The Howard University Blackburn Art Gallery was a perfect venue for artistic expressions at the Ethiopian Millennium Celebration in Washington, DC. While mother nature was pouring down some much needed rain, millennium celebrants were rubbing shoulders with Ethiopian artists

Ethiopians in the metro DC area were fighting through the Monday night rush hour to get to the Art Exhibit that started at 6pm on Monday, Sept 10th. The Ethiopians, who camped out from out-of-state, had something else to worry about: “Where is Howard University?” “Where is Blackburn Art Gallery” “Where do I park?” “I love visiting DC but no way I want to live in this town where parking is more expensive than Berbere in Addis”. Once these revelers where in the exhibition room, no one can tell who is from where.

The 300 or so attendees were ushered to about 50 eclectic wall displays of artwork ranging from photography to oil on canvas to digital art on paper to mixed media on canvas. There was something for people with various tastes. Talents on display included live singers and dancers representing traditional Ethiopian as well as African-American cultures. A moving remark by Professor Atcha Debela of Durham, North Carolina challenged Ethiopians and Ethiopian Americans to learn more and pay attention to the work of art that Ethiopian artists produce.

The evening that was dedicated to a collection of artistic work was not only about works of art. The setting was also perfect for mixing and mingling. Friends and acquaintances that lost touch had a chance to reconnect. Networking of all kinds was made possible at the gallery. Generally, Ethiopians tend to stay close to people they know and tend to be reluctant to strike a conversation with a complete stranger. However, this venue and the art work that was on display facilitated conversations with artists to learn more about what inspired them to create their work.

While the artists were proudly showcasing fruits of their labor and the guests were marveling at what they were watching, the Millennium Organizing Council was huddling to put finishing touches on the March for Democracy to be held in couple of days. The organizers were discussing in hushed tone to ensure they were not interfering with the exhibit in session. One voice among the organizing group that stood very tall is that of Zecharias Getachew of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Zecharias is one of the core organizers of the Millennium Celebration in Washington, DC. The mild mannered Zecharias does not quite stand out as an imposing person. He is a man of very few chosen words and a person of very tall actions. His actions endear Zecharias among his fellow Millennium event organizers. In a brief huddle such as the one that took place at the gallery or in a formal meeting or in routine conference calls, Zecharias, is the one who listens the most for action items. One of many duties assigned to Zecharias is to ensure the Millennium web site is up and running and updated to reflect current events. Zecharias is one of the principals of a family owned Mortgage Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this economic climate where the mortgage industry is on the verge of its death bed, Zecharias is holding the faith and he does not show the stress and he is not complaining. For Zecharias, who is focused and a dedicated community leader, his priority for now is the successful celebration of the Ethiopian Millennium and a bright future for all Ethiopians. One of the anchoring personalities behind a successful event such as this is Zecharias Getachew.

The art exhibit showed that art is something very special. It also showed that art can be part of our daily life. What is even clearer is that, in the millennium we are ushering in, Ethiopian art will be immortalized through its young and talented cadre of artists.