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~w~nTB~7~E P~ WEDNE MY, IL25491O., PAGE? PAGE SEVEN m 1 VOICE 01 F PIRE INDEED The conllict between brains and- brawn' is as old, as civilization and every -geverrnment from time te time is faced with the conflicting priorities of culture *and sweat - arenas and playing fields vs art gafleries and museunxs;, les artistes vs the jocku; the culture crowd vs the philistines. I've neyer been able te oget éctdb hepoesoa sortsmen who eaM.x an equivalent weight in geld for eveiy dp Of sweat, and no rve always tended te group myself on the Bide cf culture. Not that rm sgainst recreational facilities, but I think that culture tends te get left out in the cold toc often. But at turnes I absolutely choke at what isdone in the naine cf culture. The $1.8 million purchase of Arnerican artist, Barnett Newman's Vowce of Fire by the National Gialleiy is one of thebardest te swallow. Within days of this work being put on display in Otawa, I happened te read an article in the University of Toronto Alumnni magazine about the authenticity cf nome old masters' art. When is a Remnbrandt net a Rembrandt? Aparently more often than w4 used »o think and many oaIleries are relabelling questiongâble works as In the style of'" etc.. Hmmm... It seems te me that the National Gallery could have saved a lot c f money by paintin three stripes on the wail and labelling them "i the style c Barnett Newman." If a 'Rembrandt" has just as much impact even when it isn't then surely, tbree stripes on awaltt look like a'Newman should also do just as well. Or are Newmana more important than Rembrandts? Certainly they)re easier to do. <And -tbink of what 'they could have bouglit with the money they saved. But quite apart from the money, the acquisition cf Voice of Fire raises the issue cf just what our national gailery sohould be buying. Should they be buying American art? I don't think se. If I want te see Barnett Newmansý, I will go te New York, J certainly wouldn't go te, Ottawa. If I wanted te seS a gcod collection cf Frenchi art, I would go te Paris; for Dutch art I would go te Amnsterdam. We live in a world where the speed. and *coet cf modern transportation makes. so-called ",.representative" collections cf world art rather redundant.. I would hope that I -ceuld go te Ottawa and see the beat collection of Canadian art anywhere, but I wouldnat. Our nat$onal gallery's Canadien collection is se pitiful that an unàuspecting teurist inight reasonably conclu de that Canada is indeed a cultural backwater. Tenational. collection cf virtua]ly, every, other country concentrates on its own art. Foreign art is rarely bouglit - it is either donated or, as in the case cf a number cf European collections -such as the Louvre, acquired by conquest. The core cf many national collections was originally cornmissioned by priv ate patrons directly fr-om the artsts themselves. The concept cf govermients as patrons cf the arts ie a recent one and one that doesnt smm te, work very well. Bureaucrats do net make good at collectors - they have no mandate te exercise any sense of artistc taste and those wbo profess te have such taste are idclined te blow the bundle on works ike Voioe of Fire which benefits ne one except the anonymous art speculators they buy from. (Barnett Newman bas been dead for Years - we'Ve neyer been told just who got that $1.8 million.) Surprimi lY, eveiboy in this debate accepts that the NationalGalery.hould 'have an arme length relaticnship with the government - that it needa te maintainits culturel independence. Well, I diuagre.. A national gailery should reflect national tastes, and wben the NationalGailery- directoriss o out of.touch withthe county este spend $1.8 million of our money on art that we dont like, she -should expeci to be loohmg fer a new job. I seu nothing wrong with a parliamentary conunittee Sstting guidelines for acquisitions. On another cultural front~, ail levels of governent are under intense pressure te. spend hundreda of millions of dollars te build an opera lieus.ei Toronto. Pleas, don't jet themdo it!Opera in roaly te mont elitest of art foS. It caters te a veryomail percentage of the population mont of. wboma could wel efford to go te Europe where the selection end quelity cf opera would be fer more te their teste. Aithougli Canada bas a national opera company, opera la and always wiil be foreign- a new opera hous will not suddenly make it the art of the Mas, especi=ily if seat prices stay in the $30 - $80 rnge. What worries me je that- the chief lobbyist for the new opera bouse is. wealthy Toiy businessman, Hal Jackman (Who could afford te build it with bis own money, but won't.) Why should the govemnment be- subsidzn an litist culture for'the rici?. I Il ~jJI 'w Il' j WH[TBEY JUNCT[ON STATION, 1918 Ibhis station, now the home of Whitby Mre, Imc., was located nearthe present site cf the GO T'ransit station. The ambulance at right belonged te the Mfilitary Convalescent Hospital, now the Whitby Psythiatric Hospital. Wi~Acav.po 10 TZARS AGO from the Wednesday, April 23, 1980 edition of the WMTY REZ PRESS " A Durham District Health Council report gays the Dr. J.O. Ruddy General Hospital is expensive and under-utlzed. " Margaret Wick in made a life member of the Brooklin Horticultural Society. Denis 'connior High-'School is presenting "GodapI1euil " Durham Region will- build Wentworth Street 'west of Thickson Rcad te ass inh the expansion of LASCO Steel. 25 TZARS AGO- from the Thursday, April 22, 1965 edlition of the WHIMT WEEKLT NEWS *WhitlJy Chamber of Commerce is attempting te establish a Coenmunity Chest Campaign. *Ron Hawkins lias. been appcdnted Corps Superintendent for the St. John1 Ambulance in Ontario and Durham Counties *Several hundred Blair Park residents arm pcin hre for Storm wtrisaltos *AsiJvey reports there is one ichool-age ihl e he prm ntsiiWhitby. 125 TZARS AGO from the Thursday, April 20, 1865 edition of the wnoyCffRoPIIm *GIR.R Cockburn, principal of Upper Canada College, Toronto, wil give a lecture on the laws of natural development at the Mechanicls institute. *A correspondent of the Chronicle writes: "Take heed brethren, cf what language ye use lest ye murder souls whom Christ bath died te save." * Tii Chrcmicle reports the assnation, of 'braham Lincoin under the heading:. "Horrible Doings i the States." * Whitby' downtown merchants are aIl advertising their imported spring goods.