16 May: Toon Talk: Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian

Toon Talk: Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian

  • SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026
  • 4:00 PM  6:00 PM
  • CARTOON ART MUSEUM781 BEACH STREETSAN FRANCISCO, CA, 

Free and open to the public

Join us for a Toon Talk with Nadine Takvorian for her debut graphic novel, Armaveni, currently featured in our Emerging Artist Showcase. Armaveni is a bold, autobiographical graphic novel chronicling one girl’s quest to uncover her family’s history during the Armenian genocide. Nadine will talk about her graphic novel and share her insights. This event is free and open to the public.

About Armaveni:

This autobiographical graphic novel follows Nadine’s love of stories and her mother’s hesitancy to tell one. Nadine would give anything to learn about her family’s history in Armenia and Turkey—where they came from and how they came to America—but it is just too painful for her parents. All Nadine knows is that they were caught up in the Armenian genocide.

Until one day the dam bursts. And through that flood of stories and memories, and a trip back to their people’s homelands, Nadine discovers a key to unlocking her own heritage and the courage to speak up when injustice rears its head again.

About Nadine Takvorian

Nadine Takvorian is a first-generation Armenian-American author and illustrator of children’s books and graphic novels. From within the Armenian diaspora, Nadine’s family is “Bolsahye”―from Istanbul, Turkey. She is passionate about exploring Armenian identity and history, and battling cultural erasure. She also nourishes a soft spot for fantasy and alternate worlds. 

Emerging Artist Showcase

This exhibit presents new and emerging voices in comics, from the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Now featuring a selection of the artist’s favorite pages from her debut graphic novel Armaveni published by Levine Querido on display through August 2, 2026.

18 May: Armenia and Azerbaijan after the Washington Accords: What Is Left of the Conflict?

Armenia and Azerbaijan after the Washington Accords: What Is Left of the Conflict?

Event Link

Monday, May 18, 2026
12:30pm PT

Encina Commons, Rm. 123
615 Crothers Way, Stanford, CA 94305

Event Details:

This event will explore the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, which began in the final years of the Soviet Union, claimed tens of thousands of lives, and displaced hundreds of thousands. Guest speaker Olesya Vartanyan has spent more than 15 years working in conflict zones across the South Caucasus. She will discuss where Armenia and Azerbaijan stand today following a series of peace agreements reached at the White House in the summer of 2025. Drawing on years of on-the-ground research, Olesya will take the audience inside the negotiation process, while also offering a more personal perspective: insights from the field that bring the current situation to life and highlight the challenges that continue to shape this fragile peace.

Please RSVP here.

Olesya Vartanyan is a conflict analyst with over 15 years of experience specializing in research, advocacy, and conflict resolution in the South Caucasus. She has recently started her PhD studies at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Olesya also contributes to EVN Report analyzing regional dynamics in her column “Beyond Borders,” and writes articles and analysis for leading think tanks, including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, ISPI, and others.

Previously, Olesya worked with leading international organizations, including the International Crisis Group, Freedom House, and the OSCE. She conducted field investigations and authored influential reports on conflict zones such as Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, shaping policy recommendations for governments and international bodies while participating in confidential peace processes. Her efforts earned her the International Young Women’s Peace Award in 2024.

Before transitioning to conflict analysis, Olesya was an investigative journalist reporting on security issues in the South Caucasus. During the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, her field reporting contributed to The New York Times’ groundbreaking investigations into the conflict’s origins. She also gained rare access to Abkhazia, covering crisis developments for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and producing an award-winning radio documentary on missing persons from the Georgia-Abkhazia war.

23 May: Quarter Tone Poets

Calling all writers and dreamers: Join us for Quarter Tone Poets, a poetry-writing workshop set to Armenian and Palestinian melodies.

On Saturday May 23, at The Back Room in Berkeley, inaugural Glendale poet laureate Raffi Joe Wartanian brings us a poetry workshop centering Western Armenian, an endangered language (though knowledge of Western Armenian is not required to participate). Featuring live oud accompaniment, creative writing prompts, performances by local legends Hrayr Varaz and Clarissa Bitar, and delicious food and drinks.

Walk away with new appreciation of the craft and a poem or two of your own. Tix here: https://events.humanitix.com/quarter-tone-poets

24 May: A Celebration of Armenian Culture at Golden Gate Park

The Golden Gate Park Band lights up the stage for a vibrant celebration of Armenian culture, joined by special guests from the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Association. This special concert features stirring music, colorful traditional dance, and dynamic performances that showcase the richness of Armenian heritage. Join us for an unforgettable afternoon where music, movement, and community come alive in the heart of the park.

Program:

  1. From the “Gayne Ballet” 1.Dance of the Rose Maidens 2. Sabre Dance – Khachaturian/ Leidzen
  2. Tapor No. 1 – Hovhaness
  3. Waltz from Masquarade – Khachaturian/ Yperen
  4. Gallop – Khachaturian
  5. Armenian Dances – Khachaturian / Satz

A Celebration of Armenian Culture

  • Sunday, May 24, 2026
  • 1:00 PM 2:30 PM
  • Spreckels Temple of Music
  • 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr
  • San Francisco, CA 94118 \