Ladies and Gentlemen,
I like to welcome you to the art exhibition 'TheFuture Is Today.'
The title sounds more like a scientific sloganfrom our century of space flights and internet. But in thisparticular case, THE FUTURE IS TODAY means this: the development inthe future depends entirely upon what we do here and now. What we dotoday for peace and understanding in our society, that will determinewhat our future will be. It will determine what the future of ourchildren, and our children's children will be.
Dear friends of art,
I would like to say a special welcome to Dr.Wilson Greatbatch and his wife Eleanor. This exhibition is presentedunder the patronage of them both. This traditional family did muchfor the society in our area. And Wilson Greatbatch the scientist dideven more. As the inventor of the implantable pacemaker - you, Mr.Greatbatch - made an extraordinary contribution tomankind.
In this exhibition we present the works of tenartists. The invitation to this art exhibition shows the motive'Miracle in Venice' by Edward Tabachnik from Toronto. We welcome thepainter among his other colleagues.
We welcome the other artists - Rick Allen, JohnBaker, Elisabeth Gross Marks from Ithaca, Geeta Harvey, Bill Jobling,Wendy Macdonald Mills, Mary Weig and Bradley Widman.
And we say thank you also to the one artist whofor health reasons could not be with us today, Walter Prochownik, whois represented by his wife Sarah.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our Museum of European Art in Clarence has beenengaged for many years to use art and culture as a bridge forunderstanding among the different countries. As a bridge between theUnited States and the European countries, in which most of us havetheir roots. Let me point out that all this work is done without anyhelp from the government, but only with private donations.
Our supporters agree with the thought of our latepresident John F. Kennedy: 'Do not ask what your country can do foryou; ask what you can do for your country!'
Dear friends of Art,
I am happy to say that this idea finds manysupporters also in Europe. Several weeks ago, in May I was in Berlinon a high cultural mission. This official event involved the firststate visit of the Czech president Vaclav Havel in the Germancapital. Germany and the Czech Republic have many dark politicalspots in their past between the years 1939 and 1948. But after WorldWar II, Germany became with America's cooperation a strong democraticcountry with the largest population in Europe. Germany is a trustfulally and a very important supporter of the Czech efforts to join theEuropean Union as a full member.
Both sides consider the cultural bonds veryimportant for understanding among the people. The fact is that thereare on both sides - mostly under the elderly people - still deepwounds from the wrong politics of the Nazi-time and theCommunist-time in Czechoslovakia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please allow me a short side trip from art intothe politics of our time. And let me add a very important fact: afterthe communist terror in Czechoslovakia, no one could have lead thiscountry into the Western world better than Vaclav Havel. He was andis a well-known writer and an intellectual democrat. He is a man ofculture and art. He knows the importance of culture in music,literature and the fine arts. To thank this outstanding statesmanHavel for what he did for peace in Europe, we handed over to theCzech president a bronze portrait bust by the German sculptor KurtArentz.
We - means: the Museum of European Art inClarence, in cooperation with the European Cultural Foundation inBerlin and the Alexander Order in Paris. And this gesture was highlyappreciated by the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and theGerman President Johannes Rau.
Dear friends, in short this was the story ofBerlin. And today we are here in this Museum. Of course it cannot becompared with the Metropolitan Museum in New York, nor with the othergreat old collections in our country. But this small Museum findsrespect and admiration in many countries. And by the help of theinternet, we can present our artists in the small town of Clarenceworldwide to those who cannot come in person.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the end I would like to thank you for yourpatience in listening to my words. Of course, I did not go intodetails about the works of our artists. Please, view for yourself thecollection of their paintings. They are all individual, veryinteresting contributions to the art of our time. Look at them andfind your own interpretation, enjoy your own feeling in front ofthese works of art.
By our admiration for the great artists who passedaway like Chagall, Picasso, Dali, Nugochi, Calder and the Czech-bornAndy Warhol, the Museum of European Art and our gallery feel close tothe artists of our time. We are pleased to show some of their works.And at the end we would like to encourage also you to becomecollectors of the art of our time.
Thank you very much.