“One Century, Two Legends” Brought Parajanov’s Vibrant Colors and Aznavour’s Lyrical Melodies to the SMART Center in Lori

The closing ceremony of this year’s collaborative art competition between COAF and the Vahé & Lucie Foundation, One Century, Two Legends, was 4.5 hours of artistry inspired by Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates and Aznavour’s nostalgia-inspiring music. It was a celebration of nearly 150 young artists from Lori, their submissions across 6 different arts categories, and 65 winners, all proudly representing the blossoming creative potential of youth in the Lori region.

Taking place for the second time, this jointly organized art competition brought in individual and hybrid (group or mixed discipline) creative works by 11 to 18-year-old SMART students and youth from the region. One Century, Two Legends’s theme asked applicants to draw inspiration from the two legendary Armenian artists whose centennial was celebrated this year: the great singer (Charles Aznavour) and the great artist (Sergei Parajanov).

The competition was preceded by workshops in six areas of the SMART curriculum that were led by experts invited from around the world: Vrej Kassouny (drawing/animation), Sophie Keoshgerian (dance), Ruben Malayan (drawing, calligraphy), Payqar Chakhoyan (sound design), DJ Kriss (musical instruments), and Arman Saribekyan (theater). This year the program evolved to include SMART excursions as well.

“We realized that, besides the skills attained during the workshops, it’s very important that the students have educational visits to institutions and businesses in the same fields. These visits allowed our SMART students to see the fields they were studying in practice, in person, and to be inspired by those working in that profession,” says Metaksya Davtyan, acting director of the COAF SMART Center in Lori.

In speaking on the importance of the competition, Metaksya highlighted the following points. “This provides youth in the arts from the region with yet another platform for self-expression. It’s also a good opportunity to promote the arts to the public. And monetary prizes are a reminder that it is possible to make a living with professions in the arts, which is no less important.”