The Vahé & Lucie Awards are given annually to TUMO students and alumni throughout Armenia and Artsakh for original work in five categories: Arts, Technology, Music, Photography and Film. Over 400 submissions were judged on creativity, level of effort and technical achievement. The five juries composed of TUMO students, workshop leaders and industry professionals awarded the following 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in each category.

Awards ceremony will take place at TUMO Yerevan on September 25, 2019, 7:00 pm.

1st Place – 1,500,000 AMD
2nd Place – 1,000,000 AMD
3rd Place – 500,000 AMD

The 2019 Vahé & Lucie Awards includes a new award category — the “Best of all Categories” award. The best submission across all categories will be selected by Vahé Fattal for this award and its author given a prize of 1,500,000 AMD to implement a project in their field.

The Vahé & Lucie Annual Awards is a ten-year program sponsored by Vahé and Lucie Fattal to encourage TUMO students to innovate and make strides in their fields.

VAHÉ & LUCIE 2019 WINNERS

ARTS

1st Place 

Alternative Map of Gyumri, TUMO Gyumri

In a learning lab with illustrator Ksenia Kopalova, 13 TUMO Gyumri students created an alternative map of their city. The teens illustrated Gyumri’s famous neighborhoods in the most personal way — drawing on their own memories and experiences.

2nd Place

My Friend and I, TUMO Yerevan

Anush Gurgenyan, 14
Ani Meliqyan, 16

This project combines photography and drawing to tell the story of a typical teenager’s day with her imaginary friend. The characters have similar physical qualities, which allows them to build a bond based on honesty and trust.

3rd Place

Electroman, TUMO Gyumri

Anush Khachatryan, 16
Artavazd Minasyan, 14
Gohar Tumanyan, 15
Hasmik Karapetyan, 18
Karen Khachatryan, 20

In a workshop with Hambardzum Hambardzumyan, TUMO Gyumri students went through the whole writing process to create short stories about Gugo, an electrician who has to save Gyumri with a newly acquired superpower — electricity manipulation.

Էլեկտրոմենը

ԳԼՈՒԽ ԱՌԱՋԻՆ

Էլեկտրիկը

Աշնանային մշուշուապատ կիրակնօրյա առավոտ էր։ Թռչյունները սավառնում ու խաղում էին մառախուղի մեջ: Արևը մառախուղին հրելով ցանկանում էր իր ճառագայթները տարածել ամբողջ քաղաքի վրա:

Չնայելով քաղաքի առավոտյան սարսուռին`  խավարոտ, խոնավ, անձրևից բորբոսնած ու խունացած պատերով մի սենյակում` բրդյա ծածկոցի մեջ,  ցրտից կուչ եկած քնել էր 40-ին մոտ մի տղամարդ: Մահճակալը ամեն անգամ ճռճռում էր, երբ այդ տղամարդը շուռումուռ էր գալիս անկողնում: Առաստաղից ձյունի պես թափվում էին բորբոսնած ծեփի «մասունքները», մի քանիսն էլ սարդոստայնից էին կախ ընկած մնացել:

Մի քանի րոպե այդ դիրքով քնելուց հետո արթնացավ, կատվի նման ձգեց իր քարացած մարմինն այնպես, որ ոսկորները քիչ էր մնում կոտրվեին: Հետո ձեռքով շոշափեց կնոջ կողմը և  հասկացավ, որ արդեն արթնացել գնացել է, բացեց աչքերը, ինչպես ամեն առավոտ, այդպես էլ այդ օրը զննեց սենյակի ամեն մի ծակ ու ծուկ: Արջի նման մռնչալով հորանջեց ու էլի քնեց…

TECHNOLOGY

1st Place 

InvestigatoRobot, TUMO Yerevan

Andranik Voskanyan, 17
Lendrush Harutyunyan, 18
Artyom Hakobyan, 18
Artur Hakobyan, 17

A group of four TUMO students made a robot that inspects pipelines. Designed to explore unknown topologies and small spaces, this self-propelled device is programmed to locate damage in oil, gas and sewage pipelines.

2nd Place (2 winners)

WebScraper, TUMO Yerevan

Hakob Hakobyan, 16

Using the C# programming language, TUMO Yerevan student Hakob Hakobyan created WebScraper, a Windows desktop application designed to download and process large amounts of data. Users can pull data from sites like Ebay, Alibaba, Etsy and Indeed in a matter of seconds, then use the application’s data analysis functionality to sort and analyze the information.

2nd Place (2 winners)

Bleeding Edge, TUMO Yerevan

Slavik Nikolyan, 16

This software allows users to download large amounts of data from websites in a short time and has data analysis capabilities. The program was coded with Python and using Kivy, Pyautogui, Firebase_admin and Requests libraries.

