When Nareg Hartounian founded the Naregatsi Art Institute (NAI) 25 years ago, Armenia was still in a period of transition. The economic and political uncertainties loomed, and he saw an opportunity to make art a defining force in the nation’s new identity. Securing a prime location in the heart of Yerevan, he established NAI as an incubator for artists, a haven for culture lovers, and a bridge between Armenia and the world.
Despite obstacles, risks, and the ever-present financial challenges, Hartounian has never wavered in his belief that the arts should be free and accessible to all. From the outset, he insisted that NAI would operate without charging artists for the use of the Institute’s space to hone their craft and perform live. Nor would audiences be charged admission, which, for many, could mean being deprived of experiencing the living Armenian culture across traditional, contemporary, and experimental genres.
As a theatrical performer and fine arts photographer, Hartounian’s understanding of the creative process informs the principles behind NAI. “The best art is created for the sheer love of it. And that spirit is transferred to the audience so that, in that moment, the room becomes a sacred space that transcends material reality. That is why at NAI, the buck stops at the door.”
Born in Lebanon to a prominent Armenian family of merchant entrepreneurs, Hartounian was expected to follow that same path. “It depends on how you look at it,” he says. “Yes, my family built a remarkable international business from the ground up. But what matters most is how my grandfather and father, both named Garabed, and my older brother Saro instilled in me the privilege and responsibility of giving back.” He also credits Saro Hartounian, the CEO of Harco Industries, Inc., with keeping the NAI venture sustainable from its inception.
Hartounian’s Armenian identity is deeply embedded in his worldview. He attributes this to his culturally minded parents but also the influence of AGBU. He looks back on his early years as a student of the Yervant Demirdjian day school and the Tarouhi Hovagimian high school, recalling, in particular, how his elementary school teacher cast him as the king in a fairy tale play, which ignited his lifelong passion for the theater. “We also spent our carefree days at the AGBU Alex Manoogian Center, playing sports and participating in cultural events,” he notes.
Unfortunately, this comfortable cocoon was rudely interrupted by the Lebanese Civil War, prompting the family to move to the United States, where they settled in the greater New York area. Yet as soon as Armenia became independent in 1991, Hartounian recalibrated his priorities. Instead of pursuing his passion for theater and photography on a full-time basis, he made a sharp pivot to philanthropy.
Despite outside pressures and setbacks that would have convinced a more pragmatic type to abandon the enterprise, Hartounian doubled down on his goals. For example, NAI’s foreign exchange master classes have become a cornerstone of NAI’s programming, exposing both local and national audiences to diverse artistic perspectives. The prolific number of concerts, art exhibitions, theatrical performances, readings and original music recordings produced under the NAI banner has positioned Hartounian as a muse and a mentor to generations of gifted Armenians. Each year, an average 200 cultural events are organized or hosted by NAI, attracting a strong local following as well as tourists and visitors from around the world.
As its reputation and repertoire expand-ed, NAI established permanent residencies, such as the Nova Folk Instruments Ensemble, The Naregatsi Folk Instruments Orchestra, the NAI Choir, The Children’s Painting Class, the Knar Spiritual and Folk Songs Group and others. Not only do these groups regularly perform at prestigious venues in Armenia, but also on tours in Europe—fulfilling Hartounian’s ultimate dream to showcase Armenian culture globally. In addition, artists who are physically challenged, such as a children’s theater group called Rotonda and Paros Chamber Choir, have found a platform at the NAI.
Hartounian’s grand vision didn’t stop at Yerevan. In 2006, he expanded NAI to Shoushi, once the cultural capital of then autonomous republic of Artsakh. The city had fallen into neglect after the First Artsakh War and Hartounian sought to revive its artistic heartbeat. He purchased and renovated a spacious but rundown building with an outdoor amphitheater to serve as a vibrant community center for children and young adults. They were free to explore their talents in the visual arts, theater and music, or even take computer classes and learn foreign languages, all at no charge.
Then came the mass exodus of 2023, when 120,000 Artsakh Armenians were forced to flee to Armenia. “Many of those same Shoushi families—or their relatives—headed straight to the NAI Yerevan office,” says Hartounian. “It was a bittersweet reunion,” he shares.
“On one hand, we could not do anything in that moment to change the course of history. But we knew that their trust in us was a bright spot in a very dark time.” He acknowledges that the NAI Shoushi Center was overtaken by the Azeri government, for which he has no legal recourse or ability to claim compensation for the illegal confiscation of his property.
Hartounian’s journey—from a family of prominent merchants to a champion of artists—proves that artistic success isn’t just measured in wealth, but in the impact one leaves behind. For a quarter century, NAI has stood by the conviction that the arts should be unchained from commercial interests. And if Nareg Hartounian has anything to do with it, nothing will stand between the artists and the audiences that, together, enrich Armenian culture across the generations.
