"At a recent news conference for the opening of the Turner Whistler Monet exhibition, a reporter asked: "Can art make cities more gentle?""

"Unequivocally yes."

"Finding the common threads among us and understanding what sets us apart is a civilizing influence on a world that needs it now more than ever. Every day, art gives voice to that discovery."(Toronto Star | Art matters.|Matthew Teitelbaum is director and CEO of The Art Gallery of Ontario. )

(via Marja-Leena Rathje)

:: note :: . . . more talk about the role of the arts . . . wonder whose listening beyond those of us with a vested interest . . . Teitelbaum was at the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon for a while . . . questioned many of his directions/decisions . . . without a thorough analysis it seemed he couldn't create the mix of grassroots regionalism with broader perspective that seems so necessary in smaller centers . . . maybe Saskatoon is already gentle . . .