Art and Westfield State CollegeMystery of important missing abstract impressionist painting
solved at Westfield State College alumni art show
During a recent opening for an alumni art exhibit at the Westfield State College Downtown Art Gallery, the mystery of a missing painting was solved and a noteworthy piece of artwork was gifted to the college. The work of abstract expressionist artist Nevartte Bedrossian was featured in the exhibit Past Presence, and the late artist’s sister-in-law attended the opening after seeing the announcement in the Springfield Republican newspaper.
Hazel M. Bedrossian of West Springfield was skimming the paper when she saw the announcement for the art show.
“I still can’t believe that my mom saw the artist’s name in the newspaper that day. She usually just breezes through it and then works on the crossword puzzle. But, for whatever reason, the name Bedrossian popped out at her,” said Janet E. Beach of Hampden, Mass.
“I always admired her for her way of being able to express herself so well,” Bedrossian said of her sister-in-law. She added that the artist’s siblings were all creatively inclined. “I was just amazed at how wonderful it was that they had all developed individual artistic feelings.”
Bedrossian, who celebrated her 92nd birthday on the night of the opening on Oct. 18, brought a long-sought painting to the gallery. The oil painting, entitled Mama Bedrossian, had been hanging in Bedrossian’s living room for many years.
Darrel M. Razdow, curator of the Nevartte Bedrossian Project, said that the whereabouts of another of the artist’s works remained unknown. At the opening, Razdow learned that the second missing painting is owned by another member of the Bedrossian family. “It’s wonderful to know that they ended up with family,” she said.
Hazel Bedrossian donated the Mama Bedrossian painting to the project. The painting won first place in a contest sponsored by the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts in 1938.
Bedrossian also donated a linoleum cut print done by her sister-in-law to the Westfield State College permanent art collection. The print is entitled Grand Old Man.
"We sincerely appreciate the gift of this artwork, especially since it represents the work of one of our esteemed alumni," Evan S. Dobelle, president of Westfield State College, said. "Nevartte Bedrossian has made a very significant contribution to art history and we are also proud to join the region's Armenian community in celebrating her work."
“It was a wonderful gesture on behalf of Hazel Bedrossian to donate this piece to the Westfield State College Downtown Art Gallery's permanent collection,” said Faith Lund, the curator of the college’s art gallery. “It was fitting that one of her works become a part of her alma mater. We are honored to acquire one of her works of art.”
Nevartte Bedrossian’s stepdaughter, Michele A. Goldfarb of Philadelphia, also attended the opening of the show.
“Hazel Bedrossian had not seen Michele since she was a very young child,” said Razdow. “Michele did not know that there were any family members still living in the
area. This was also a reunion of sorts for them. Hazel wanted Michele to have the painting. It is a very important painting in the chronology of Nevartte's story.”
Nevartte Bedrossian was a Springfield-born artist of Armenian descent who is known for her abstract expressionist paintings. She graduated from the then Massachusetts State Teachers College. Her brother, Aram Bedrossian, taught music at the college and was the husband of Hazel Bedrossian.
Nevartte Bedrossian also attended the Massachusetts School of Art (now the Massachusetts College of Art) in Boston.
Bedrossian went on to study at the Art Students League in New York City in the early 1950’s. The abstract expressionism movement came to the forefront of the contemporary art world at the end of World War II. Male artists in the movement, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, gained prominence. Female artists Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler only received recognition several decades later.
“Nevartte felt that she was a great abstract expressionist artist who had been overlooked. So now she’s having her turn,” Razdow said. “We’re going to have another large show here at Westfield State College in 2010 and it’s going to be devoted to Nevartte Bedrossian’s work. From there we hope to be showing the work in other venues in Massachusetts and New York. So it’s just the beginning.”
“The show in 2010 will be a retrospective of her work chosen from archives of over 300 pieces. This show will be in the new Westfield State College art gallery in the Ely Campus Center upon completion,” said Lund.
Of her sister-in-law, Hazel Bedrossian said, “It’s wonderful that she’s going to be recognized.”