Artwork Exhibition of Students of Painting Department at UN Office in Armenia
21st of October will remain as a memorable day for the 2nd year students of Painting department of SAFAA. Their artworks made during summer practice in Dilijan were exhibited in the hall of UN Armenia. The “Green” exhibition (named so because it was a landscape exhibition, created in nature) was dedicated to the United Nations Day and Sustainable Development Goals.
The opening ceremony was attended by UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp, RA Diplomatic Corps, Head of Department of Global Communications Armineh Haladjian, other officers of UN Armenia, SAFAA vice-rector Mkrtich Ayvazyan, dean of Fine Arts faculty Edik Vardanyan and students.
Shombi Sharp welcomed the attendees: He noted that the content of Armenian students’ exhibition was very much in line with the key issues of Sustainable development Goals; it’s impossible to achieve sustainable development without taking care of the planet, without protecting nature and our environment. Mr. Sharp extended his gratitude to the RA Government for having adopted those goals. He also thanked the students for creating such a harmonious connection with nature and presenting it in such a beautiful way. “If we are asked what we like about our country most of all, we’ll say the nature. Thus it becomes a priority for all of us to take care and protect it. So as the future student could use nature as a model for his painting and not a mere memory of it”.
In his speech Edik Vardanyan considered it a great honor for the students to have the opportunity of holding an exhibition at UN Armenia. “Armenia is a country of art, full of artists. The students’ connection with nature is like being present at classes, taking a lecture in nature. Nature is a great school that teaches and brings you up when you communicate with it”, he told in a hope for further cooperation. He suggested organizing thematic exhibitions in line with different objectives of sustainable development goals.
Meri Sahakyan also delivered a speech of gratitude on behalf of students that was about the importance of human attitude to nature. “It will react the same way as we treat it”, she told and added that the exhibited works were created in nature as a result of the impressions of the moment, while they were trying to make a link between the sun, the light, the air, and now they were passing the warmth of nature to the United Nations Day and Sustainable Development Goals.
At the end of the ceremony Shombi Sharp presented certificates and symbolic gifts to participants and Styopa Grigoryan, a student, participant presented one of his landscapes named “Ashtarak, church of Saint Sargis” to Mr. Sharp.
Melanya Badalyan
Translated by Naira Stepanyan
