Babaian-Khachikian to Speak at Men’s Club on ‘Cultural Heritage of Isfahan’

WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Mon., Feb. 2, Ani Babaian-Khachikian will speak about the “Cultural Heritage of the Armenians in Isfahan, Iran” at the dinner meeting of the St. James Armenian Church Men’s Club in Watertown.

Babaian-Khachikian, a native of Isfahan, Iran, holds a Master of Fine Art from Alzahra University in Tehran, where she wrote a thesis entitled, “Mutual Influences: New Julfa and Isfahan Mural Paintings of the 17^th Century.” In Iran, she worked on numerous restoration projects, most notably murals at St. Amenaprkich Vank (Holy Savior Cathedral) in New Julfa, the Armenian quarter of Isfahan. She is the author of numerous articles and has presented many public talks on Armenian and Persian art.

In 2008, she married Saro Khachikian from Peabody in Yerevan, and in 2010 they moved to Massachusetts. In 2013, she joined the staff at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) in Belmont, tasked with cataloguing the Mardigian Library. In 2014, she was invited to Yerevan and Isfahan to present a paper on the 350^th anniversary of St. Amenaprkich Vank regarding murals, artists, and new findings discovered during the restoration process.

Babaian-Khachikian is also a fine art painter and has participated in solo and group exhibitions. Her latest exhibit, “Animating the Word: The Legacy of Iran’s Minority Calligraphic Traditions,” was on view from Dec. 10, 2014 to Jan. 23, 2015 at Tally Beck Contemporary Gallery in New York.

At the Men’s Club dinner meeting, she will present a pictorial review and brief history of the Armenians in Iran, with a focus on Isfahan’s art, culture, and traditions.

The social hour starts with mezza at 6:15 p.m., followed by a complete kheyma and losh kebab dinner at 7 p.m., for $14 per person. The dinner meeting will be held at the St. James Armenian Church, Charles Mosesian Cultural and Youth Center, Keljik Hall, on 465 Mount Auburn St. in Watertown. The event is open to the public; ladies are welcome.