ABSTRACT
To say that the last years of Mary Zakarian's independent life represent a dark period would not be totally accurate. She could look back on the successes of a long career. Even in the final decades of her working life, there were achievements that surpassed what most people realize in their lifetimes: The Face of Freedom, Artsakh–A Heroic Struggle, and almost constant artistic production. Her art school remained viable, and she had been active in her community, with FrankfordStyle and with various programs for genocide awareness. With increasing age came even greater worry about her finances. Her problem with money was partly psychological. As gratifying as the applause was, neither this nor her art ever brought her the international fame she often said she desired. Mary could not conceptualize how difficult and improbable it is for any artist, working in relative isolation, to achieve such recognition.
