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The death of art and culture

Art and culture are two things I believe to be as important to the social fabric of any town as recreation, industry and political discourse.

Art and culture are two things I believe to be as important to the social fabric of any town as recreation, industry and political discourse.

It saddens me when I hear that a gallery is going to close, a bookstore folds or a cultural event is shut down due to financial constraints.

Last week, I was present at the County of Barrhead council meeting in which representatives of the Barrhead Art Club met with councillors and told them the bitter truth about their gallery.

Within eight years, short of any outside help, the gallery will be forced to close its doors.

On the one hand, a lot can change in that amount of time and maybe the situation for the club will not be so dire.

Maybe they will get a flux of new members or the province will deign to deliver cultural grants, I don’t know.

On the other hand, it’s eight years and then like a candle, a beacon of light in a gray world will be snuffed out.

No more paintings, no more art classes, no more conversations or receptions.

Without art and culture, a town is basically just industry and business.

In my opinion, to thrive, a place like Barrhead cannot have one or the other.

It needs both.

While I agree with the Town and the County in that the municipalities are the wrong people to approach, especially during an economic recovery such as we are in, I believe something needs to be done.

To that end, this week, I decided I’m going to purchase a painting.

I am also going to make a donation but it certainly isn’t going to be on the same level as those of you whom contributed to the pool because I’m not rich.

The point is, every little bit helps.

Maybe my contribution amounts to nothing but a droplet in a big bucket, but the truth is, I’m a hobbyist artist myself and I enjoy going to the gallery.

There is a wealth of talent in Barrhead and if the gallery is gone, those artists will bring their works, their business, elsewhere.

It is my opinion that without the arts, life is somewhat dull.

I would urge you, if you have an extra dollar or two, to do likewise, because the sad reality is that the members of the art club cannot count on the province and when it is gone, we will all reminisce on the art scene that died.

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