DCAA
Denver Center for African Art
Art Credit | Dwayne Glapion
DR. PAUL L. HAMILTON
Dr. Paul L. Hamilton was born in Pueblo in 1941. He is a man who has seen that city and this state through much fundamental change. Since arriving in Denver in 1959, he has pushed the city forward and thoroughly entrenched himself in the Black community. Whether through his career as an educator at every level of the school system, his time as a Colorado State Representative for Five Points, his entrepreneurial and self-improvement programs, or his collaboration with famed Denver artists, he has done and been a lot for Denver. At 82 years old, he still hopes to do a lot more. “Sharing this collection will free me in a lot of ways. I still have a lot to do, and pretty soon I can.”
The Hamilton Collection of Traditional African Art has over 1000 statues, masks and textiles. This collection focuses on ethnic groups from West Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to East Africa. Among them are: Baga, Bamana, Bamileke, Baule, Benin, Bongo, Chokwe, Dan, Dogon, Fang, Hemba, Lobi, Luba, Makonde, Nyamwezi, Senufo, Songye, and Yoruba.
Paul’s interests in Africa’s peoples and cultures began at the University of Denver with his first trip to Africa in 1963. However, it was during the 1980′s that the collecting passion was kindled. He met the late Peter Natan, the international renowned African art dealer, collector and appraiser.
Mr. Natan mentored him in the intricacies of African art and cultures. His mentoring and encouragement generated contacts with numerous African traders and American collectors of African art. Mr. Natan later said that The Hamilton African Art Collection is one of the best he has seen in the United States.
During the last few years, Joseph Bankston, a protégée of Mr. Natan, has been a major consultant and advisor to the Hamilton Collection. Mr. Bankston is an appraiser, art dealer and collector of fine art.
Selections from the collections have been seen at the Lakewood Cultural Center, Blair Caldwell African American Research Library, and Cecil B. Moore Community Library (Philadelphia). Donations of over 30 pieces have been given to Regis University and are housed in its library’s archives.
THE COLLECTION
Hamilton Collection | Ekoi Tribe
THE LIBRARY
This collection of about 2,000 books, magazines, newspapers, audio and videotapes, and educational items is focused on African, African Diaspora and African-American cultural and historical issues and concerns. Included are 1960’s newspapers & magazines (Black Panther papers, Muhammad Speaks, Black Scholar, Negro Digest) and the Journal of Negro History (Carter G. Woodson) from 1916-1970.
Through Paul Hamilton's in-depth research and knowledge, he wrote a book: African Peoples’ Contributions to World Civilizations: Shattering the Myths Vol. I.
This volume documents that the common myths about African people and their descendants are not only false, but African people have made major contributions throughout the world. This includes human life beginning in East and Southern Africa, Africans in the Americas thousands of years before Columbus, Africans being the generators and people of ancient Egypt, and African people greatly influencing the cultures and ideologies of the Hebrews, Greek Romans, Christianity and Islam.
The author concluded this volume with the creation of the concept of the 21st Century African Renaissance where African people are the most sought-after leaders and problem solvers in economics, politics, religion, science and social issues.
Hamilton Collection | Baule Tribe