Illinois Issues

2006·5.4 MB·English

by  Sangamon State University

ILLI
V. 32
No. 12 December 2006 $3.95
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Illinois Issues blog
t Theofficial blog ofIllinoisIssuesmagazine, published bytheCenterforStatePolicyand
LeadershipattheUniversityofIllinoisatSpringfield
Wednesday, November08, 2006
Name:Bethany
Carson What this means
AlotofanalysiswillbekickedaroundaswetrytounderstandwhattheNovember
7electionresultsmeanforthefutureofthisstate, buthere'sastartingpoint:
Location:Springfield,
Illinois, UnitedStates •Democratsswepttheconstitutionalofficesandwillmaintainmajoritiesinthe
nIefowlslofwrosmtattehegoCavpeirtnomlepnrtess ItlalkienonisthHeoucsaekea.ndHisSe3n1atDee,mobcurtaStesnaatnedMoanjeorIintdyeLpeeanddeerntE-mtiulrnJeodn-esDeJmro.cmriagthctohualvde
pSrIltuolaboitlnmeoiissaPhoneIldsdiscuwbyerysiattmnehadegaaLrCtezeiaincdnlteeeers,rsfhfoiorpr ahntshaeovetsedheeegdmalaiotjnnooegrdo-vaieewtnraeroimitusdegedhwitslshlceehafotlgosyolvtteoahrnrsnodeoucrrgu'ohrsaedtvhaeceto"onHsesoustuprseauernc,dtmiawtojhonoiracpiplhtapynri"sso.vuonefBluis3tk6o,etmlhetyahttmeoadnojgueoasmirnnb'ieettrenmmooseuf,agvnhsoutsceehsats
attheUniversityofIllinois tosecureathree-fifthsmajority.
acitdaepSaipstriotnlogbfmuiere:[email protected] t•igUhptd.atIne:thKeeynosrttahtweelsetgissulbautirvbesroafceCshitchaagtow,eDecmoovcerraedtFinredCrespohapsroavleedadtoovbeer
incumbentTerryParke, aHoffmanEstatesRepublicanwhohasservedtheareafor
profile morethantwodecades. NotallprecinctshadreportedthelastIchecked.
DownstatearoundClinton,MarionandJeffersoncounties, Democraticincumbent
Links KurtGranbergofCarlylecouldedgeouthisrepeatRepublicanopponent, John
CavalettoofSalem. Buttheracehasyettobecalled, withthelatestresults
showingGranbergwith50percenttoCavaletto's49percent. That'sadifferenceof
about 100votes.
Find at http://illinoisissues.uis.edu
it
EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
H^v.
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An
Illinois writer defines
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erratically to the northwest, roughly survivors, the dead and the coyotes— meatto be cooked. KFC is waiting
from the west ofSonoytaArroyo on and on the trackers, the borderpatrol, for its Mexican-plucked, Mexican-
the Mexican side towardYuma,Ariz. the migra, the bureaucrats on both slaughtered chickens to be fried by
Theirguides, the coyotes, took their sides ofthe border. Mexicans. And—the western desert
money and left them to die. That any Urrea, who teaches creative writing is waiting, too its temperatures
survived 1 10-degree days with no at the University ofIllinois at Chicago soaring, a fryer in its own right."
http://illinoisissues.uis.edu IllinoisIssues December2006 3
mm
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ONLINE
Illinois Issues
1 I ll IIIIII 'I ll IIIillllll Mill Findup-to-date insightinto statepolitics andthe actions
<)nth*ncwv*1;inrt\r/trmh?r2006 ofstate lawmakers, aswell as linksto in-depthbackground
Who
would
onpublicpolicyissues. Wekeeptrackofmajorbreaking
want to run? statenews, too. Wanttoknowwhat's happening
Haselectedofficebecome betweenissues ofthemagazine?This istheplace.
soonerousthatitthreatens
thequalityofAmerican
governance? Theanswers ConnecttoIllinoisIssuesWeb site at
arenotreassuring f
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StatePolicyandLeadership uiu>emtfljui neimwinnyuuuu$nsnenuuse, writui isuiuimeiyv.uy<amtnuu^nxrais
attheUniversityofIllinois tosecureathree-fifthsmajority.
aitdeSapsritnogfmiee:ld. Emailyour • Update: Keystatelegislativeracesthatwecoveredin provedtobe
[email protected] tight. InthenorthwestsuburbsofChicago, DemocratFredCrespohasaleadover
incumbentTerryParke, aHoffmanEstatesRepublicanwhohasservedtheareafor
