Pick up a program from any arts organization in town, listen to public radio or watch public television, and you’re likely to see a version of this sentence: “Programs are made possible in part with funding from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.”
But for more than a year, state support for the arts has been hard to come by.
Last year, Springfield public radio station WUIS-FM received $34,910 from the arts council, down from $51,000 the year before. But Bill Wheelhouse, a veteran statehouse reporter before he became general manager of the station, made clear he was aware of the political climate.
“It’s difficult to complain too much when other important services are being cut to people,” Wheelhouse said.
Wheelhouse's comments were featured in a January 20, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.
Download a PDF of the article
