GLENDALE–Cartoonist Masis Araradian was awarded Friday the highest medal of the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural Association at the Glendale Public library auditorium.
The event was sponsored by the Hamazkayin Central Committee and organized by the Hamazkayin Western Region Executive and Prelate Archbishop Mooshegh Mardirossian. Also attending were members of the ARF Central Committee–Hamazkayin–ARS–and various cultural associations–along with more than two hundred community members.
Throughout his 50 years of work–Masis has been a cartoonist for Armenian–Arabic–and American papers. This event was organized in celebration of his 75th birthday and to celebrate his many achievemen’s.
Master of Ceremonies–Tamar Abkarian–welcomed the crowd. Asbarez editor Vatche Proodian–former editor of Nor Or Vatche Semerdjian–publisher Hovhannes Hanessian–and artist Garine Der Kevorkian each said a few words about Masis.
The keynote speaker that evening was Sarkis Mahserejian–former editor of Aztag–where many of Masis’s cartoons appeared in the early 70’s. He analyzed the art of Masis–his sense of humor–and his profound impact on the diasporan press.
Araz Araradian–Masis’s son–also spoke briefly about his father.
The program also included musical performances by Garine Der Kevorkian (piano) and Nanor Jamakordzian (violin)–as well as singer Garine Avakian who was accompanied by Victoria Simonian on the piano.
Hamazkayin Central Committee members Edward Misserlian and Hagop Balian–along with Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian–then presented Masis with the Hamazkayin medal in appreciation for his achievemen’s. Masis then took the podium and–with his distinct sense of humor–thanked everyone present.