The love of art - Real nation building

Art is an expression of our greatest hopes and fears, an expression of our interpretations of beauty and love, of all that is good and bad about humanity.

It is a universal language and as particular as the culture that expresses it. It soothes and uplifts, it inspires and comforts an aching heart as quickly as it enflames an outraged soul. It is part of our every day and we are all the richer for that. This year, the Texaco art competition marks 60 years of encouragement and confidence-building in communities across this island. We are in debt to this project and others like it that promote beauty and the skills needed to appreciate and create it. That debt is probably far greater than we will ever realise.