Echoes of Saroyan
William Saroyan - The Painted Word, Forever Saroyan's installation at the Saratoga Library in Saratoga, California, opened on August 1st, 2022. The exhibit, curated by Chris Garcia and Dori Myer, features 16 paintings and drawings by William Saroyan ranging from roughly 1930 through 1963. There were also materials relating to Saroyan's lyric work, and film and theatrical writing. The exhibition, the first of Saroyan's work this decade, is supplemented by printed biographical materials.
On August 6th, 2022, Forever Saroyan, LLC, presented Echoes of Saroyan to celebrate the opening of the exhibit. The event featured a selection of works and materials related to Saroyan's life and output, as well as a video presentation, and two speakers - authors Mark Arax and Aris Janigian.
The displays focused on four major areas - The life and impact of William Saroyan, Saroyan's three most important works:The Human Comedy, The Time of Your Life, and The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze and other stories; Saroyan's international popularity; and Saroyan's musical output. These small, table-top displays were curated by Chris Garcia, and included materials that had never before been displayed, including the original lyrics for "Come On-a My House," the telegram Saroyan sent accepting the New York Drama Critics' Circle award for The Time of Your Life, and Saroyan's certificate recognizing his election to the National Institute of Arts & Letters.
The video presentation focused on providing context to Saroyan's life with several pieces presented in his own voice, including excerpts of Saroyan on the Dick Cavett Show, reading the dedication of The Human Comedy, and delivering his most fiery of speeches - The Armenian and The Armenian.
Finally, Mark Arax spoke of his view of Saroyan and having met the man himself, and related stories of Fresno, his family, and the influence of Saroyan on his work. He also read from both Saroyan and his own writing, and called up author Aris Janigian for a conversation about Saroyan, the craft of writing, and the Armenian experience.
The exhibit will remain available through September 30th, 2022. Hours are Monday - Tuesday, 10am to 8pm, Wednesday - Sunday - 10am to 6pm. Admission is free.
