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By Courtney Maxwell-Alves, Manager of Development
Welcome to Friends of the Whyte! In this new series, we will be featuring Whyte Museum members, donors, staff, and friends, and getting to know them a little bit better.
Kicking off the series is a longtime friend of the Whyte Museum - Marino DiManno. Formerly the Chair of the Board of Directors, Marino is best known for his genuine love of the Bow Valley community and always has time to stop for a chat. Let's get to know Marino!
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Why do you support the Whyte Museum?
I support the Whyte because of its role as the keeper of Banff’s traditions and histories. The museum strives to tell the stories of Banff from a variety of perspectives – from surveyors, mountain guides, and adventurers, to Indigenous experiences in and around Banff. The museum and grounds also offer a great place along the Bow River to share these stories with the community and visitors, furthering the founders’ vision of creating a safe, inclusive space for people to gather.
Why is the Whyte Museum important to you and to the Banff community?
The Whyte Museum is about stories – past, current, and future. These stories usually begin with an individual and a place, but once we share them, they become part of our collective story. The Whyte Museum tells the stories of the Banff community and our Rocky Mountain home. These stories are told (and preserved) in a variety of different ways – from written texts and records, photographs, video and sound recordings, oral histories, historic homes, and objects, to exhibitions, programs, and events.
Finally, as the keeper of Banff’s collective history, the Whyte is also a significant research and resource centre for the community and beyond, including researchers, genealogists, and visitors, among others.
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What do you love about the Whyte Museum?
There are many things to love about the Whyte! The Board of Directors, management, staff, and volunteers offer a variety of experiences, skills, and passions to the museum and community. They, along with the Whyte’s many members and supporters, make up the people aspect of the Whyte community – they are part of the Whyte Museum story.
I also love that the museum has been successful in holding on to the vision and principles of Peter and Catharine Robb Whyte, while also maintaining an openness to change and welcoming a diverse range of people and perspectives.
Any further comments?
It has been an absolute honour and pleasure to serve on the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation’s Board of Directors for the past nine and half years. This experience has allowed me to learn about my birthplace and it has given me a better understanding of Peter and Catharine as artists, philanthropists, and important contributors to the Banff community.
I am proud to continue Peter and Catharine’s vision of maintaining friendships and of the evolution of the museum over the past 60 years. I am extremely proud of the Board and Whyte Museum team – it is a comfort leaving the museum in such good hands while they continue to strive for excellence.
A Note of Thanks
"He called himself the Whyte’s Head Volunteer.
Since he first joined the Board of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation in June 2012, Marino DiManno has been an outstanding director, mentor, ambassador, and the warm friendly face of the Whyte to the community.
As the first non-family Chair of the Board, he gave sound and steady guidance and celebrated the achievements along the way. “We will get through this,” he said through floods, financial challenges and pandemics. He is devoted to the Whyte and is always there, checking on staff, watching the water levels on the river, and bringing great stories and a sense of humour to refresh us all.
Marino stepped down from the Board at the December 11, 2021 meeting but has promised to stay close. We’re very grateful."
Donna Livingstone,
CEO
Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation and
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Source
DiManno, Marino. Interview by Courtney Maxwell-Alves. Personal Interview. Banff, AB, January 17, 2022.
Images:
Image 1: [Marino DiManno at Allanby Pass], 2020, Personal Collection of Marino DiManno, Banff.
Image 2: [Marino DiManno at Temple Mountain], 2020, Personal Collection of Marino DiManno, Banff.
Would you like to be featured in Friends of the Whyte? Reach out to Courtney Maxwell-Alves, Manager of Development, at cmaxwellalves (at) whyte.org.