One of the special aspects of our region's vibrant arts community is that it extends beyond the city into the surrounding rural counties. For more than a decade, the Arts and Education Council (A&E), in partnership with the Monsanto Fund, has grown the arts in those rural communities through the Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education Program.

One community that has benefitted from this funding is Lebanon, Ill., which is home to two of A&E's rural grant recipients - Looking Glass Playhouse (LGP) and The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts (The Hett).

Founded in 1973, LGP is one of the oldest theatre companies in the region. LGP director Gigi Dowling Urban attributes the company's success and strong support from the community to its inclusive, "something for everyone" approach. LGP places a special emphasis on providing theater education to Lebanon's youth.

"What I think differentiates the Playhouse's approach is that while we offer a traditional all youth program each summer, we also emphasize regular season shows that can include children," explained Dowling Urban.

"Community theater is one of the only places where children and their parents can create together," Dowling Urban continued. "You go watch your child's soccer games, you attend your child's band concert, but at the Playhouse [children and parents] can both appear in a play or musical; it is a shared bonding experience and families attest to how special those times are for them not only artistically but emotionally."

The Hett has a similar commitment to the region through its diverse programming and community outreach, including World Fest, a two-year program that brought international music groups to the area for performances at schools, senior centers and other community venues.

Peter Palermo, director of The Hett, recalls being particularly touched by one group's visit. "To go to an East St. Louis middle school with a group of Israeli musicians, and watch those kids just sit there rapt, just glued to the performance, filled my heart with so much joy."

Now that the World Fest program has ended, Palermo has begun brainstorming ideas for similar types of community outreach.

"We're talking to some artists, and we're also going to start working on a series that we build for students to come [to The Hett] on buses for field trips," said Palermo. "There's nothing like that really happening over [in Lebanon], so I think there's a demand.

Through their programming and outreach and the support of programs like A&E's Monsanto Rural Arts Fund, LGP and The Hett are proving that the arts do more than entertain. They create a gathering place for rural communities to connect and exchange ideas, and are testament to the fact that quality arts and culture opportunities extend beyond the big city.

For more information on the Monsanto Rural Community Arts Education Program, click here.

For more information on Looking Glass Playhouse, visit lookingglassplayhouse.com.

For more information on The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, visit mckendree.edu/the_hett.