Lucy Janjigian

Early life and Education

Born of Armenian descent in Jerusalem, Lucy Janjigian began her education at English Mission schools in Jerusalem, Palestine. When the United Nations launched the implementation of the 1947 partition of Palestine, Lucy and her mother were forced to flee Jerusalem as refugees. During this period, Janjigian attended the British Syrian Training College in Beirut, Lebanon where she received her teacher training diploma. After accepting an opportunity to study on scholarship in the United States, Janjigian attended Heidelberg University, in Tiffin, Ohio her B.Sc. in BiologyM.Sc. in Plant Ecology from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Although she received her degrees in Biology and Plant Ecology, Lucy Janjigian longed to pursue her passion for painting. She began art studies at the Art Students League in New York City, and painted at Don Stacy’s Workshop Studio in NYC for 33 years.

Art Career

As a professional painter and sculptor since the 1980’s to 2007 Lucy Janjigian has been commissioned for paintings, murals, magazines, calendars and church bulletin covers, Christmas cards and stamps. Her works hang in public, private and corporate collections around the world. She has compiled a hard cover catalog of her paintings, done illustrations for a children’s book that has also been used with adult study groups - "God is with us Always Even in a Tsunami”. Followed by the addition of her paintings in the consecutive book," God is with us Always even in a Pandemic."

Janjigian has had 4 professionally made DVDs of her paintings, “Biblical Parallels”, The Story of Two Women/ From Guilt to Redemption," and "Uprooted.” Notably, the thematic series of "Journey to Resurrection” DVD, has been translated from English to seven languages, Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, French, Hindi, Japanese and Korean. Janjigian has also donated the 33 paintings from the “Journey to Resurrection” series to Dar Al Kalima University College of Art and Culture, in Bethlehem, Palestine, and 3 paintings from the “Uprooted” series pertaining to Palestine to "Gallery Al Quds", in DC.- “Children of Gaza", "A Palestinian Family" and a collage "War and Peace" that shows our family’s Nakba in 1948 from war torn Palestine to peaceful Jordan. At the 219 GA Meeting in 2010, they presented their findings in a Report of the Middle East Study Committee in booklet form entitled “Breaking Down the Walls.” One of her paintings was used for the book cover.

Humanitarianism

As a devote Presbyterian, Lucy Janjigian has played a critical role in international humanitarian work for the last 23 years. Inspired by her own experiences and faith, Janjigian began working amongst Palestinian refugees in UNRWA camps in Jerusalem, Jericho, and Nablus.

As a short-term missionary in Armenia, she worked for four consecutive summers from 1996 to 1999. She coordinated craft projects with Bible stories at AMAA, Armenian Missionary Association of America summer camps, in Armenia and Georgia in remote mountains and villages, and conducted Daily Vacation Bible schools in towns and cities.

For eight years she served on the Advisory Committee of The Presbyterian Hunger Program Additionally, she has worked with the Church Wide Coordinating Team as a representative for Middle Eastern Women and the treasurer of the National Middle East Caucus.

In 2009, she traveled with the Presbyterian Task Force to Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Israel. By 2011 Janjigian had traveled with the PW Global Exchange to India, and a year later she was invited to return to India as a speaker for the Women’s Retreat of the Church of North India. There she delivered her speech addressing the situation in Palestine and the prospects of peace in the country.

As a member of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Janjigian traveled to Madagascar in 2018 and to Rwanda in 2019. During this same period of time, she harvested olives in Palestine with the Presbyterian Church, Israel Palestine Mission Network group (IPMN).

Lucy Janjigian is currently a member of Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, California. She is also active in Presbyterian Women and has attended annual or biannual Presbyterian Women’s Gatherings.

Personal Life

Lucy Janjigian was married 52 years to the late Edward Janjigian, she has three children and ten grandchildren. She is a great-grandmother to two great-grandsons who are all currently live in the United States.