more, an art lover has claimed.

In a speech to the Hamilton Rotary Club yesterday, Tom Butterfield, founder of the Masterworks Foundation, said he wanted to see greater cooperation between the foundation and the Department of Education.

"It would be wonderful to have less red tape in the Education Department so that we could have and provide greater distribution of the collection,'' he said.

"Kids become aware of their environment, their home. When kids are taught about their home or know a bit more about their environment, they will grow up to accept other cultures and other peoples into their land.'' Mr. Butterfield said that like music, which reaches into other senses aside from hearing, painting was more than something that hangs on a wall. Instead it is a way of reaching many different levels of expression and communication.

Moreover, he said Masterworks had its most successful summer school programme called Artists Encounters recebtly which was held at the Admiralty House grounds.

A new artist each week came in and demonstrated different fields in the visual arts to children who ranged in age from eight to 12.

"I would like to point out that whatever your idea might be of a summer art student it would be shattered by the actual composition of the class,'' he added.

"Quite simply, we had a group of kids of every ethnic, cultural and economic background across the island...this programme was so successful that parents have been clamouring for us to continue the workshops over the course of the academic year.'' Mr. Butterfield also said Masterworks had a strong membership and one of its ongoing goals is to create a balance in the community.

And the heavy promotion of the visual arts, he said, was a key plank in that strategy.