FRESNO — Get a first-hand look at how the artwork of Fowler-native Carol Tikikian weaves together family history, memory and heritage.
The Armenian Museum of Fresno is inviting the community to the opening reception of “Bloodline: The Art of Carol Tikijian.” The reception is on Friday, March 6, from 4–7 p.m. at the museum in the UC Center located at 550 E. Shaw Ave., across from Fashion Fair Mall.
“This exhibition beautifully reflects the spirit of our WhoShare_Memories project,” said Varoujan Der Simonian, director of the Armenian Museum of Fresno in the announcement of the reception. “Through art and personal storytelling, Carol preserves family history in ways that resonate across generations.”
The exhibition, which will be at the museum until the end of June, is part of the museum’s 25th anniversary year celebration. Admission is free and open to the public. The opening reception will feature lavash, cheese and other Armenian delicacies, along with homemade persimmon cookies.
“In 2025, seven local artists contributed their own perspectives to the WhoShare_Memories project through fine art, music, photography, and audiovisual works. Bloodline continues that important conversation about memory, identity, and cultural preservation,” Der Simonian stated.
The announcement describes this new exhibition as “powerful,” featuring mixed media constructions that weave together personal history, family memory and cultural heritage. Tikijian’s work is noted as “deeply rooted in the stories of her ancestors, incorporating meaningful heirlooms and materials into richly textured pieces.”
Among the objects featured in the exhibition are a wooden shoe her grandfather discovered in France while serving in World War I; silk maps used by her father during his Army Air Corps service in the Philippines in World War II; crocheted lace made by her grandmother; and her grandmother’s wedding dress from the 1920s.