Peace of Art Exhibit is Coming to Medford
by Rosario Teixeira

Medford, MA - "Medford Welcomes Peace of Art," is the message on a 24 feet banner covering the facade of Medford City Hall building, announcing the Peace of Art exhibit, hosted by honorable Mayor Michael J. McGlynn, at Medford City Hall, 85 George P. Hassett Drive, Medford, Massachusetts, during the month of October 2006. The public is invited to an open reception, Thursday, October 5th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the councilors chamber, catering courtesy of Bistro 5 of Medford.

In reference to the Peace of Art exhibit, Mayor Michael J. McGlynn stated, "Pablo Picasso once said, ‘Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.’ Truly this quote describes the way I feel about the world of art. I have always stressed the importance and need for art and music in our schools and in our daily lives. I feel that art helps to improve the quality of life for all."

It all begins with a blank page, a fleeting thought partially articulated, or a line drawn in a moment of waiting, until the line takes shape, and an expressed idea takes flight as a resolution to a problem. It starts from within but once expressed it must be carried on outward. This is one way we can make a difference in our communities. This is how an expression of Daniel Varoujan Hejinian became an unstoppable reality that defined him and those who come across his Peace of Art project.

He was a young artist of nineteen when he exhibited his art work in the fine art museum in Aleppo Syria. The series of paintings that he presented addressed matters not typical of a young artist but Varoujan was not a typical young man. Born of Armenian parents who survived the Armenian Genocide by fleeing Turkey into Syria, he was a Christian boy growing up in a Muslim world. The oral history of the Genocide and the songs his mother sang were part of his heritage. Deportation, homelessness, hunger, sickness, universal human suffering, the aftermath of war incomprehensible for a young man, all came rushing through his canvas, along with the innocence of a child holding onto a dove, the universal symbol of peace. According to Varoujan, that was the first time he expressed the concepts that he developed in the Peace of Art collection. It would be many years later that Varoujan would complete that thought...

Peace of Art, In., is a non profit organization created and founded by The Artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian with the mission of bringing awareness to the universal human condition through art. This project is educational in nature, and it has no political nor religious affiliations. Since 2003, Peace of Art has traveled through cities and towns in Massachusetts, and it has been exhibited in government buildings such as the State House; DCR Historical Society Gallery in Lawrence; the Mogan Center in Lowell; City Hall buildings in Boston, Cambridge and Newton; and South Station Grand Concourse in Boston. It has been exhibited in libraries such as Armenian Library and Museum of America in Watertown; public libraries in Brockton, Stoneham, Chelmsford and Lowell; and in schools such as Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge; and Massasoit College in Canton. Public reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The exhibit presents truths as seen through the eyes of the artist.

As President John F. Kennedy stated "We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth [...] In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation." To date, Peace of Art has been viewed by thousands of people. The universal language of art makes it possible for people from different parts of the world to relate to the subjects addressed in this exhibit. Peace of Art is dedicated to the peace keepers and peace achievers around the globe. For more information please log onto