I agree, whole heartedly, EllenP...

I've heard that some more progressive cities in the Northwest (Seattle?) actually earmark 1% of their budget for the public art. I think that is a wonderful idea and have proposed it over and over and over down in Leesburg, Va. where I own a large piece of commercial property and where I am active in that community... But, every year its the same ol' sixs and sevens...

I've even threatened to make up bumper stickers that read "Leesburg- Art Free Zone" and may actually do it. But I have been one of the organizers of our "Fall into Arts" program that we have in October and turn the historic district into one big art show and music festival... Gotta do what we can to let folks know there is more to life than making money and war...

(BTW, when I was born, my mom bought two prints for my nursery. "Clowns" by Paul Klee and one of the "native" paintings by Gauguin. I still have both of them, though the Guagiun is in storage waiting for more wall space, which I am working on... I either have way too much art or not enough house?...)

Bobert