FRESNO, Calif. — The Armenian Museum of Fresno will commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Artsakh on Wednesday, September 2 from 4 to 8 p.m. with an evening of history, photography and personal testimony reflecting on the people of Artsakh, their cultural heritage and the profound human impact of decades of conflict. The museum is located in the University of California Center at 550 E. Shaw Avenue in Fresno, across from Fashion Fair mall.

The commemoration will feature Guest of Honor, Archbishop Barkev Mardirossian, Primate of Artsakh from 1989 to 2021 and Pontifical Legate since 2021. For more than three decades, Archbishop Mardirossian served the Armenian people of Artsakh through periods of war, independence, and tremendous upheaval. A spiritual leader whose life and ministry became closely intertwined with the modern history of Artsakh, he witnessed the determination of its Armenian people to remain on their ancestral homeland and, ultimately, the uprooting of the indigenous Armenians of Artsakh—the latest chapter in a long history of displacement, genocide, and ethnic cleansing endured by the Armenian people.

Ashot Poghosyan, writer, publisher and screenwriter, will serve as guest speaker. Poghosyan is the author of Archbishop Mardirossian’s biography, Do Not Let Darkness Be the End, which chronicles the Archbishop’s life and his decades of spiritual leadership alongside the people of Artsakh.  Through the Archbishop’s story, Poghosyan’s book offers a deeply personal window into Artsakh’s modern history and the experiences of the Armenian people who called it home.

A third-generation Armenian American descendant of genocide survivors, Tellalian entered the war zone to document the experiences of civilians caught in a geopolitical conflict with deep historical roots.

His photographs, accompanied by the words and stories of the people he encountered, offer an intimate look at civilian life during the war — the daily toll of shelling and displacement, moments of uncertainty and despair, and the resilience, hope and humanity that persisted amid the destruction.

Rather than focusing solely on the battlefield, Humanity During War turns its lens toward everyday people and the human desire for life, peace and love in the midst of war.

The exhibition will remain on view at the Armenian Museum of Fresno September 2 through October 9, 2026.

On September 2, 2016, the Museum presented The Spirit of Artsakh to the greater Fresno community in recognition of the 25th anniversary of Artsakh’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.

For the past decade, the exhibition has served as an educational resource for Museum visitors, educators and students. Through a series of interpretive panels, The Spirit of Artsakh traces more than 2,500 years of history in the eastern Armenian Highlands and explores the region’s people, geography, architecture, customs, faith and culture, as well as periods of conflict, the struggle for self-determination and the establishment of democratic institutions.

Ten years after the exhibition opened — and 35 years after the 1991 declaration — the Museum will once again bring the community together to remember Artsakh through its history and through the experiences of the people who lived it.

Program and speakers begin: 6 p.m.

Guest of Honor: Archbishop Barkev Mardirossian, Primate of Artsakh (1989–2021) and Pontifical Legate since 2021.

Guest Speaker: Ashot Poghosyan, writer, publisher, screenwriter and author of Do Not Let Darkness Be the End – Biography of Archbishop Mardirossian. 

Featured Exhibition and Speaker: Humanity During War, photographs by Ezras Tellalian
On view: September 2–October 9, 2026.

Armenian Museum of Fresno
550 E. Shaw Ave., UC Center, Fresno
Admission is free.

The evening will feature the opening reception for Step 3 of Landscape Memories, an immersive art installation by Hazel Antaramian Hofman, continuing the Museum’s commitment to sharing Armenian art, culture, history and contemporary creative expression with the Central Valley.

The AMF is located at 550 E. Shaw Ave. Fresno, 93710.

ZARTONK Gallery is located at Historic Helm Building 1107 Fulton St. Downtown Fresno, 93721.

AMF is funded in part by the citizens of the City of Fresno, Measure P, Expended Access to Arts and Culture (EAAC) initiative.

Admission is free and open to the public.