12 Set-asides for art by Michael Hawthorne
Illinois is a leader in supporting public art.

15 State-run galleries by Jennifer Halperin
States are looking for creative ways to support art.

18 Photo essay: historic barns by Judy Spencer and
Beverley Scobell
Illinois' old barns reflect shifts in the state's culture,
agriculture and commerce.

22 Reading Illinois by Sandra 0. Martin
Our best writers have been inspired by their home state.

28 A new look at race and poverty by William Julius wilson
Excerpts from When Work Disappears.

31 Q&A: Tough questions ahead by Jennifer Halperin
A conversation with Richard Wagner on the state
of higher education in Illinois.

3 A Conversation With
Our Readers
by Ed Wojcicki

4 Editor's Notebook
by Peggy Boyer Long

6 State of the State
by Gayl Worland
Art and politics

8 Briefly
by Donald Sevener

34 Your Turn
by Bob Haisman

36 People
by Beverley Scobell

40 Letters

41 A View From Metro East
by Patrick E. Gauen
Al Salvi's southern tour

42 Politics
by Charles N. Wheeler III
Michael Madigan's comeback