Description
Sunday, February 23rd from 4-6:30pm
2971 Allesandro Street, Frogtown, Los Angeles 90039
Join us for a family friendly evening of merriment and gathering. We’re thrilled to be hosting our second community exhibition and fundraiser for Armenian Joy. An archival photography album and digital database, consisting of family photographs collected from a constellation of Armenians worldwide, uniting the diaspora as one family.
All guests are encouraged to bring in their own photos (or a photocopy) to add to the exhibition - original photos will be photographed and returned at the end of the event.
We will have a Retro Photo Studio Booth set up with our very own, studio photographer Gilda Davidian. Polaroid photographs will be taken of all the guests that are interested in being part of the archive. The originals will be added to the archive to document the loving community that has contributed to growing our family album archive. Photo prints will be available to purchase at a sliding scale donation of $3-5 per photo.
We will also be offering the exclusive Armenian Joy merch line that includes the revival “Kiss Me I Am Armenian” Tees as seen in the National Geographic from the 1970s and a new collection of Armenian Petroglyph shirts, sweatshirts, totes, hats, posters, stationary and one of a kind handmade ceramic pieces all designed by Armenian Joy founding artist Anahit Pogosian to help fundraise for the ongoing costs and expansion of this project.
We will provide some light bites, treats from Liana Makes and Armenian soorj at the event. Guest are welcome to snack and sip coffee and read each others cups throughout the late afternoon. We’ll also have tables set up for voluntary free clay play, to encourage our guests to connect through the tactile creative activity of engaging in an artistic act for the fun of it. The event is free and family friendly. Dress your best and come celebrate life with us on Sunday evening at Sooki Studio.
About Armenian Joy
հյուրընկալություն. This streaming archive is dedicated to collecting a family album of Armenian Joy.
Often the Armenian people are portrayed as survivors in sorrowing ways. This album shows the brighter parts of who we are. We are not only resilient. We’re a benevolent folk, who know how to enjoy life.
The Armenian Joy family album is composed of images submitted from personal albums from Armenians from around the world. The digital forms of the project - website and instagram - are woven with images of historical figures of Armenian descent found online and courtesy of Armenian Women Artists Archive.
Joy is an act of resistance. This work aims to unite the diaspora as one family, to inspire connection and serve as an act of resistance to the ongoing genocide and erasure of our ancestral lands and history.
Despite our losses, with every breath and chance meeting with one another - we create a new armenia.
Health, Safety & Accessibility
Community care and inclusivity lay at the core of Sooki. We believe that creativity requires vulnerability and over the last four years we have worked to foster a feeling of safety within the studio. This intention is reflected in our policies, studio setup, and collective efforts.
We are fortunate to have an indoor/outdoor space that offers a safe haven, particularly for our immunocompromised community members who are at higher risk for Covid, flu, RSV, colds, and other infections.
To ensure a safer space for everyone, we now require masks for all programming and are providing N95 and KN95 masks. We ask that everyone work with us, so that we can collectively create a feeling of safety, community and connection.
We are adjusting to the tragic new reality within our city, post-LA wild fires, and are evaluating how best to adapt our space as both a resource and to improve air quality within the studio. We are working on installing commercial grade air filters and would love to hear from those who are most affected and may need other any other accommodations.
Our property is ADA accessible. The bathroom has 3 steps and a ramp can be fitted upon request. On-site parking is available when needed along with other accommodations.
Please reach out with any questions, ideas or concerns to info@sooki.studio. We’re always happy to hear from our community and are constantly working to improve.