We should all be highly grateful and appreciative of Zdzislaw Bieganski’s kind gesture, trust and generosity for transferring his remarkable and priceless collection of great masterpieces, lock stock and barrel, for permanent exhibition and safekeeping to Malta.

How desirable and beneficial it would be if the government were to take a leaf out of Mr Bieganski’s book to encourage and attract overseas art collectors to follow suit, especially by providing suitable accommodation to house and exhibit such magnificent works of art.

Malta would, as time goes by, gain the distinction and fame as an art centre, playing David to the Goliaths of Rome, London, Paris and New York.

These magnificent art treasures coupled with our own not insignificant mobile and immobile art riches should upgrade Malta as an exciting Mecca for cultural tourists and visitors especially during the low shoulder months when hotels generally have to struggle hard for survival.

Malta would thereby become much more prosperous both materially, but especially intellectually.

The magnificent art treasures would additionally open wide the doors for innumerable new and varied jobs, which will ease and correct the existing imbalance in the employment sector.

Also, who knows, how many artistically inclined youngsters may be encouraged to take up art as their profession and permanent occupation to the credit of local art schools and institutions, which will also have to expand to cater for the expected student rush and influx.

With regard to the inevitable custodial and security expenses, which may be quite hefty, these should be mostly recoverable through entrance charges and profits derived from sales of literature and souvenirs apart from voluntary donations to keep and sustain the exhibition spaces.

Such impressive permanent art exhibitions should lead Malta to attain a high level of excellence among the EU partners.

Hopefully, also, the thousands of cruise tourists would find some time to pay even just a fleeting visit to one of these art treasure houses.

They may also in consequence be highly useful and valuable envoys advertising and recommending the islands as a location worthy of an infinitely longer visit and stay.

This accumulation of art treasures would signal a green light of a stupendous opportunity for Din l-Art Helwa to ensure practical and effective use of its restored old historic buildings in its care, as specialized miniature art museums worth a visit for the architectural quality of the buildings and their stupendous contents.

Edwin Calleja

BALZAN