Arts Alive! - May 2005

If you don't believe central Illinois supports a diverse arts community, consider Peoria-born and -raised Thais Banu, who's had a successful Middle Eastern dance and instruction career for decades.

Suppose the traditional high arts organizations were pitted against pop culture venues for capturing fundraising dollars? Suppose each group had to prove the return on investment by the size of the audience, the copies sold, or the life-changing stories from exposure to the art form?