L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 36 L'Italo-Americano I f you're looking for a family whose roots in the museum and art world run deep, y o u ' d b e h a r d - pressed to find one with more extensive experience than the Bufano family. S o m e m i g h t s a y a b i t o f showmanship rubbed off as well: the family traces its roots to Castellaneta, a small town in Puglia where Rudolph Valentino was born. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Ralph Bufano spent his entire career in museum work, beginning with the Corning Museum of Glass in New York State and then the Paine Arts Center and the EAA Aviation Museum, b o t h i n O s h k o s h , W i s c . Those posts were followed by the Ward Foundation Museum in Salisbury, Md. D e s c r i b e d b y A i r c r a f t Journal as "an exuberant I t a l i a n w i t h a b i g g r i n , warm, welcoming hand- shake, and limitless vision," Bufano was president and CEO of Seattle's Museum of Flight for 14 years before retiring in 2005 and start- ing a museum consulting practice. His wife Paulette most recently managed develop- ment efforts at Pilchuck Glass School; she retired l a s t y e a r . D a u g h t e r Michelle was director of the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle and the Museum of G l a s s i n T a c o m a b e f o r e becoming executive direc- tor at Chihuly Garden and Glass at Seattle Center. Michelle's husband, Tim Detweiler, was director of the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner and cur- rently manages Amazon's internal art program. Older brother Michael brings two decades of commercial real e s t a t e e x p e r i e n c e t o t h e mix. I n A u g u s t 2 0 1 9 , t h e Bufano family purchased G a l l e r y M a c k , o n e o f Seattle's most venerable art galleries and part of the city's art scene for nearly 45 y e a r s . F o u n d e d b y Barbara Mack in 1977, the gallery has been situat- ed near Pike Place Market for the past 30 years. Its attractive corner location and large window displays have drawn both long-time art collectors who live in mer of 2019 might not have been the best timing, com- i n g b a r e l y s i x m o n t h s before the coronavirus pan- demic shuttered businesses from coast to coast. But so far, Gallery Mack seems to have weathered the worst o f i t a n d i n s o m e c a s e s , even profited. "We found that people who were used to traveling had more dis- c r e t i o n a r y i n c o m e t o spend," said Bufano, who is Gallery Mack's director. "Others were working on their homes, either remod- eling or building additions. Many of these people want- ed to buy art." Taking over an estab- lished gallery with a stellar reputation helped as well, noted Bufano. "We have great respect for Barbara Mack and her reputation, so we chose not to change the gallery name. Barbara represented some fantastic artists with international reputations such as LeRoy Neiman. At one point, she h a d g a l l e r i e s i n P a l m Desert and New York City." Although proud of that l e g a c y , t h e n e w o w n e r s d e c i d e d t o f o c u s o n t h e local scene, introducing regional artists to the com- munity and leveraging their extensive network of art a n d m u s e u m c o n t a c t s nationwide. T h a n k s t o i t s q u a l i t y offerings and personal ser- vice, the gallery's long list of regular clientele stayed loyal during the ownership the area as well as tourists who arrive by cruise ships that dock nearby. When Mack passed away in 2016, her partner kept the gallery up and running f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s , t h e n decided to sell. Around the same time, Michael Bufano, who had spent two decades in California, was looking to relocate to Seattle. "I was searching for a business opportunity here and I saw t h i s g r e a t g a l l e r y u p f o r sale," he said. "With my family's background in art a n d m u s e u m s , a n d m y background in business, I t h o u g h t i t w o u l d b e a n amazing opportunity for all of us." In retrospect, purchasing a new business in the sum- transition. "These clients continue to look to us for advice on purchasing art or to help them upgrade their collections," said Bufano. G a l l e r y M a c k i s a l s o attracting new and younger buyers. "Our proximity to B e l l t o w n , w h e r e l o t s o f younger people in the tech industry live, has been a plus," said Bufano. "This generation is just starting to purchase their first home or apartment. They walk by our gallery, look in our win- dows and start to imagine h a v i n g t h a t o n e s p e c i a l piece of art in their home." The front exhibit space at G a l l e r y M a c k m e a s u r e s about 2,000 square feet; a visible storage area in the back adds another 1,500 square feet. The Bufano's are still experimenting with how best to use the back room. "When people come i n , w e s e e w h a t t h e y ' r e l o o k i n g a t , " s a i d R a l p h Bufano. "If they seem inter- ested in one particular style of art, we take them into the back storage area and show them something not on display. We think it's a more custom and exclusive experience." Throughout April and May, Gallery Mack is host- i n g l o c a l a r t i s t J u l i e Devine whose solo show f e a t u r e s s e m i - a b s t r a c t p a i n t i n g s o f t h e N o r t h Cascades. Devine's style combines distinctive brush and knife work with a softer color palette, conveying the light, movement and airi- ness inherent in nature. Another popular artist r e p r e s e n t e d b y G a l l e r y Mack is Georgia Gerber, who creates life-sized ani- mal and human sculptures, often as part of public art installations. One of her most famous sculptures is R a c h e l , t h e 5 5 0 - p o u n d b r o n z e p i g t h a t i s t h e " m a s c o t " o f P i k e P l a c e Market. Rachel has stood at an entry point to the mar- ket since 1986, welcoming visitors to Seattle's most iconic location. Both Michael and Ralph B u f a n o l o o k f o r w a r d t o w h e n t h e y c a n s e e t h e i r customers face-to-face – a day they hope is not too far in the future. "Tourism in S e a t t l e w a s o f f 7 4 % l a s t year," said Ralph Bufano. "We are really looking for- w a r d t o h a v i n g t o u r i s t s back and opening up our city again." RITA CIPALLA Ralph Bufano and son Michael are part owners in Gallery Mack, located in downtown Seattle. The Bufano family has deep connections to the museum and art community (Photo: Gallery Mack) Bufano family leverages art connections to build support for Gallery Mack SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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