East Watertown Intersection to be Named for Armenian Immigrant and Artist Arshile Gorky

WATERTOWN, MA — An intersection in East Watertown will be named in honor of an Armenian artist who made his home in Watertown for several years, Watertown News reports.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted to name the intersection of Dexter Avenue and Hazel Street for Arshile Gorky.

The City of Watertown’s website includes the following details of his life: “After surviving the 1915 Armenian genocide and its aftermath, Gorky arrived in Watertown in February 1920 as part of a third wave of Armenians immigrants arriving in the United States to escape persecution. He lived in Watertown with his sisters until late 1924 to early 1925, when he moved to New York City. Gorky’s impact on art history and his continued influence on contemporary art cannot be overstated. Watertown has long been a haven for Armenian immigrants and the East End of Watertown, where Gorky lived, is proud to be the home of several Armenian art and cultural organizations. ”

The request to name the intersection for Gorky came from members of a working group for the “100 Years of Arshile Gorky” celebration. The Working Group includes Watertown’s Public Arts & Culture Planner Liz Helfer, resident Jack Dargon, and representatives of the Armenian Museum of America, the Mosesian Center for the Arts and the Historical Society of Watertown.

The City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 11 to name the section of Dexter Avenue and Hazel Street for Arshile Gorky.

The 100 Years of Arshile Gorky celebration includes a mural on the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway, an exhibition and movie screening at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, a curated collection on Gorky at the Watertown Library, a guided walk, and a self-guided tour. Click here for more information.