David Rockefeller

I do not like to be unkind.

I owe much to mother. She had an expert’s understanding, but also approached art emotionally.

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

When I see something I like, I buy it, but I do not look for it madly.

I learned more from my mother than from all the art historians and curators who have informed me about technical aspects of art history and art appreciation over the years.

Mother’s taste was eclectic and ranged from the ancient world to the contemporary from Europe to the U.S.

Art is self expression. If you are expressing someone else’s personality, that is not art.

The essence of all Art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.

A poem is a naked person… Some people say that I am a poet.

Great art is never produced for its own sake. It is too difficult to be worth the effort.

The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes.

All art inspires me. Life inspires me. The art of life, thus my own art.

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

Creative Arts raise a person to another level of consciousness as if you could imagine life before words.

I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.

I don’t want to put too many boxes on it because the work speaks louder than words.

It is unquestionably true that the need for art is not created by economic conditions. But neither is the need for food created by economics. On the contrary, the need for food and warmth creates economics.

He knows all about art, but he doesn’t know what he likes.

The arts are at the center of a nation’s purpose and a test of civilization.

Eventually, most people felt MoMA had filled a very important gap.

Art is not a thing; it is a way.