Discussing the Creative Process and the Importance of Instilling Cultural Literacy in Children Through Media with Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan

Discussing the Creative Process and the Importance of Instilling Cultural Literacy in Children Through Media with Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan

Pauline Pechakjian
Artist Interview

On March 1, 2024,  the “Vardavar!” episode of Mickey Mouse Funhouse went live, heralding the  first instance of Armenian cultural representation in Disney programming and mainstream children’s television media at large. Kathleen Sarnelli Kapukchyan, a Staff Writer for the show, was the creative force responsible for bringing this vision to the television screen, and I got to ask her a few questions about her process as a writer and the deeper implications of media representation in regards to cultural literacy for children. Read on to learn more about how Kathleen approaches her craft as a writer and how the celebrated “Vardavar!” episode came to fruition. 

Searching for Nuance and Exploring the Lasting Implications of Soviet Identity through Art with Molly Surazhsky

Searching for Nuance and Exploring the Lasting Implications of Soviet Identity through Art with Molly Surazhsky

Pauline Pechakjian
Artist Interview, Favorite Artist Feature

Last summer, at the Wende Museum in Culver City, CA, I stumbled upon an incredibly vibrant, multi-layered work by Molly Surazhsky, entitled Dermokratizatsiya (Shitocracy). I would come to learn that this was Surazhsky’s very first exhibit, and was lucky enough to converse with her on some of the many important topics touched upon by her work. Born in Queens, New York to immigrant parents that brought her up in a very Soviet tradition, Surazhsky fervidly explores history, cultural identity, and the lasting implications of the USSR’s collapse through her artistic work. Read on for our wonderful discussion about her first museum exhibit, the process behind creating Dermokratizatsiya, and Molly’s understanding of her own cultural identity through her continuous artistic and personal studies.

Nydya Mora of Virgens de Los Angeles Uses Photography to Combat Cultural Erasure Amid Gentrification in L.A.

Nydya Mora of Virgens de Los Angeles Uses Photography to Combat Cultural Erasure Amid Gentrification in L.A.

Pauline Pechakjian
Favorite Artist Feature, Artist Interview

Meet Nydya Mora, a native Angeleno who documents the murals and shrines of the Virgen de Guadalupe all over Los Angeles and publishes them on her Instagram page, Virgens de Los Angeles. Read on for our discussion on Nydya’s heritage which inspired this project, the pride she has for her home city, and the urgent need to combat cultural erasure amid gentrification, particularly in the Latinx communities of L.A.

A Conversation on Multiplicity, Illustrated Clickbooks, and Western Media Tropes with Dav Yendler

A Conversation on Multiplicity, Illustrated Clickbooks, and Western Media Tropes with Dav Yendler

Pauline Pechakjian
Favorite Artist Feature

Americans have a lot of ideas about not only themselves, but the rest of the world, too. Specifically, Americans have a lot of ideas about Russians. Of course, there is no one answer to what constitutes Russia and Russianness, and it is this very notion that is explored by illustrator and designer Dav Yendler in his recent clickbook, “Other Russia.” Read on to learn about this incredibly fascinating work and our discussion of history, politics, the diasporan experience, and Dav’s artistic process!

Talking Filmmaking with Director Hayk Matevosyan

Talking Filmmaking with Director Hayk Matevosyan

Pauline Pechakjian
Favorite Artist Feature

With his impressive roster of short films and music videos, including his recent debut at several global film festivals, filmmaker Hayk Matevosyan is creating waves in the cinematographic world. Read on to learn about his inspiring journey from a young dreamer during the Nagorno-Karabakh War to an accomplished, talented director and filmmaker pioneering his way through the world of cinema.