On April 21, 2016, the walls of the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall of the Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia were decorated with paintings of Arevik Mkrtchyan, Manan Muradyan and Gohar Harutyunyan, the female artists from Etchmiadzin, Republic of Armenia. Featuring 30 paintings, the exhibition entitled “Renaissance” was initiated by the Hayartun Center at the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, with the support of the Department of Cultural Affairs at the City Hall of Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, in cooperation with the Union of Armenian Artists of Georgia and the Association of Armenian Women of Georgia “Shushanik”. The exhibition was organized in the frameworks of events of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia commemorating the Holy Martyrs and dedicated to the 101st Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Georgian MP Ruslan Poghosyan, diplomats from the RA Embassy in Georgia, Karen Melikyan, Karen Parunakyan and Elina Mkrtchyan, community officials, artists and members of the public attended the opening ceremony.

The exhibition became the manifestation of the will of Armenians of Tbilisi to get out of the nightmare of the four-day war in Artsakh, to win by means of creative thought, rich culture and national unity that was so evidently depicted in beautiful combination of bright colors and rich palette of presented pictures.

Artistic imagination, daring emotions, originality of expression of the female artists - the participants of many exhibitions and festivals - which became an integral part of rich Armenian culture, were unanimously appreciated by Levon Chidilyan, Karen Melikyan, Susana Khachaturyan, Givi Shakhnazari, Tengiz Mikoyants, Gohar Hakobyan, Yenok Tadevosyan. The speakers emphasized the pursuit of victory and unbroken will of the Armenian man to live in love and unity, to do good and create beauty.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan, made closing remarks. He highlighted the fruitful work of the Union of Armenian Artists of Georgia, owing to dedicated work of the Union’s President, honored miniature painter Meruzhan Shahumyan, 40 exhibitions of Armenian and Georgian, Tbilisi and foreign artists have already been organized. The Primate extended words of appreciation to Gohar Harutyunyan and Arevik Mkrtchyan for displaying their works in Tbilisi, the city which has rich tradition in fine arts, and receiving a great response from visitors, wishing them every success in creation of cultural values with love for the motherland and brave spirit.

Arevik Mkrtchyan and Gohar Harutyunyan, who were in attendance of the event, extended their appreciation for the organization of the exhibition of their works and for the warm welcome. The exhibition will continue until mid-May.