Full house for Lowell ARS event with Winslow Martin

Lexington’s Historic Depot filled to capacity for the “Forced Out” event

The historic Depot in Lexington, Massachusetts was filled to capacity on February 9 as the Lowell “Lousintak” ARS Chapter hosted, “Forced Out: Refugees from Artsakh in Armenia,” by Winslow Martin. It was a heartfelt evening of storytelling, photography, music and poetry, all to benefit the displaced Armenians of Artsakh.

Before the official program began, guests were greeted personally by Martin during a cocktail reception, which set the tone for the evening, along with music provided by Datev Gevorkian on oud. Lowell “Lousintak” ARS chair and master of ceremonies Sona Gevorkian talked about the mission of the ARS and the accomplishments of the Lowell chapter, which is one of the oldest chapters in the United Stated dating back to 1915. Easing into Martin’s photo presentation, Teny Apelian of the famed Armenian female acapella trio, Zulal, accompanied by Gevorkian on oud, sang a bone chilling rendition of “Sareree Hoveen Mernem.”

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This set the stage for Martin to captivate the audience with his amazing storytelling skills, photographs and his unwavering love for the Armenian people over the past 25 years. As a documentarian, Martin brought his photographs to life with stories of survival, sorrow and hope of the people of Artsakh. He highlighted not only the recent evacuation of 120,000 Armenians from Artsakh, but also the 2020 war and the relationships he has built with the people of Artsakh and Armenia. A poetry reading of “Akh Eem Artsakh, Akh Mer Artsakh” written by Varak Ghazarian, a diaspora Armenian from Los Angeles who is currently living and studying in Armenia, was recited by Shakeh Dagdigan in Armenian and Zarouhi Minassian Suggs in English. The poem was written days after the surrender in September of 2023 to express Ghazarian’s personal emotions in response to the loss of Artsakh.

Lowell Lousintak ARS members with Winslow Martin

Martin ended the evening with a final slide representing the ARS and its work. In his own words, Martin is a self-proclaimed “Armenian by choice.” His most notable accomplishment to date was in the summer of 2023 when he compiled over 140 photographs for an exhibit at the National History Museum in Yerevan, depicting the daily lives of Armenians. He is the first living, solo artist and non-Armenian to have the honor of a retrospective exhibition at the legendary History Museum of Armenia. Learn more about Martin at http://www.winslowmartin.com.

The success of the evening was also made possible by the contributions of several business establishments in Lexington and donations made by ARS members and supporters for a beautiful display of items for the silent auction. The Lowell “Lousintak” ARS Chapter donated 100-percent of the proceeds to the displaced families of Artsakh, as the need for continued support will be present for years to come.