The Culture of Coffee – The Armenian Trajectory
Donation protected
NOTE - This crowdfunding campaign has been initiated by Prof. Ara Philipossian (University of Arizona) on behalf of the Director of the Hovhannes Toumanian Museum (Ani Yeghiazaryan) and the exhibit co-curator (Tatev Saroyan).
The popularity of coffee truly knows no bounds. Coffee is an integral part of our daily lives, helping people throughout the world get their day started. Now, the much-beloved beverage has burst onto the museum platform, trying to find its unique place.
Through this crowdfunding campaign, we wish to raise funds for the Hovhannes Toumanian Museum (http://www.toumanian.am/en) that will allow us to pay a much-deserved homage to coffee, and help initiate discussions around the subject in new and innovative ways. The museum has chosen a variety of implementation methods ranging from conversation to educational programs, to the organization of an exhibition (April 15 to June 15, 2022), and finally, the publication of a comprehensive catalog.
Our program will emphasize coffee culture and its role in Armenian everyday life and ethnography. Moreover, it will highlight our people’s love for coffee, along with interesting stories contained in the memoirs of prominent Armenian painters, writers, musicians, and scientists (e.g., William Saroyan, Charles Aznavour, Arshile Gorky, Ara Güler, Hovhannes Toumanian, Komitas, Aram Khachaturyan, Martiros Saryan, and Ervand Kochar).
Dating back to the 18th century, the exhibit will act as a testimonial to the use of coffee by Armenians. It will showcase personal coffee-related objects belonging to prominent Armenian figures, and will undoubtedly be the largest collaboration with 30 different Armenian museums under one roof within the Hovhannes Toumanian Museum. Seventy percent of the objects in the exhibit will be presented to the public for the first time which will certainly help the overall learning experience.
For our project to materialize, we need your financial help as we are trying to raise the sum of 31,350 USD. Of this amount, 24,725 USD will go towards organizing the exhibition, and the remainder for publishing the catalog along with other smaller, yet essential, activities.
We are fortunate that some cafés and businesses are interested in supporting, or even sponsoring, the project. As we continue to seek additional major sponsors, what’s immensely important to us is the participation of every coffee lover, through the donation of any amount, to make the program become a reality. So please give generously, and consider attending the museum’s events when visiting Armenia in the Spring.
For further questions and inquires, please feel free to contact the exhibit co-curator (Tatev Saroyan) or the Director of the Toumanian Museum (Ani Yeghiazaryan) through the “comments” section below.
Thank you!
William Saroyan with Archie Minasian, 1963
Additional Information:
Our project had been in the works for almost 4 years as we prepare its public launch. Starting in June 2021, the museum has started holding meetings and discussion sessions on Fridays, each one centered around coffee culture, coffee making and coffee consumption in present-day Armenia. Several guest speakers who are coffee roasters and shop owners in Armenia have also participated. As a result of the museum’s research, quite a bit of noteworthy and important information about the activities of Armenian merchants has also come to light. This particular topic has rarely been studied by scholars, and people often do not know that Armenians were the first to bring this drink to European capital cities such as London, Paris, Vienna, and Prague by establishing the very first cafés in those cities.
To the many generations of coffee merchants out there, we will be delighted to hear your family’s coffee stories and receive photos from your family archives. Please consider sharing them through the “comments” section below.
Additional Links:
https://www.facebook.com/SurchSerTangaran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKzqJOU9Cus&list=PLLPCpbWgtbM599iPd3YccCpFlVttt0dHw&index=9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrsRa7D5r2w&list=PLLPCpbWgtbM599iPd3YccCpFlVttt0dHw&index=5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOPu34UZZaA
The popularity of coffee truly knows no bounds. Coffee is an integral part of our daily lives, helping people throughout the world get their day started. Now, the much-beloved beverage has burst onto the museum platform, trying to find its unique place.
Through this crowdfunding campaign, we wish to raise funds for the Hovhannes Toumanian Museum (http://www.toumanian.am/en) that will allow us to pay a much-deserved homage to coffee, and help initiate discussions around the subject in new and innovative ways. The museum has chosen a variety of implementation methods ranging from conversation to educational programs, to the organization of an exhibition (April 15 to June 15, 2022), and finally, the publication of a comprehensive catalog.
Our program will emphasize coffee culture and its role in Armenian everyday life and ethnography. Moreover, it will highlight our people’s love for coffee, along with interesting stories contained in the memoirs of prominent Armenian painters, writers, musicians, and scientists (e.g., William Saroyan, Charles Aznavour, Arshile Gorky, Ara Güler, Hovhannes Toumanian, Komitas, Aram Khachaturyan, Martiros Saryan, and Ervand Kochar).
Dating back to the 18th century, the exhibit will act as a testimonial to the use of coffee by Armenians. It will showcase personal coffee-related objects belonging to prominent Armenian figures, and will undoubtedly be the largest collaboration with 30 different Armenian museums under one roof within the Hovhannes Toumanian Museum. Seventy percent of the objects in the exhibit will be presented to the public for the first time which will certainly help the overall learning experience.
For our project to materialize, we need your financial help as we are trying to raise the sum of 31,350 USD. Of this amount, 24,725 USD will go towards organizing the exhibition, and the remainder for publishing the catalog along with other smaller, yet essential, activities.
We are fortunate that some cafés and businesses are interested in supporting, or even sponsoring, the project. As we continue to seek additional major sponsors, what’s immensely important to us is the participation of every coffee lover, through the donation of any amount, to make the program become a reality. So please give generously, and consider attending the museum’s events when visiting Armenia in the Spring.
For further questions and inquires, please feel free to contact the exhibit co-curator (Tatev Saroyan) or the Director of the Toumanian Museum (Ani Yeghiazaryan) through the “comments” section below.
Thank you!
William Saroyan with Archie Minasian, 1963
Additional Information:
Our project had been in the works for almost 4 years as we prepare its public launch. Starting in June 2021, the museum has started holding meetings and discussion sessions on Fridays, each one centered around coffee culture, coffee making and coffee consumption in present-day Armenia. Several guest speakers who are coffee roasters and shop owners in Armenia have also participated. As a result of the museum’s research, quite a bit of noteworthy and important information about the activities of Armenian merchants has also come to light. This particular topic has rarely been studied by scholars, and people often do not know that Armenians were the first to bring this drink to European capital cities such as London, Paris, Vienna, and Prague by establishing the very first cafés in those cities.
To the many generations of coffee merchants out there, we will be delighted to hear your family’s coffee stories and receive photos from your family archives. Please consider sharing them through the “comments” section below.
Additional Links:
https://www.facebook.com/SurchSerTangaran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKzqJOU9Cus&list=PLLPCpbWgtbM599iPd3YccCpFlVttt0dHw&index=9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrsRa7D5r2w&list=PLLPCpbWgtbM599iPd3YccCpFlVttt0dHw&index=5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOPu34UZZaA
Organizer
Ara Philipossian
Organizer
Tucson, AZ
