It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Martin Barooshian, 92, who died peacefully during a nap on January 25, 2022.

Martin was a groundbreaking American surrealist painter and master printmaker, as well as an internationally recognized expert in American and European prints and engravings. His works are part of the permanent collections of many major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the National Gallery of Art (Smithsonian), the ‘Addison Gallery of American Art, the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery of Armenia.

His complex yet inspiring surreal works have received international recognition for his artistic contributions. His art has been exhibited in over 50 solo shows and hundreds of exhibitions. In a review of one of these solo exhibitions in Boston in 2006, Boston Globe art critic Cate McQuaid called Barooshian’s biomorphic surrealist style “Pablo Picasso meets Stan Lee”. Martin smiled after reading this review and said, “I’ll take that – I love both of these guys!” He made art daily until his dying day and rejoiced at the renewed interest in his work in recent years. His art can be seen at www.martinbarooshian.org.

A Boston native and a child of the first generation of Armenian Genocide survivors, Martin was educated at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and also earned a BS in Education from Tufts University and an MA in History from art from Boston University. He continued his studies at the famous Atelier 17 in Paris. Upon his return to the United States, he settled in the greater New York area where he taught printmaking at the Pratt Institute and served as a public school art teacher until his retirement. He was also the works on paper expert at Swann Auction Galleries. He and his wife Mary then moved to their native MA, where he spent his final years devoted to his artwork and his family.

Martin was a loving husband, father, stepfather and grandfather. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary; his daughter Margo Goody and her husband John, and his grandchildren Spencer and Aidan; her son, Dana Barooshian and her husband Andy Martin; and his sister, Virginia Karamanian. He also leaves behind his stepchildren Richard Balekdjian and his wife Laura and step-granddaughter Janine; David Balekdjian and his husband Michael Russo; Arline Carboneau and her husband Brian, and her step-grandchildren Jacob, Julia and Jacqueline.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Martin’s honor to the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (www.naasr.org), the Armenian General Benevolent Union (agbu.org/donatelisten)) or St. Gregory of the Merrimack Valley Armenian Apostolic Church (www.saintgregory.org).

Arrangements are being made by Anderson-Bryant Funeral Home: www.andersonbryantfuneralhome.com.

This immensely talented beautiful person brought us all joy through her work and above all, she loved her family. He will be greatly missed by all.

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