Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Minassian, and Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian at the
Mayor’s office in City Hall.
Photo: Erik Abrahamyan
Staff Report
Avag Simonyan, Director of the Saroyan House Museum, Meroujan Minassian, Project architect and founder of the Storaket Architectural Studio, and Armenian Studies Program Coordinator Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, paid a visit to Fresno City Hall to meet with Mayor Lee Brand on Friday, February 23 and to visit with Fresno City Council President Esmerelda Soria on Monday, February 26.
The purpose of the meetings was to familiarize both the Mayor and the Council President with the ongoing plans to convert Saroyan’s former home into a House Museum. Mayor Brand expressed his support for the Saroyan House and said that he stood ready to assist the project. Council President Soria, whose district includes the site of the future Saroyan House Museum, also expressed her support for the plan.
Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, Berberian Professor Emeritus of Armenian Studies, and Prof. Der Mugrdechian are Board Members of the Saroyan House Museum Project.
Fresno State students Erik Abrahamyan and Hovsep Haru-tyunyan accompanied the group to City Hall.
The innovative House Mu-seum will focus on bringing to life William Saroyan’s literary legacy. After its opening, the House Museum will become one of the cultural and educational centers of Fresno.
The Museum is scheduled to hold its opening on August 31, 2018, which is the 110th anniversary of William Saroyan’s birthday. The Saroyan House Project is being implemented by the “Renaissance” Cultural and Intellectual Foundation, based in Yerevan, Armenia.
