Wellesley Neighbors Events - Event View

Arshile Gorky (Vostanik Manoug Adoian, 1904–1948) played a pivotal role in shaping modern art in America. A self-taught painter, his work helped usher in Abstract Expressionism - the first internationally recognized American art movement and a lasting influence on artists worldwide. This exhibition focuses on Gorky’s relationships and sense of community, from his humble beginnings in Watertown to his later life as a celebrated artist. It features 26 works on loan from institutions and private lenders across the country, many of which have not been publicly exhibited.

Art was Gorky's way to connect, to rebuild after loss, and to create belonging in the wake of exile and the unacknowledged trauma of the Armenian Genocide. Through works shared by family, fellow artists, and members of the Armenian Diaspora, the exhibition reveals how connection shaped Gorky’s art and identity. His paintings, rooted in memory and renewal, show how he redrew what it meant to be an artist in America—by creating not only compositions, but community.

Time permitting, we will also visit the exhibits about Armenian history.

Optional lunch after the visit at Not Your Average Joe's, next to the museum.

Sign-up deadline: Saturday, January 10^th by noon.

Parking:  Municipal parking in Watertown Square, 
behind the museum (metering strictly observed).