World Enough and Time

If you're taxes support the gallery, I don't know why they are charging. Usually when a gallery/museum goes to these measures it means they aren't being state/province/federal funded well enough and hence, have to charge fees in order to stay open to the public, not to mention financially support their staff.

Having worked in many places of public concern (museums, galleries, libraries) it ain't easy to gage. I used to hear people bitch all the time at the art gallery cause we asked for a dollar donation (mind you, asked not demanded). If it wasn't for a school grant, the gallery wouldn't exist.

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If your taxes support the gallery, I don't know why they are charging.

Greed? I know it's expensive to run a gallery, even a National one, but I think that to charge the public entry fees is contrary to its purpose.

I wouldn't mind if they asked for a donation on entrance - heck, I would probably pay it. That wouldn't offend me nearly as much.

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Yes, I think the donation idea is the smarter idea. That's how Detroit's Institute sets it up, and they desperately need money.

I couldn't imagine having to pay to enter a national gallery. Imagine how much I would've missed in Edinburgh if I had had to pay.

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Good for the Detroit Institute!

I think paying for a *national* gallery is contrary to the purpose of a national gallery. Hah! A betrayal by the government - and not for the first time!

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So... even in Canada governments betray! I thought that was an uniquely American thing, heh. *kidding*

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Uniquely American - sadly, no. If government betrayal were isolated to only one country, we'd be able to avoid it! As it is.... I don't think there are too many places you can go to get away from it.... some uninhabited island, maybe.

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Argh, I meant to write 'your', not 'you're.' *English major anality*

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I knew what you meant to write. My brain edited it for you. It's the job of a typo to fail to be noticed until too late.... Typos are the enemy and it's an everlasting war!

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I tend to notice typos. It's just the way my brain works. So if you need something read over I'm the one you should call. ;-)

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rosiespark.livejournal.com

Hee, another compulsive proofreader! I bet you also read the cereal box at breakfast... *g*

May I ask why exactly your icon pic is? I keep vacillating between some sort of naval fitting, thumbscrews, or a sailor's pigtail with a large bow at the end. Which probably says more about the contents of my mind that it does about your icon. ;)

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Not quite that bad. But I do notice those typos. I also notice the the kind of typos as well. NO idea why.

I've been too lazy to fix my icons. I really must get around to it. That icon is a Viking Hammer. I have an amateur interest in linguistics and some of that interest has led to looking at what parts of English derive from old Norse etc. ;-) It's quite interesting. I'll friend you so you can look. I had to go private finally.

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They are! lol. Thanks for editing me. ;)

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You'd have also meant "gauge" not "gage" then. :-)

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Yeeeeeeesssssssss.

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iibnf.livejournal.com

Fuck them - that's why I make my own damned art.

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That's the spirit. That's the way to handle it. They don't have enough slash art there, either. But they do have some nice naked men from various cultures.

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iibnf.livejournal.com

I just painted five canvases in burnt umber. Not sure what it's gonna be yet, but I'll charge you a dollar to see them, if you like.

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Oooh, greed, corruption and capitalism! Begone, forces of artistic evil!

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It has been this way for a few years now. All the museums have been (on and off anyway) charging, except on Thursdays. I can remember having to pay to get into the Museum of civ. for example.

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So do I, which is why I so seldom go there. I don't like paying to go there, either!

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kathyh

That's sad. Maybe it won't be permanent. Some museums and art galleries here (the UK) started charging for a while but others (the National Gallery and the British Museum) bravely held out despite financial problems, and now most are free again with visitor numbers way up. Exhibitions are pricey though!

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Wonderful icon!

The possibility that it won't be permanent inspires me all the more to write to the Powers that Be, whoever they are.

I don't really mind special exhibitions being expensive, since they incur special costs. And they're usually worth it, or you can simply choose not to see them - and still see the art in the gallery.

But the art in the National Gallery theoretically belongs to the Canadian people, does it not? So shouldn't they be able to look at it?

I miss the British Museum. It's one of my favourite places.

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katkim.livejournal.com

I was about to say the same thing as

kathyh, I remember when the Natural History Museum started charging and attendance fell way down. So much so that they repealed their decision to charge and allow free entrance again. Still, special exhibitions are very expensive, most are around £8-10. I understand that they have to fund themselves some way, but...meh. Art should be seen by anyone who wants to appreciate it.

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