I'm actually of the opinion that society on the whole advanced once the concept of art collections moved from the preserve of private, wealthy patrons to the public-at-large. Even moreso outside of the religious context.
You can't really put a price tag on it all, it's intertwined with the whole concept of democracy.
Some kid is going to be inspired by a typical school excursion, and that one kid will end up making a difference.
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