What Only Art Can Do

It's sad that it takes something so horrendous to demonstrate why the arts are important in our lives, but it should stand as a cautionary tale to those who pooh-pooh the arts as unnecessary. The BBC is reporting that the factory owned by Oskar Schindler is going to be turned into an art museum.

Krakow deputy mayor Tadeusz Trzmiel said: "The establishment of a museum in this historic factory is part of the rehabilitation of the industrial area of Zablocie."

Much like the controversies surrounding art spaces planned for Ground Zero, I imagine Krakow's civic leaders will find the transformation a complicated one, but there's nothing better suited to rehabilitate a landmark than a venue for the arts. Seriously, consider how folks would feel if Schindler's factory were turned into a mall or bulldozed over to make way for a new banking district. Whenever anyone argues that the arts do not represent the very best of what humans are capable of, think of this and remember it's something only art can do.