top of page

Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn

  • myglendale
  • Feb 13
  • 13 min read

Updated: May 5


March 22 - August 3, 2025

Extended by popular demand

abstract portrait of woman's face in primarily red oil paint
Huguette Caland, Untitled,1991

Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn at ReflectSpace presents thirty-five original portraits of Quinn made by diasporic, immigrant, and culturally diverse artists. Selected from Quinn’s personal art collection and archive of over three hundred works, the exhibition highlights a distinct part of each artists’ unique story and how they capture Quinn’s vital and enduring presence.

 

Often described as the doyenne of the Los Angeles art scene, Joan Agajanian Quinn’s image has been captured by more artists than any other living person. She has been painted, photographed, and sculpted by many of the prolific artists she has befriended throughout her years in Los Angeles and other cities, including Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney, Larry Bell, Ed Ruscha, and many more. As West Coast editor of Interview magazine, host of The Joan Quinn Profiles, and throughout her career in journalism, the arts, and philanthropy, Quinn has seamlessly moved between roles as advocate, chronicler, catalyst, and friend, championing artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and across disciplines and generations. Through their work, the artists reflect the richness of cultural exchange and collaboration.

 

The exhibition extends into the PassageWay, where Quinn’s own snapshots reveal her instinct for documenting intimate moments with legendary figures like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. These spontaneous photographs unveil another facet of Quinn’s artistic orbit, capturing her ability to be both documentarian and active participant in significant artistic circles.

 

Through these portraits and photographs, viewers witness decades of artistic dialogue across communities and cultures. Quinn’s unwavering commitment to connecting artists, particularly those from immigrant and diasporic backgrounds, continues to echo in contemporary art. Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn is curated by Ara and Anahid Oshagan.





Artists in Exhibition: 

Ruben Amirian, Vako Armeno, Kalman Aron, Huguette Caland, Pablo Carreño, Silvina Der Meguerditchian, Gregory Wiley Edwards, Elsa Flores Almaraz, Sophia Gasparian, Yolanda González, Nikolas Soren Goodich, Gyurjyan, Chaz Guest,  Marc Guiragosian, Chris Hartunian, Zarko Kalmic, Anna Kostanian, Sheku Kowai, Gilbert “Magu” Luján, Joao Machado, Karine Matsakian, Ramon Ramirez, Stuart Rapeport, Jose “Prime” Reza, Samvel Saghatelian, Aram Saroyan, Wayne Shimabukuro, Reinhard Teichmann, Joey Terrill, Connor Tingley, Ruby Vartan, Don Weinstein, Felix Yegazarian, Firooz Zahedi, Zareh, and Hraztan Zeitlian.


Developing the diasporic context of Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn further, the artists were asked to respond to the following question:


Reflecting on your background, how has your diasporic experience shaped, enhanced, informed, or even hindered your art and artistic practice? A diasporic experience may include immigration, forced displacement, movement, or relocation—whether by you or previous generations.


Click on the arrow next to an artist's name to read their response.

Ruben Amirian

Vako Armeno

Silvina Der Meguerditchian

Gregory Wiley Edwards

Yolanda González

Nikolas Soren Goodich

Chris Hartunian

Anna Kostanian

Ramon Ramirez

Stuart Rapeport

Wayne Shimabukuro

Joey Terrill

Ruby Vartan

Firooz Zahedi

Zareh

Hraztan Zeitlian


Accompanying Book List

Explore selected books that reflect Quinn's patronage of art from diverse communities, and the lasting impact of her friendships with artists through the years.


Exhibit-Related Program

Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 7:00 PM: "Embracing Diasporic Art" Artist Panel Discussion - Former Director of USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies Salpi Ghazarian will moderate a discussion with exhibition artists Gregory Wiley Edwards, Yolanda Gonzalez, Anna Kostanian, Aram Saroyan, and Hraztan Zeitlian.


Exhibit-Related Press


ReflectSpace

Glendale Central Library

222 East Harvard Street

Glendale, CA 91205

3 free hours of parking is available with validation at the Marketplace parking structure across the street from the Harvard Street entrance. Accessible parking is available on the east side of the building. View the Visit page for public transit information.



​








Comments

Commenting on this post isn't available anymore. Contact the site owner for more info.
bottom of page