjian Museum of Art

Yerevan landmarks

Historic and other landmarks	Shengavit Settlement Erebuni Fortress Teishebaini Katoghike Tsiranavor Church of Avan Yerevan Red Bridge Yerevan Ararat Wine Factory Yerevan Brandy Factory Komitas Pantheon Mother Armenia Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial Yerevan Cascade Yerevan TV Tower Yerablur Cemetery

Places of worship	Katoghike Church Zoravor Church Saint John the Baptist Church Blue Mosque Saint Sarkis Cathedral Russian Church of the Holy Mother of God Saint Sarkis Church of Nor Nork Saint Gregory Cathedral Holy Trinity Church Saint Anna Church Mordechai Navi Synagogue

Demolished structures	Saint Paul and Peter Church Yerevan Fortress Gethsemane Chapel Abbas Mirza Mosque Saint Nikolai Cathedral Shah Abbas Mosque Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church

Nature and parks	Hrazdan River Yerevan Lake Lovers' Park English Park Yerevan Botanical Garden Khachatur Abovyan Park Circular Park Victory Park Lyon Park Tumanyan Park Buenos Aires Park

Entertainment	Moscow Cinema Nairi Cinema Yerevan Circus Yerevan Zoo Yerevan Vernissage Yerevan Water World Dalma Garden Mall Yerevan Mall

Culture, art and museums	Yerevan Opera Theater Sundukyan State Academic Theatre Hovhannes Tumanyan Puppet Theatre Stanislavski Russian Theatre Paronyan Musical Comedy Theatre Hrachya Ghaplanyan Drama Theatre Komitas Chamber Music House National Library of Armenia Khnko Aper Children's Library National Gallery of Armenia History Museum of Armenia Matenadaran Institute of Ancient Manuscripts Erebuni Museum Sergei Parajanov Museum Cafesjian Museum of Art Komitas Museum

Education	Yerevan State University National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia Komitas State Conservatory Armenian State Pedagogical University Yerevan State Medical University Armenian National Agrarian University National Polytechnic University of Armenia Yerevan State Linguistic University Armenian State University of Economics American University of Armenia Haybusak University of Yerevan French University in Armenia Russian-Armenian University Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex French International School QSI School Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School Ayb School

Science and technology	National Archives of Armenia National Academy of Sciences Yerevan Physics Institute Yerevan Computer Research and Development Institute Armenicum Center CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute Tumo Center for Creative Technologies Nerses Mets Medical Research Center

Sport venues	Armenia Sports Stadium Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium Hrazdan Stadium Alashkert Stadium Mika Stadium Banants Stadium Football Academy Stadium Yerevan Football Academy Tigran Petrosian Chess House Hovik Hayrapetyan Equestrian Centre Karen Demirchyan Complex Yerevan Velodrome Irina Rodnina Figure Skating Centre

Transportation	Yerevan Railway Station Trolleybuses in Yerevan Erebuni Airport Zvartnots International Airport Yerevan underground stations

Squares, streets and bridges	Republic Square Freedom Square Garegin Nzhdeh Square Aram Street Abovyan Street Mashtots Avenue Sayat-Nova Avenue Baghramyan Avenue Tamanyan Street Komitas Avenue Liberty Avenue Northern Avenue Victory Bridge Hrazdan Gorge Aqueduct Great Bridge of Hrazdan Davtashen Bridge

Government and financial institutions	Presidential Palace Government House National Assembly National Security Service Yerevan City Hall Constitutional Court Police of Armenia Central Bank Armenian Stock Exchange

Category:Yerevan

Coordinates: 40°11′36.07″N 44°30′56.60″E / 40.1933528°N 44.5157222°E / 40.1933528; 44.5157222

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