and repetition of the old.

There is, moreover, a particular state of soul that seizes those who labor in the fine arts, in the world of contemplation, imagination, and restlessness, so that the fingers rush to express the visions and impressions that clamor in the rebellious brain. In this atmosphere the process of inspired creation takes place.

Where, then, do we stand in this process?

And is the output of our artists on the level of world production?

We all acknowledge that the Arts Department in the Ministry of Education is active — how active! — in nourishing and encouraging the arts, witness these numerous prizes, crowned by the prize of His Excellency President Chamoun, and witness these preparations and arrangements that accompany the exhibition each season. But I fear we have begun the work where the West left off. We began by holding exhibitions before we had founded schools of art and of art criticism, and before we had arrived at building the personality of the Lebanese artist, so that this personality might shine forth in his work and we might rightly say: this is our art!

We have fallen short from the very start in embracing and nourishing budding and young artists, and in opening studios for painting and sculpture where they might practice the various arts of the craft until their fingers become obedient to their will and to the inspiration of their minds. All this is necessary and imperative before we set them free to express their true feelings and the particular state of soul in which they live, and before we set about weighing their production in the international balance!

Poor Lebanese artist — and Eastern artist in general! What means have been prepared for him, that his brush and his chisel should rise to the international level? Where are the schools of specialization for the study of the history of the artistic movement? Where are the museums and permanent exhibitions upon which and around which the attention of students and of those with artistic gifts might center?

In Italy alone this year there are 500 art institutes and ten thousand students, and art students have increased 85 percent over last year... These figures are of course fantastic in proportion to our small country; but we speak relatively, and we ask whether there exists in Lebanon a single studio to which the unknown sculptor can resort to bring his artistic design into