At the gala banquet during the upcoming 117th Diocesan Assembly, a trio of distinguished leaders will be recognized for the service to, and friendship with, the Armenian Church community.
Receiving this year’s “Friend of the Armenians” award will be Dr. Helen Evans, of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, who conceived and curated the magnificent “Armenia!” exhibit on view in the autumn of 2018.
As the 2019 “Armenian Church Members of the Year,” the Eastern Diocese will honor Edward and Nancy Guleserian. Edward, who passed away in 2013, will be honored posthusously, and his wife Nancy will accept the award on behalf of the couple, who have been beloved benefactors of the New England region and known across the country as the generous proprietors of Boston’s Sheraton Commander Hotel.
Friend of the Armenians: Dr. Helen Evans
Dr. Helen Evans received her B.A. from Tulane University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, with her dissertation on “Manuscript Illumination at the Armenian Patriarchate in Hromkla and the West.” She was a co-curator of Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City and the Walters Gallery of Art in Baltimore in 1994.
Helen Evans has been involved with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1986. Initially a fellow and a sabbatical replacement in the Department of Medieval Art, she served as Assistant Curator from 1991 to 1995, and then as Associate Curator, in charge of the early Christian and Byzantine collections. Dr. Evans is president elect of the Association of Art Museum Curators and vice president of the International Center for Medieval Art.
Dr. Evans is currently the Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator for Byzantine Art and Curator for the ARMENIA! exhibit which is currently running at the Metropolitan Museum. She was instrumental in displaying major works of Armenian art at the museum, including treasures on permanent display in the medieval galleries. She traveled to Armenia several times and was responsible for transporting a 1,000 pound 12th-century khatchkar (cross-stone) Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Lori province, which remains on renewed loan at the museum. Dr. Evans has been a major contributor to the catalogue published in association with the Armenia! exhibition.
Dr. Evans’ long history and passion for Armenian art has been the force behind the exhibit which she calls “a culmination of a lifelong dream.” She is directly responsible for bringing Armenia’s Christian history and art to light and believes it as an important element of the world’s art. The must-see exhibit helps puts a spotlight on the artistic significance and distinctive national identity of Armenia. Dr. Evans has stated that her hope is “for non-Armenians to be very impressed by Armenian art, and for Armenians to be proud of the show.”
Armenian Church Members of the Year: Edward and Nancy Guleserian
The late Edward Guleserian was born in Arlington, Massachusetts to Armenian immigrant parents in 1937. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1960. He briefly served in the Army as an artillery officer in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. That same year, Edward met his wife Nancy Aghaian at a dance at the Sheraton Commander Hotel, which was owned by his father. The two were married in at St. James Armenian Church in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1967.
Edward became the president of the Sheraton Commander Hotel in 1969. He was very active within the Armenian community. Edward was a Parish Council member at St. James Armenian Church and he and his wife Nancy were members of various church committees and groups including the St. James Men’s Club and the Mr. and Mrs. Group, where Edward served as treasurer for many years. He was also a member and past president of the Council of Armenian Executives. His kindness, generosity and loyalty were evident in his involvement in the Armenian community.
Edward was also a major presence in the local community, including the Cambridge business community. He was a director of many Catholic Charities efforts in Cambridge/Somerville and served as treasurer of the Cambridge Hotel Association. He was also a long-time member and president of the Cambridge Rotary Club. For his dedication and commitment to the Cambridge community, the mayor of Cambridge designated a city corner as Edward Guleserian Square in 1997.
Edward and Nancy have quietly and generously supported endeavors at St. James Armenian Church, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, and in Armenia. They are known by parishioners, employees, and friends to be generous not only financially but in spirit.
In 2007, Edward and Nancy were recognized as Parishioners of the Year at St. James Armenian Church. That same year, they were the honored recipients of the prestigious St. Nersess Shnorhali (the Graceful) Medal.
Edward and Nancy Guleserian, with their families, helped realize the English translation of the book The Life and Work of the Coadjutor Catholicos Papken Guleserian. The translation, supported by Edward and Nancy Guleserian, was done at the suggestion of suggestion of Catholicos Karekin I of All Armenians.
Edward passed away suddenly in 2013, since which time Nancy has continued to fulfill their commitment to helping and supporting the Armenian Church and others. Their good works are also continued by their children, Dr. Kristine Guleserian and Michael Guleserian, who follows in his father’s footsteps at the Sheraton Commander Hotel.
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The 115th Diocesan Assembly banquet, hosted by St. James Church of Watertown, MA, will take place Friday, May 3 at the Boston Marriott Burlington Hotel, in Burlington, MA. Visit the St. James Church website for information on this and other Diocesan Assembly events.