I know people will say that when the Sarjeant Gallery is rebuilt we will have more on display. That may be true but even if our public displays increased by 100 per cent, it would still leave 97.4 per cent of our collection hidden in vaults.
Most of our art collection has been donated or bequeathed to our local authority for the public to enjoy, and this is clearly not happening.
We struggle to attract tourists to our lovely city and we pride ourselves about our arts and heritage. Just imagine if we had the majority of the best and most valuable pieces on permanent display ... we really would become a major provincial arts destination and attract many more local and international tourists.
Clearly we cannot display the huge collection fully (8338 pieces), so why don't we have a discussion about only keeping the best and most valuable artworks and sell the rest. I could think of many projects the money raised could be used for.
I can hear the howls of protest already, but what is a piece of art worth if it is hidden away in a dungeon (at great cost) for years and years.
I have waited in vain for the Chronicle to follow up on this story or someone else to raise the subject. But when it comes to the Sarjeant, it's a bit like a $35 million elephant in the room that our city council and leaders politely look the other way and refuse to discuss.
DAVE HILL
Whanganui
HISTORIC BASIS
In reply to Russ Hay's "Cuddle rug" (Letters; January 21):
The Bible can be approached in different ways. We can ask who wrote what, when and why. The features Russ Hay notes can be relevant in dating manuscripts, and matters like historical background and textual criticism of manuscripts can be studied, too.
The Old Testament history recorded in the Bible is accurate back to about 1200BC. The kings and events can be cross-referenced with the rulers of Egypt, Assyria, Moab and Babylon, and confirmed by astronomy in the case of the Assyrian king Ashur Dan3 and the solar eclipse of June 15, 763BC.
As for earlier times, there are creation stories from Egypt and Babylon. As for Adam's sin, there is an Egyptian story about the "Deliverance of Mankind from Destruction" because of their sin.
Cain and Abel? From Egypt, the Story of two brothers. The Flood? The Sumerian Noah was Ziusdra and the Babylonian Noah was Utnapishti
Genesis 10 gives a very old world map. The flat maps we know were not invented till near the time of Christ.
The form of the Ten Commandments parallels the statement of terms that the Hittites imposed on peoples they conquered.
The Jews chose the law books about 400BC and the prophet books about 200BC. The rest of the Old testament was decided on by them in c90AD.
The New Testament books were considered by the Catholic Church for three centuries before being decided on at Hippo and Carthage in the 390sAD.
Why were these various books treasured? They were treasured for their history, the customs, laws and morals taught in them.
In spite of the imperfections, Russ Hay notes Jews and Christians have regarded these books as being, or at least containing, the word of God, expressing principles that have formed the basis of all Western culture.
TOM PITTAMS
Whanganui
NOT RACIST
Columnist Jay Kuten would rather push his particular ideological narrative than consider the facts, especially with regard to anything to do with US President Donald Trump or the Republican Party.
His nonsense would be entertaining if it wasn't full of attacks on people he disagrees with.
Jay makes all sorts of false claims, many of which should be corrected or at least contrasted with the facts by your newspaper.
In a recent column, Jay stated the well-refuted lie that Trump adviser Steve Bannon is a "white supremacist" - ie. that he is a racist and anti-semite.
Are we supposed to believe that Jay would know better than all those Jews and Muslims and people of colour that Bannon hired and worked with at Breitbart who have made it quite clear that Bannon is not racist or anti-semitic, or in any way a "white supremacist"?
This latest lie of Jay's is simply unacceptable and he should immediately retract it and apologise.
K A BENFELL
Whanganui
