upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
Kathryn Pannepacker (ACG '15, LTA '11, ACG '11, WOO '04) and Angela Crafton, will unveil their painted mural on Friday, August 7th at 11:00am at Zakian Rug Cleaning located at 4930 W. Parkside Avenue. The mural is an interpretation of the world famous Armenian Orphan Rug, which was woven /hand-knotted by more than 400 orphaned Armenian girls in Ghazir, Lebanon, and presented to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925.
Third generation Philadelphia business owner Bob Zakian’s rug cleaning business has been a cornerstone of the Parkside neighborhood of the city for more than 92 years. Zakian’s grandparents opened Zakian Rug Cleaning in 1923 shortly after emigrating from Armenia and surviving the Armenian Genocide of 1915. In honor of the100th anniversary of the genocide,
Bob Zakian knew he wanted to pay tribute to his family’s heritage as well as give back to Parkside, the neighborhood his business has always called home.
On Friday, August 7th at 11 a.m., Bob Zakian, along with Philadelphia mural artists
In 1915, the Ottoman Empire’s government (present-day Turkey) initiated the systematic extermination and deportation of an estimated 1.5 million men, women, and children of ethnic Armenian Christian descent. Today, 28 countries have officially recognized the annihilation of Armenia’s population as genocide, with the U.S. controversially declining to officially recognize the massacre for fears of strained international relations with Turkey and reprisal toward Armenian minorities in the area.
In observance of the 100th anniversary of this genocide, Zakian Rug Cleaning will open its doors to celebrate Armenian culture with all of Parkside. The free event will feature Armenian food, music, and live rug repair workshops to welcome the neighborhood as part of the Zakian family.
