Over one and one half million Armenians perished in the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century. Committed by the political party of the Ottoman Empire commonly known as the Young Turks, the killings and abuse occurred during World War I from 1915-1918 before being renewed once again from 1920-1923.

The Turkish government had grown increasingly suspicious of the minority Armenian population who they feared had become too powerful and nationalistic, and they therefore planned a deportation and extermination program disguised as a resettlement plan. The deported Armenians suffered massacres, starvation, disease, torture, and confiscation of all their possessions. The few that survived became refugees in neighboring countries.

Today, the horrors of the Armenian Genocide are commemorated annually on April 24th, the date in 1915 where the terrible intentions of the Turkish government for the Armenians first came to light. This year, to mark the 95th anniversary of the atrocities, Gallery Z director Bérge Ara Zobian, an Armenian of Providence, RI, will curate a historically and artistically important show: THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE – 95 YEARS LATER, IN REMEMBRANCE. Carol Scavotto and the extensive staff of Gallery Z will assist Zobian in coordinating this informative, academic exhibition.

Zobian was invited to produce this show in collaboration with The Urban Arts and Culture Program of the University of Rhode Island. The show will be displayed in the Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery at URI, a prominent location that guarantees a large viewing audience. In the month that it is displayed, from April 1st through April 30th, the show is expected to have over 30,000 visitors, including many who don’t typically frequent galleries and museums.

Both Zobian and URI coordinators have wanted for some time to celebrate Providence’s Armenian Community by sharing various aspects of Armenian culture and history: they are interested in acquiring artwork, artifacts, posters, objects and photographs that illustrate home life, community life, religious and political life in order to provide a comprehensive representation of the Armenian Genocide.

Following the numerous other genocides of the 20th century, acknowledging and examining past episodes of violence becomes all the more crucial. As the first genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian Genocide is a critical event to affirm, and the surviving culture is essential to celebrate and spread with as large an audience as possible. This show promises to accomplish both of these tasks with your submissions and support.