3rd Place

Jumpy, TUMO Yerevan

Tigran Vardanyan, 17
Vahram Torosyan, 20
Vachagan Vardanyan, 15

Jumpy is a video game designed for mobile phones and the Android operating system, specifically. Players must bypass obstacles while staying within the confines of their path.

MUSIC

1st Place

Time, TUMO Yerevan

Anna Aleksanyan, 14
Vahe Abrahamyan, 15
Mariam Nazaryan, 18

With a beat by Vahe Abrahamyan and lyrics, rapping and vocals by Anna Aleksanyan and Mariam Nazaryan, this song tells a melancholic story. The song was created in a learning lab led by TUMO workshop leaders Khachatur Hayrapetyan and Alexander Ananyan.

2nd Place

The Origins of Love, TUMO Yerevan

Anna Danielyan, 21

Anna Danielyan wrote the music and lyrics for this song at a summer camp in Poland, where she had plenty of time to ponder its theme — the origins of love. It’s the first song on an album that Anna is recording with other TUMOians.

3rd Place

A Futuristic Tune, TUMO Gyumri

Hamlet Matevosyan, 13
Artush Avetisyan, 18

Hamlet and Artush both love the guitar, Ableton Live and mix mastering. When the two met at TUMO Gyumri and discovered their mutual interests, they wrote this composition.

FILM

1st Place 

This is Mike, TUMO Yerevan

Maria Sargsyan, 18
Musheg Khachatrian, 21

Mike is on the hunt for objects that he repurposes for a special project. In his world, an object isn’t bound by its original design or purpose. A range of items with different kinds of energy appears in the film — from abandoned cupboards and mezzanines to tables and garbage.

2nd Place

Clay Man, TUMO Yerevan

Created in a learning lab with filmmaker Marie Ketring, this film is a documentary about “Clay Man,” master tonir maker Aram Shaboyan. Filmed in his home village of Sarnaghbyur near Gyumri, the film captures the entire tonir making process.

3rd Place

Bouncing Ball Animation, TUMO Stepanakert

Henrikh Baghunc, 17

Playing with light and shadows, TUMOian Henrikh Baghunts tells a story with an unexpected ending. He created this animated short in level one of a TUMO animation workshop.

PHOTOGRAPHY

1st Place 

The Soviet Dream, TUMO Yerevan

Mariam Grigoryan, 20

Armenia’s architecture is a living testimony to its years as a Soviet Republic. That legacy is palpable in the city’s plan, monuments and apartment blocks. In her search for hidden stories and different perspectives, TUMO student Mariam Grigoryan uses her Samsung Galaxy A3 to document the buildings in her home city ⁠— with all their patterns, textures, shapes and stories.

2nd Place

Hair, TUMO Gyumri

Lilit Galstyan, 16

This photo story from Gyumri is all about hair! Different colors, cuts, characters ⁠— and the tales they tell.

3rd Place

Boord, TUMO Stepanakert

Sofi Abrahamyan, 17

This photo story is about the cleaning of wool that’s sewn into traditional mattresses. Sofi Abrahamyan documented her neighbor’s process of wool cleaning — a ubiquitous and generations-old sight in Armenia. 

Prizes in each category

1st Place: 1,500,000 AMD
2nd Place: 1,000,000 AMD
3rd Place: 500,000 AMD

Jury members

The Vahé & Lucie Annual Awards encourages TUMO students and alumni to innovate and make strides in their fields. The program was launched by Vahé Fattal in 2018 to honor his late wife Lucie. Since then, Vahé has also passed on, and the competition is now dedicated to both of their memories. On behalf of all TUMO students, alumni and staff, we are tremendously grateful to the Fattals for their vision and generosity.

Vahé was a painter and graphic designer who studied at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. After working as an art director for major firms in Los Angeles, he established his own design and advertising agency. Its creative services included corporate identity and communications, advertising and marketing, motion picture and television campaigns, and motion graphics and branding. The agency’s clients included the “Big Five” Hollywood movie studios, National Geographic, Nissan, UCLA Extension and First Interstate Bank. For 18 years, Vahé’s firm was also ABC Television’s exclusive advertising agency.

Lucie graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a master’s degree in philosophy and French literature. She went on to take intensive French Language and Civilization Courses (CCFS) at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Vahé and Lucie met, lived and were married in Paris. They later settled in Los Angeles, where Lucie taught French before founding a travel agency in Beverly Hills. Her agency organized personalized international travel & accommodation services for the art world, entertainment industry and corporate businesses.

Throughout his life, Vahé was creatively involved in advancing Armenian causes and projects. He designed the raised-first Karabakh symbol and posters (1988) and the flag of Karabakh (1998). He helped establish the Golden Apricot International Film Festival (2004) and designed its visual identity. Vahé also designed the “Make it Happen” advertising campaign (2004) for the Armenia Fund Telethon and was the art director for AIM/Armenian International Magazine (1990-1992).

Vahé and Lucie shared a commitment to and passion for all things Armenian, education, the arts and exploring the world.