NEWS

THE PROJECT OF WILLIAM SAROYAN’S HOUSE MUSEUM WILL BE COORDINATED BY THE “STORAKET” ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO

The “Intellectual Renaissance” Foundation signed a contract with “Storaket” architectural studio regarding the planning and the content development of William Saroyan’s house-museum. The foundation had announced a competition for the best project for the house-museum. As a result, several Armenian and international companies presented their ideas. The final stage of the competition was held in Yerevan. The winner is already announced – “Storaket” architectural studio. Instead of the traditional model, the company’s offer was rich with creative and innovative solutions. Thanks to 3D mapping, Saroyan’s characters and Saroyan himself will appear within the walls of the house-museum, where the writer used to live and write his extraordinary stories. Saroyan will welcome the guests, speak to them and show them around the museum. The technologies implemented in the house-museum will erase all the boundaries of time and distance. Currently, the foundation is engaged in the process of acquiring all the necessary permits from the Fresno municipality in order to launch the construction process. The opening of the house-museum is scheduled for 2018, for writer’s 110th anniversary.

THE INTELLECTUAL RENAISSANCE FOUNDATION HAD A BIG CELEBRATION OF W. SAROYAN’S 108TH BIRTHDAY

On August 31, 2016, the Intellectual Renaissance Foundation celebrated the 108th birthday of the great Armenian-American writer William Saroyan. The celebration had a true Saroyan spirit: the foundation organized a film screening, an online reading in a number of countries around the world, a painting competition, a quiz, an exhibition of Saroyan’s photographs, a concert with live music and a tasting of Saroyan’s favorite dishes.

The celebration was attended by Saroyan’s relatives and friends, as well as some high-ranking guests from Armenia and abroad. The event gave people an opportunity to discover Saroyan’s diverse and complicated personality from a completely different perspective.

THE “INTELLECTUAL RENAISSANCE” FOUNDATION ACQUIRED WILLIAM SAROYAN’S HOUSE IN FRESNO

The “Intellectual Renaissance” Foundation has acquired William Saroyan’s house in Fresno, CA, where the writer had spent the last seventeen years of his life. The house was put to an auction and was acquired by the foundation which intends to turn it into a house museum. After Saroyan’s death, the house was included in the list of historical preservation monuments by the municipal authorities of the city of Fresno. Nevertheless, for almost 3 decades it has been passed from hand to hand and was held in very poor conditions. Once the auction was announced, calls for action were made both in Armenia and the diaspora. Several months later, the house was acquired by the foundation. In accordance with Saroyan’s will, his house will become a place of gathering for students all over the world, where they will be able to carry out research and organize cultural and educational events. Thanks to the atmosphere of the house museum the visitors will be able to feel themselves in Saroyan’s stories. The museum will have a rich library and a park, where literary evenings will be held. The team already plans its first visits to Fresno in order to acquire all the necessary arrangements for launching the construction process of the house-museum.