Yohannes and his wife, Saron, funded the museum's first African gallery,
one of the most dramatic spaces in the new Hamilton Building.
Specially designed cases and pedestals show off the selections amid a
startling collision of angled walls and ceiling planes in the
2,630-square-foot space on the fourth floor.
"You get a lot of comments, particularly from parents who have
children, about the interaction they have been able to have through the
African exhibit," Yohannes said. "The comments I've had have been
extremely positive, but at the same time we understand that we need to do
more."
To that end, he agreed to assemble and lead a group of people who the
museum hopes will help boost its still-fledgling collection of African art.
"He is very excited," said Nancy Blomberg, curator of native
arts. "He actually came to us. Once he named the gallery, he said, 'OK,
how can I help beyond this? What do you need in terms of collections?"'
In the short term, the museum has decided to focus on the acquisition of
examples by 10 major contemporary African artists, whose works can reach
six-figure prices. These include Ethiopian-born New York artist Julie Mehretu
and Ghanaian- born sculptor El Anatsui, who has lived much of his life in Nigeria.
Daniel Yohannes brings business and political connections to his
seat on the Denver Art Museum's board of trustees. (Post / Glenn Asakawa)
About 20 people attended the first meeting of the acquisitions group in
November, and Blomberg said it will begin its activities in earnest this
month.
"Daniel has been involved with us for well over a decade," she
said, "and we're just thrilled to have him help us work with the
contemporary material and bring some of the biggest names in contemporary art
to Denver."
At the same time, the museum is trying to broaden its representation of
historical work, which is mostly focused at this point on western Africa.
"It is a goal of ours to have the continent much more well
represented," she said. "There is one strategy that says you play to
your strengths, and we have done that to some degree - our Yoruba collections
are terrific.
"But now, it's time to broaden it, because we are really the only
museum between Kansas City and San Francisco that significantly collects
African art, so we need to have a broader representation to show all these
different art forms and cultures to the people in Denver."
Besides seeking financial donations, the group hopes to identify major
collectors of African art locally and nationally who might be willing to
contribute their holdings to the Denver Art Museum.
Athough Yohannes has purchased some African works, he does not consider
himself a collector. But he does make it a point to seek out art museums
wherever he goes in his frequent travels in the United States and abroad.
"I'm a little biased because I was born in Ethiopia and I love African
art, but as someone who really admires art, I like all arts," said
Yohannes, 54, who immigrated to Los Angeles from Africa at 17 with $150 in his
pocket.
After college, he entered the banking business, coming to Colorado 14 years
ago to oversee Colorado National Bank, which was eventually folded into U.S.
Bank. While the new bank he launched is a far smaller operation, experts
expect it to fill a key niche for green technology and alternative energy.
Yohannes' first major involvement with the Denver Art Museum dates to 1994.
He persuaded Colorado National Bank to sponsor the institution's presentation
of a touring exhibition of the 14th- to 19th-century art of Benin from
the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In 1997, Yohannes, who had joined the Smithsonian National Board a year
earlier (he remained a member of the advisory group until 2003), was appointed
to the Denver Art Museum's board of trustees.
"They found me, but I was interested, so I didn't say no," he
said. "I signed on real fast. As someone who has been to different places
not only here but overseas, I believe that we really have a very good museum
here. So it has just been an absolute delight to serve on this board."
Among the biggest assets Yohannes brings to the board, said director Lewis
Sharp, is his extensive involvement not only in the business world but in
politics. Yohannes is a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party and many of
its candidates.
"Daniel really has a lot of connections throughout the broad
community, and that is very valuable," Sharp said. "Because on our
board we will often have very successful individuals, but they will often be
more entrepreneurs, and they don't have that kind of community reach Daniel
has."
In addition, Sharp said, as a member of the museum's African American
Outreach Advisory Committee, Yohannes has played an important role in helping
the institution develop a "more positive and engaging" relationship
with Denver's black community.
"When I think back 10 years ago," Sharp said, "we had a
relatively limited relationship with minority communities and the
African-American community (specifically), and Daniel has been a great help in
that regard."
Yohannes' name can already be found on a gallery wall at the museum, but
expect to hear it more as the institution makes an even bigger effort to boost
its involvement with African art.
Aldo Svaldi contributed to this report.
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-954-1675 or kmacmillanATdenverpost.com.
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Denver art museum
