Established in 1970 by art critic Henrik Igityan and teacher Zhanna Aghamiryan, the Henrik Igityan National Centre for Aesthetics (NCA), located in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, was a pioneering initiative and the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. The Children's Art Museum, as it was called at the time, operated as a gallery with a small exhibition, later acquiring a large permanent collection including 150,000 works from Armenia and from over 100 countries around the world. The permanent collection today boasts drawings, batik works, embroidery, metal, wood and stone works, ceramics and paintings. The gallery served as the foundation for the establishment of the National Centre for Aesthetics in 1978. In the 1980s, the NCA expanded beyond the capital, establishing branches in Gyumri, Sevan, Goris, Meghri and Vanadzor, later reaching border communities like Berd in Tavush region. More than 3,000 children between the ages of 6-16 study at NCA and it provides free education to more than 1,600 children participating in programs that include fine arts, performing arts and music. In recent years, NCA has expanded its scope becoming more inclusive, opening its doors to contemporary artists from different disciplines. Address: 13 Abovyan Street, Yerevan