L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 2023 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano R alph Bufano's d e c a d e s o f museum man- agement exper- tise have had a major impact on art and avi- ation museums from Mary- land to Missouri, New York to Wisconsin. On the West Coast, from 1991 to 2005, he was president and CEO of S e a t t l e ' s M u s e u m o f Flight, the largest indepen- dent nonprofit air and space museum in the world. Raised in Rochester, N.Y., Bufano inherited his love of aviation: both his grandfa- ther and father were military pilots. He learned to fly at an early age and joined the U.S. Air Force's aviation cadets program. He spent his mili- tary career in air-to-air mis- sile installations, attended the University of Minnesota, and then Harvard where he studied business and arts administration. When Bufano arrived at t h e M u s e u m o f F l i g h t i n 1991, it was $2 million in debt. His hands-on leader- ship, unwavering vision and exuberant personality, along with a supportive board of trustees, helped him turn the situation around. Today, the museum has a robust $26 million budget, employs about 160 staff, and welcomes some 370,000 vis- itors each year. Its collection includes more than 175 air and space craft, thousands of artifacts, millions of pho- t o g r a p h s , a w o r l d - c l a s s library, and innovative edu- cation programs and visitor activities. Recently, Bufano was the keynote speaker at the 2023 F e s t a I t a l i a n a l u n c h e o n , sponsored by the Italian Club of Seattle, where he talked about bringing a piece of Italian aviation history to the attention of Northwest a u d i e n c e s . T h i s a r t i c l e i s based on his remarks. Y o u ' v e h a d a l o n g career in museums from c o a s t t o c o a s t . T e l l u s more. I spent 38 years in muse- um and arts management, b e g i n n i n g a t t h e C o r n i n g Glass Center and Museum in Corning, New York. In the M i d w e s t , I w o r k e d a t t h e P a i n e A r t C e n t e r a n d A r b o r e t u m b e f o r e t a k i n g over as director of the Exper- imental Aircraft Association A v i a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n i n Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I led the Kansas City Museum in M i s s o u r i a n d t h e W a r d Museum in Salisbury, Mary- land, among other positions. How did you establish the "Italian connection" at the Museum of Flight? Most people don't know this, but the most historical exhibit in the museum has its roots in Italy. Displayed in the World War I gallery is the Caproni Ca 20, a monoplane built by Giovanni Caproni which is t h e w o r l d ' s f i r s t f i g h t e r plane. Only one Ca 20 was ever built before the Italian government, on the eve of World War I, rejected the design in favor of heavier bombers. We found this air- plane in a monastery north of Milan. The Caproni family had stored it there for more than 80 years. W h o w a s G i o v a n n i Caproni? Giovanni Caproni, called Gianni, was a man ahead of his time. He had a gift for science and was trained as an engineer. He became fas- cinated with aviation as a s t u d e n t i n G e r m a n y a n d b e g a n b u i l d i n g b o m b e r s b e f o r e W o r l d W a r I . H e designed his first aircraft when he was only 23. His Ca 9 so impressed the Italian Army that they ordered 200 of them. It was Italy's first mass-produced military air- craft. For his contributions to aviation, the King of Italy appointed him a count in 1940. How did you acquire the Ca 20 for the Muse- um of Flight? W h e n I v i s i t e d t h e Caproni's in the late 1990s, the plane was in storage on the second floor of the fami- ly monastery. It still had its original fabric, its original e n g i n e . I m a g i n e — f r o m 1914! The museum curatori- al team told me: don't touch a thing! I met with Caproni's son, Umberto. I knew others had tried to buy the aircraft, but since I speak Italian, I was able to negotiate with the family in Italian. To con- vince Caproni of my inten- tions, I wrote him a letter, telling him why the family should sell the plane to us. I said this would honor your father and the world would see this aircraft on display. And the count said to me: fine, the plane is yours. Let's go to the bank. A t t h a t p o i n t , I h a d t o explain that is not how we do business in our country. I told him I needed to return to Seattle and convince my board, then I had to raise the money. We drafted a let- ter of agreement and sealed the deal with a handshake. The Ca 20 is on dis- play, so evidently it all worked out. After I paid the first check for $75,000, the count said, o k a y , y o u c a n h a v e t h e plane. Pay me the rest when y o u c a n . T h a t w a s i t ! Retrieving the aircraft from t h e m o n a s t e r y ' s s e c o n d story was an adventure. A crew arrived, disassembled i t , a n d t h e n l o w e r e d t h e parts, piece by piece, out the window. We crated it up and shipped it to Paine Field, north of Seattle. There it was carefully reassembled and t a k e n t o t h e M u s e u m o f Flight. We display it as we found it, with its original f a b r i c . C o u n t e s s C a p r o n i came to the exhibit opening. They are generous and kind people. Are you still involved in museum work? In 2005, I started Bufano Management Company, a museum consulting compa- ny with my wife Paulette. I am also co-owner of Gallery Mack with my son Michael. It's one of Seattle's oldest art galleries, founded by Bar- b a r a M a c k i n 1 9 7 7 . W i t h these connections in Seattle, I'm staying put. Seattle is my home. Bringing a piece of Italian aviation history to Seattle RITA CIPALLA SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY Bufano was responsible for negotiating the acquisition of the Caproni Ca 20, the world's first fighter plane. The aircraft had been hidden in an Italian monastery for 85 years (Photo: Rita Cipalla) Just before the Covid pandemic hit, Bufano (left) and his son Michael became partners in Gallery Mack, a fine art gallery near Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle (Photo: Gallery Mack)

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