Learned Institutions ought to be favorite objects with every free people. They throw that light over the public mind which is the best security against crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public liberty.

What we call wisdom is the result of all the wisdom of past ages. Our best institutions are like young trees growing upon the roots of the old trunks that have crumbled away.

We're all entitled to opinions about how art institutions should behave and entitled to voicing those opinions through whatever means available to us. We're also allowed to change or modify our opinions.

Almost all institutions own a lot more art than they can ever show much of it revealing for its timeliness genius or sheer weirdness.

The hallmark of our age is the tension between aspirations and sluggish institutions.