By Noel Mazmanian and Sanan Gueyigan
AYF Camp Haiastan is a place for campers to come and celebrate being Armenian. One way they can do this is through technology. Art has served as the ultimate form of expression, and as an Armenian, it serves as a gift to share our culture with others. Art gives campers a way to celebrate their cultural identity as Armenians and grow together in this expression. The art and craft room is a safe place for campers to work together to create beautiful work that they will be able to show off to the rest of the community. This creative approach allows campers to make their Armenian pride visible for everyone to enjoy.
For the past four weeks, the artistic team has planned various interesting and unique projects that showed a different part of Armenian heritage. During the Teen Session, the campers worked together to make an oriental rug. Each camper was given a different piece of rug to paint and create in their own way. Then, the quilters put all the pieces together in a rug to produce one connected rug. Actors in the first episode participated in the creation of “Armenian Flat Stanley” dressed in Armenian clothing, or daraz. The male “Flat Stanlians,” as the children called them, wore embroidered shirts, caftans and trousers. The women’s dress consisted of long dresses, aprons (or mezars) and hats.
We organized art projects for Hye Talks, which included a painting study of Mt. Ararat was inspired by Bob Ross, kachkar paintings from clay and trchnakir, a form of Armenian calligraphy. This diverse collection of activities was a hit with both campers and staff. They all had so much fun working together, creating an unforgettable experience. Although some children may have already seen art as an outlet, Camp Haiastan provided an opportunity to teach children about the right way to celebrate, create and express their Armenian pride. We hope to continue this artistic journey, who knows, we may find the next Arshile Gorky here at Camp Haiastan.
Founded in 1951, AYF Camp Haiastan is the oldest Armenian residential camp in the United States. Camp Haiastan is located in Franklin, Massachusetts.
