ATP News

Call for Submissions
ALMA and ATP Host “A Photographic Journey of Armenia’s
Natural Treasures,”
A Juried Exhibition on Armenia’s Evolving Environment

CLICK HERE TO REVIEW AND COMPLETE THE ENTRY FORM
Click here to read the call for submissions in Armenian

Watertown, MA—The Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) and Armenia Tree Project (ATP) are organizing a juried exhibition of photographs of Armenia’s natural environment. The exhibition, entitled “A Photographic Journey of Armenia’s Natural Treasures,” will be displayed in ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery from September 11 through October 9, 2008. The exhibition will run concurrently with a series of weekly events that highlight the exhibition’s theme and raise awareness of Armenia’s environmental challenges.

Eligibility
Anyone with photographs of Armenia’s landscape or natural environment is encouraged to enter their work for a chance to have it on display and available for purchase in this exhibition. Entrants need not be of Armenian descent or trained artists so long as their work is of sufficient quality.

Criteria
Images must adhere to the exhibition’s theme of depicting Armenia’s ecological heritage. The images need not be of present-day Armenia, but we encourage submissions that depict both Armenia’s natural beauty and the current challenges to Armenia’s environment. Photographs entered for judging should be in digital format, but hard copies are acceptable. (Please do not send originals as they will not be returned).

How to Enter
Entrants must review and complete the entry form. Up to 20 digital or hard copy photographs may be submitted for the judging panel to review. The submitted images must be titled/labeled and accompanied by a pricelist. Photographs that are chosen for exhibit will be shown in 16 x 20 simple black frames. Artists who want their photography to be in a different sized frame will be responsible for providing the frame and responsible for picking-up their work at the end of the exhibition should the work not sell. Click here to view the application.

Address
Submit applications to:

ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Deadline
Submissions must be received by Friday, May 16, 2008 for consideration.

Acceptance / Review and Selection Process
Submissions will be reviewed and selections made by a panel consisting of ALMA and ATP staff, and honorary juror Judy Ann Goldman (see entry form for juror details). In evaluating the work, the committee will consider the quality of the photographs and their relevance to the exhibition’s overall theme and mission. Additionally, the jury aims to select a wide-range of photography to appropriately represent Armenia’s diverse nature and landscape. No more than three photographs per entrant will be selected for display. Each chosen exhibitor will be notified by phone call no later than June 15, 2008. Exhibitors will be invited to attend a private opening reception, which will take place on September 14, 2008.

Exhibition Conditions
1. Exhibitors who accept the invitation to display their work(s) must sign ALMA’s Contemporary Art Gallery Exhibition Policies form.
2. Entrants should set reasonable price levels, keeping in mind that ALMA and ATP retain 40 percent commission for each sale.

Contact
For more information about the exhibit or submission rules, please contact:

Christie Hardiman, ALMA’s Public Relations Coordinator
E-mail: Christie@almainc.org
Phone: (617) 926-2562, ext. 4
Fax: (617) 926-0175

OR

visit www.almainc.org or www.armeniatree.org

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ABOUT ALMA
Founded in 1971, ALMA’s mission is to present and preserve the culture, history, art and contributions of the Armenian people to Americans and Armenians alike. Since its inception, ALMA’s collection has grown to over 27,000 books and 20,000 artifacts, making it perhaps the largest and most diverse holding of Armenian cultural artifacts outside of Armenia. As a repository for heirlooms, the collection now represents a major resource not only for Armenian studies research, but as well as for preservation and illustration of the Armenian heritage. In 1988, ALMA acquired a 30,000 square foot facility in Watertown, MA – one of North America’s oldest and most active Armenian communities. The facility includes exhibition galleries, Library, administrative offices, function hall, climate-controlled vaults and conservation lab.
ALMA is the only independent Armenian Museum in the Diaspora funded solely through contributions of individual supporters. An active Board of Trustees and volunteer base augments the museum’s staff. The Museum and Gallery maintains an active schedule of changing exhibits. In addition, the Museum sponsors lecture and presentation program on Armenian-related topics. The Library is used primarily by researchers and interested general public seeking research materials on Armenians.
Museum & Gallery Hours: Friday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Library Hours: Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: Free admission for ALMA members; $5 for non-members; $2 for students; children 12 and under are free.

Driving Directions: Take route 95 to 128 to 90 (Mass Pike East) towards Watertown. Take exit 17-Watertown/Newton. Go North 1 mile towards Watertown Square. As you cross the small bridge, get into the 2 left lanes. Turn left onto Main Street. Turn right onto Church Street, and then turn right into the municipal parking lot.

MBTA Buses: 71, 70/70A, 57, 52, 59, 502, 504. Please visit www.mbta.com for schedules and maps.

ABOUT ATP
Armenia Tree Project (ATP), a Diaspora-supported non-profit organization (NGO) based in Watertown and Yerevan, conducts vitally important environmental projects in Armenia’s impoverished and deforested zones and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since 1994, ATP has made enormous strides in combating desertification in the biologically diverse but threatened Caucasus region. Over 2,000,000 trees have been planted and restored, and hundreds of jobs have been created for Armenians in seasonal tree-regeneration programs.

ATP works to further Armenia’s economic and social development by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation. These vital new trees provide food, wood, environmental benefits, and opportunities for economic growth. Our goal is to assist the Armenian people in using trees to improve their standard of living and protect the global environment. In so doing, we are guided by the need to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the fewest resources first, and conserve the indigenous ecosystem.

ATP works on three major program initiatives:
1) Planting Trees at Urban and Rural Sites
2) Environmental Education and Advocacy
3) Community Socioeconomic Development and Poverty Reduction

ATP has a full-time staff of 82, of whom 76 are employed in Armenia. The Yerevan branch manages two state-of-the-art tree nurseries and a large-scale reforestation nursery, partners with villagers to create tree-based micro-enterprise opportunities, creates urban green belts for public use, restores degraded forest lands, and employs hundreds of part-time workers to restore forests from stumps.

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