John Avakian (graphic design/illustration, printmaking) has worked as an informational graphics specialist, illustrator and freelance designer for many years. He received his BFA and MFA from Yale University. In addition to teaching, working in the monoprint medium has been his focus for 15 years. In 2004, Avakian was awarded a letter of recognition from Northeastern University for "15 years of dedicated and effective teaching" in graphic design and fine arts. He has been invited as a visiting critic in painting at Mass Art in 2000, 2001, 2008 and 2009, and has lectured on his printmaking journey and given demonstrations on paper-litho method of transferring images to paper at Holy Cross College in 2003 and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2005. His prints have been included in many national and regional shows. In the last two years he has received many awards for his monoprints: 2010, 2nd Prize Fitchburg Art Museum; 2011, Honorable Mention, Zullo Gallery; 2011, New Haven Paint & Clay Club Prize; 2011, Honorable Mention, Paul Mellon Arts Center; 2012, Best of Show, Attleboro Arts Museum; 2012, First Prize, Blanche Ames National Juried show. His prints, drawings and paintings are in many private, public, and corporate collections, including the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, and the New York Cityand Boston public libraries. He has taught at Paier College of Art, Northeastern University, Curry College and SMFA. In 2013, his prints were included in the exhibition "Pursuing Justice Through Art" at the Whistler House Museum of Art. He is scheduled to have a one-person show of his monoprints titled "Family Biography" at the Attleboro Arts Museum, Community Gallery in April 2014.