Stephen Colbert to Detroit Institute of Arts: "You Don't Need That Much Culture Anymore"

Advice on paying off $18 billion in debt.

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The city of Detroit recently filed for bankruptcy protection because they are unable to pay their $18 billion dollar debt. In this interview with Detroit Free Press editor Stephen Henderson on The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert suggests what others have been saying for months: maybe the city should consider selling some of the art from the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The DIA is currently one of the top museums in the country and has a collection of over 60,000 pieces dating back to the Renaissance. Some of their key pieces like Tintoretto's The Dreams of Men or Henri Matisse's The Window are estimated to be worth well over $100 million dollars each according to the Detroit Free Press, so selling a fraction of their holdings could be the way to go.

Check out the interview below as Colbert attempts to put a down payment on a Picasso:

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[via ColbertNation]

RELATED: The DIA Issues Statement after City of Detroit Files for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy  
RELATED: The Collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts May Be Sold to Pay City Debts

 

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