Illinois is home to one of the best art towns in America
by Peggy Boyer Long
Chicago, sure. Schaumburg and Champaign, maybe. But Quincy?
You bet.
Who could guess that this out-of-the-way town with a mere 42,000 or so residents would manage to create a multi-million dollar cottage industry out of art and culture and all without the advantages that come from proximity to a major metropolitan area, or the resources of a major state university.
True, one man provided the initial leadership, and much of the early capital, for what has become a $3 million-a-year community venture. But clearly, Quincy, a river town that hugs the western edge of the state, turned out to be fertile ground for arts patron George M. Irwin's dreams. In 1990, a Massachusetts-based arts consulting firm even ranked that town No. 1 in the nation in per capita support for the arts. Last year, according to Rob Dwyer of the Quincy Society of Fine Arts, per capita support came to $14.35.
How does that compare to the rest of Illinois?
According to the National Assembly of States' Arts Agencies, Illinoisans' support for the arts this year totaled $1.39 each.
It's no surprise, then, that Quincy was the only Illinois city listed this year in The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America issued by John Muir Publications.
As early as 1947, Quincy formed the nation's first local arts council. The community is known for its historic architecture. It has a symphony orchestra. And a community theater.
Not world class, perhaps. "Overall," Jennifer Davis writes in our Spotlight that begins on page 30, "the theme is dedicated, grass-roots, if somewhat amateurish support."
In Quincy, celebrity means little. "I tell people," Dwyer allows, "'If you want to see Hamlet, go to Chicago. If you want to be Hamlet, come to Quincy.'" They do come. And Quincy benefits culturally And financially. Yes, among the criteria for selection as one of the 100 small art towns is the economic impact of the arts in a community Officials from other out-of-the-way Illinois towns might want to visit Quincy, too.
The Newcomb-Stillwell Mansion in Quincy is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This Romanesque Revival style building, built in 1891, is now home to that city's Museum of Natural History and Art.
4 / December 1999 Illinois Issues