The Contemporary Art Museum of Yerevan was founded in 1972 by Henrik Igityan, who served as its director for 37 years. In the creation of the museum, H. Igityan received significant support from the then-mayor of Yerevan, G. Hasratyan, as well as from the leading Armenian artists of the 1960s.
As a specialized museum of contemporary and modern art, this cultural hub became the first of its kind in the former Soviet Union. For the next 20 years, it remained the only center for contemporary art in the mentioned region. Upon opening, the museum quickly became a favorite place for official guests and tourists visiting Yerevan. The museum's first exhibition was entirely composed of works by contemporary Armenian artists from the 1960s, both from Armenia and the diaspora, who generously donated their works to this modern art haven.
During the Soviet Union's existence, modern art was banned in all its forms under the monopoly of socialist realism. Consequently, no financial assistance was provided to this cultural institution by the government. Thus, the museum thrived thanks to the donations of Armenian artists.
Works by the 1960s generation, notably Minas Avetisyan, Ashot Hovhannisyan, Martin Petrosyan, Hakob Hakobyan, Gayane Khachaturyan, Vruyr Galstyan, Rudolf Khachatryan, and Ashot Bayandur, still form the core of the museum's exhibits.
Over time, the museum's collection was enriched by donations from artists of the 1980s, including Sarkis Hamalbashyan, Arthur and Ararat Sarkissians, Marine Dilyan, Albert Hakobyan, Samvel Baghdasaryan, Arevik Arevshatyan, Ruben Grigoryan, Kamo Nigarayan, Armen Gevorgyan, Tigran Matulyan, Teni Vardanyan, Gabriel Manukyan, Vahan Rumelyan, Nina Khemchyan, Aivaz Avoyan, and others.
In 2004, philanthropist Grigor Muradyan donated works by the renowned American artist and filmmaker Emil Kazaz to the museum. In 2010, the Kapan Copper-Molybdenum Combine provided sculptures by Canadian artist Karen Petrosyan.
The museum's print activities are notable. Under Henrik Igityan's leadership, the museum staff has published several albums in recent years, including "Kocharyan," "A. Bashbeuk-Melikyan," "From Hovnatanian to Minas," "Museum," "Armenian Palette I," "Armenian Palette II," "Minas Avetisyan," "Vruyr Galstyan," "Ashot Hovhannisyan," "The Contemporary Art Museum of Yerevan" illustrated book, as well as individual catalogs of 1980s artists.
Today, as usual, the Contemporary Art Museum awaits its visitors, who can not only acquaint themselves with the art pieces but also receive professional commentary in Armenian, Russian, and foreign languages.
Since its inception, the museum has been visited by numerous prominent figures from the worlds of art and science. It has been noted by all that the museum has its own unique identity, with a discerning view of the world that sets it apart from many similar institutions. Honorary visitors included academician and director of the Hermitage Boris Piotrovsky, writer Chingiz Aitmatov, Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros, Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian artist Renato Guttuso, Italian poet, writer, and screenwriter Tonino Guerra, director of the Bohum Museum Peter Shpilman, as well as renowned Armenian figures such as William Saroyan, Tigran Mansuryan, and Aghasi Ayvazyan.
Regarding the significance of the museum’s founding, in 1979, the well-known Russian art historian Alexander Kamensky wrote: "…The museum was initially a utopian idea; its founders had neither a building for exhibitions nor funds to purchase the artists' works. However, they had something even more important and valuable: the conviction that Armenia needed to see and understand the image of its own art in our time…"
In recent years, the museum’s collection has been expanded with works by both Armenian and foreign artists, including Talin Zabunyan (France), Sam Grigoryan (Germany), Harutyun Jinanyan / Gino (Russia), Vache Demirchyan (France), Laurent Nissou Sun (France), CIB (France), Christine Hagopian (France), Tipasari (France), Charis Garabedian (France), Sebastiano (USA), Ziba Afshari (USA), Michael Gorman (USA), Gary Joni (USA), Karen Bistedt and Chris Brown (USA), Haik Mesropyan (Switzerland), Onik Atamyan (England), and others.
