ARTS & CULTURE COMMISSION

The mission of the Arts and Culture Commission is to enrich the human experience, reinforce Glendale’s identity and civic pride through arts and culture, and to recognize the importance of arts to our quality of life and to the local economy. This is accomplished by consciously integrating arts and culture into the daily life of the people of Glendale through urban design, planning, economic development, and education.

Meet the Commissioners

SEVANA ZADORIAN, Chair

Current Terms: 1

Term Ends: March 2021

Appointed By: Sinanyan

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Sevana Zadorian is a life-long resident of Glendale, and is currently the Executive Director of the Armenian Educational Foundation, Inc. Zadorian has also served as Campaign Manager, Field Director and Volunteer Director for various political campaigns, and is also affiliated with the Armenian National Committee (Glendale Chapter), Armenian National Committee of America, All-Armenian Student Association, and the Armenian Youth Federation. Zadorian attended the University of San Francisco, and has experience in the curation of art shows and journalism.

CAROLINE TUFENKIAN, Vice-Chair

Current Terms: 1

Term Ends: March 2023

Appointed By: Najarian

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Caroline Lais-Tufenkian has worked in the arts field for over 19 years in a variety of capacities to represent excellence in contemporary art. Caroline maintains active relationships with artists and arts organizations within and beyond Southern California, organizes and manages exhibitions, represents and promotes individual artists and art shows, and produces art talks. As an art dealer, curator and art consultant she works closely with private collectors and corporations to build their collection.

ARA OSHAGAN, Commissioner

Current Terms: 2

Term Ends: March 2023

Appointed By: Devine

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Ara Oshagan is a photographer and installation artist whose work revolves around the intersecting themes of identity, community and history. His first book, Father Land, was published in 2010. Two other books, Mirror and iwitness, will be published this year and next.  Oshagan’s work has been reviewed and featured in Mother Jones, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and NPR, and can be found in the permanent collections of several museums. In October 2012, Oshagan spoke at TEDx in Yerevan, Armenia.

JANE VIAR, Commissioner

Current Terms: 1

Term Ends: March 2023

Appointed By: Gharpetian

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Jane Viar is currently the Vice Chair of the Glendale Library Foundation, and member of the Glendale Police Foundation and Zonta Club of Burbank. Ms. Viar is a retired speech and language pathologist, and an avid supporter of the arts.

ARLENE VIDOR, Commissioner

Current Terms: 1

Term Ends: March 2021

Appointed By: Agajanian
 

Vidor currently serves on the City of Glendale Arts & Culture Commission. She is on the Board of Directors of Antaeus Theatre Company and the Glendale Historical Society’s Advisory Council. She was a Glendale Historic Preservation Commissioner from 2008 through 2017.  Vidor was President of The Glendale Historical Society from 2002 to 2009 and received the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Prior to becoming a full time community volunteer, she was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Baxter BioScience.