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A Journey to Mecca

The pilgrimage to Mecca sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) was everything it was meant to be. The faithful were comprised of hot- and cold-running state legislators from all over the union. They came in all shapes, sizes, genders, brands, and parties; they all had agendas, lists, forms, and maps of Milwaukee,...

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Annual Report

The National Endowment for the Arts has released its 1990 annual report. So have the various state arts councils, including the Illinois Arts Council (IAC). The Lyric Opera of Chicago received a $1 million grant and a couple of hundred thousand for spare change, all of which will supposedly “make a major long term commitment...

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The State of the Art World

What is the art world’s state in America today? The answer depends on whom you talk to and what they do. Some of the answers I’ve heard are: rich, poor, over- and underfunded, neglected, status-laden, censored, silly, profound, personal, public, patriotic, obscene, sacrilegious, attacked, elitist, sexist, postmodern, pluralistic, and so on. And all are true....