Everyone knows about the financial and societal woes of Detroit. The once grand and prospering city has been in decline for decades now and an
emergency manager was appointed in March which gave fiscal control to the state instead of the city. Last week the news came out that all city interests are being examined as possible revenue streams, up to and including, the city owned Detroit Institute of Arts. Now in all probability, the city would not be able to sell off assets given in trust or as gifts to the institution and the idea has already sparked a backlash in the museum community who would take it as a direct assault on museums in general. Even the suggestion of looting the collection really drives home how desperate situation is. The DIA owns some spectacular pieces, a
Brueghel any museum would love to own, a beautiful
Caravaggio, the painting by
Whistler that sparked (pun intended) the legendary
Whistler vs. Ruskin case, a sublime
Bingham, and of course the
Rivera Court, just to name a few. Perhaps all this publicity will remind people the depth and beauty of the collection and how a visit, over the course of the summer, to see it for themselves would do the DIA and the city good.
