Staying dedicated to the arts is not an easy task. Artists creatively produce on their own schedule, most often, as creative expression takes hold. Artists come in all shapes and sizes — musically inclined at times or some with giant sculptures and others with small interpretive portraits that not everyone can understand. Museums showcase various exhibits that bring individuals through the doors and garner conversation, making it a challenge for every artist to feel welcome. It’s a complicated medium to throw oneself into, particularly as a supporter when art does not always bring in many dollars. But fine arts appreciator and benefactor Baryn Futa has done just this — he has wholly dedicated himself to this creative medium in its many forms, supporting artists and museums alike. Futa has remained committed through difficult moments, including the recent recession, and worked with organizations as they thrive. Art may ride waves of success and not be reliantly consistent, but Baryn Futa remains dedicated in his support and encourages other art lovers to do the same despite the rocky waters.

From Baryn Futa’s perspective sees, art is a necessary and defining part of any culture. Because of that, he feels we owe it to future generations to preserve as much as possible. After all, it is their heritage as much as anyone’s. The purpose of art is to communicate, and artists of the past communicated with us through their art, just as the art we make today will inform our descendants.

It is that reality that makes art collectors and art museums extremely important, as far as Baryn Futa is concerned, which is why he has built a significant art collection of his own and why he holds memberships in many prominent art museums with impressive collections, too. Among those include The Jewish Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and more. Baryn Futa also loans pieces from his own collection to museums when he can. He wants to pick up as much of the slack as possible and take on as much of the responsibility for supporting art as he can. Not only is art of great benefit to any society, but it also is a profitable and useful investment.

While nearly everyone appreciates fine art on some level, it is also true that few are actually in a position to support the arts to the extent that is necessary. That is where Baryn Futa fits into the scheme of things. He didn’t always have such a deep appreciation for art. In fact, he was a latecomer to the art world, which he entered when he retired and began working with the Denver Art Museum. Few were more surprised than he to feel such a deep attraction to the art world, but Baryn Futa is now committed to saving art for all.

Even though most people agree that art is a key element of every human society and that artists should always be fully supported and protected, the reality is, art is too often taken for granted and not treated as a priority in society, especially in a society that is capitalistic and where cost savings are over-valued at time. It is that situation that drives Baryn Futa‘s work in support of fine art, both as a benefactor and as someone who simply appreciates the finer things in life. Brilliant artists are simply not appreciated enough to thrive, which is why Baryn spends much of his life these days doing as much as possible to alleviate that situation.

He’s making up for lost time, given that Baryn Futa didn’t develop a deep appreciation for the arts until he retired and began working with the Denver Art Museum. That was when he surprised himself with his deep love for appreciation of the importance of the arts. He used his time at the DAM to cultivate his love of the arts and art history by attending art fairs and museum exhibitions and anything else he could find. In addition, Baryn Futa attended numerous arts classes and initiated his own art collection, which has since grown to be very impressive indeed.

These days, Baryn Futa holds memberships in many prominent art museums with impressive collections of their own, including the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Jewish Museum, among many others. Also, as often as possible, he loans pieces from his own collection to prominent museums because he believes that will encourage more people to appreciate the arts as he does.