Veteran photojournalist Tom Vartabedian to exhibit images of rural Armenia

Published: Wednesday January 14, 2009

A child in Zangezur, Armenia, stands on a gravestone. Tom Vartabedian

Haverhill, Mass. - Veteran news reporter and photographer Tom Vartabedian of Haverhill will present a photographic exhibit of his works titled, "Armenian Village People - A Country Kaleidoscope," in the ArtSpace Gallery of the Bentley Library at Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill campus, throughout the month of February. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A public reception is planned Thursday, Feb. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The exhibit includes 30 color photographs, each a 10 x 13 image, part of a collection taken by Mr. Vartabedian during a trip to Armenia in 2006. He paid particularly close attention to life in the outlying regions of this historic land, whose history dates back 3,000 years. Images of people living and toiling in the valleys and mountains were captured with an artist's eye for the vivid colors of daily life and for the unforgettable character of its remote population.

"A country's history is best told through the faces and character of its people," said Mr. Vartabedian. "The flame of nationhood continues to burn in their hearts, no matter what their plight may be."

"This exhibit has already received tremendous exposure inside the Armenian community throughout Greater Boston," the college announced. "This will be a first showing in the non-Armenian community." Next, it moves to Merrimack College in March and the Haverhill Public Library in April.

In addition to the exhibit, Mr. Vartabedian is also working on publishing a coffee table book of his photographs.

Mr. Vartabedian spent 40 years as a writer and photographer for the Haverhill Gazette before retiring in 2007 with numerous awards from United Press International, The Associated Press, and the New England Press Association. His columns on local figures and events continue to be featured in the Armenian Reporter and other publications.

Over the decades, Mr. Vartabedian has cherished the diversity of photojournalism, salon printing, and wedding photography, combining all three mediums into the world he loves to see.

Mr. Vartabedian actively maintains a role as a judge and speaker at camera clubs along the North Shore as a master member of the New England Camera Club Council.