-ofHe morethantwodecades. NotallprecinctshadreportedthelastIchecked.
OownstatearoundClinton,MarionandJeffersoncounties, Democratic incumbent
Links KurtGranbergofCarlylecouldedgeouthisrepeatRepublicanopponent, John
CavalettoofSalem. Buttheracehasyettobecalled,withthelatestresults
showingGranbergwith50percenttoCavaletto's49percent. That'sadifferenceof
about100votes.
Find at http://illinoisissues.uis.edu
it
EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
~"^m^*y*~L^-^r
An
Illinois writer defines
the border between art and truth
by Peggy Boyer Long
TulianAmbws Malaga wore his and has been inducted into the Latino
%J red-stripedsoccerjerseyforgood Literary Hall ofFame, is qualified to
hicMka.rio Castillo hadcrossedbefore. "KFC is waitingfor its tbeultl tghrieswstuopry.inHSeanwaDsiebgoo.mHiinsTfiajtuhaenra
He oncespenteightmonths livingand Mexican-pineked, Mexican- was Mexican, his motherAnglo. And
workingin Galena, III. they grew to regard each other
EnriqueLanderos Garcia wantedto slaughtered chickens to be as "one ofthem," he writes in his
makea betterlifeforhis wife Octavia fried by Mexicans. And the autobiographical nobody'sson: notes
andtheirsonAlexis. from an american life.
In theend, Reymundo Barreda western desert is waiting, too TheDevilsHighway is a useful
—
Mararihadto holdup his boy book to read now as Congress and
its temperatures soaring,
ReymundoJr. the president take up immigration
Those were some ofthe men who afryer in its own right. " policy once again.
walked into the desert that May in The official "death packets," Urrea
Luis Alberto Urrea
c2o0u0n1ts..TwTewnetlyv-esisxtuwmebnlteidn,babcyksooumt.e The Devil's Highway whrairtveess,t"saeraeskonno—wnMaasy'atrhcrhoiuvgehs,J'ualnyd—
They had no way ofknowing it, but is known as 'death season.' It is then
the walkerstook the Devil's Highway, waterand no shelter is a testament to that lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers,
a region novelist andpoet Luis the human will. That they were in the oranges, strawberries are all ready to
Alberto Urrea calls the deadliest desert at all shows a failure ofpolitical be picked. Arkansas chickens are ready
on the continent, where it gets so hot will. tobe plucked. Cows are waiting in
that "bodies will mummify almost TheDevilsHighway, Urrea's Iowa and Nebraska to be ground into
immediately." nonfiction account ofthis true story, hamburger, and grills are ready in
Theirroute, traced afterthe fact was a finalist forthe 2005 Pulitzer McDonald's and Burger King and
by the official trackers, moved Prize. He put flesh and bones on the Wendy's and Taco Bell forthe ground
erratically to the northwest, roughly survivors, the dead and the coyotes— meat to be cooked. KFC is waiting
from the west ofSonoytaArroyo on and on the trackers, the borderpatrol, for its Mexican-plucked, Mexican-
the Mexican side towardYuma,Ariz. the migra, the bureaucrats on both slaughtered chickens to be fried by
Theirguides, the coyotes, took their sides ofthe border. Mexicans. And—the western desert
money and left them to die. That any Urrea, who teaches creative writing is waiting, too its temperatures
survived 1 10-degree days with no atthe University ofIllinois at Chicago soaring, a fryerin its own right."
http://illinoisissues.uis.edu IllinoisIssues December2006 3
.
ADVISORY BOARD
—
And, ofcourse, beyond the desert team Beverley Scobell, Bethany
CHAIR lies Illinois, where Mexican migrants Carson,—Vera Leopold and Diana
DianaNelson,executivedirector.CrossCityCampaign join immigrants from more than Nelson formaking this and other
forUrbanSchoolReform,Chicago. 100 countries. Illinois, Chicago editions a success throughout the
VICECHAIR especially, has always been a year.
TaylorPensoneau,authorandpresidentoftheboard destination forpilgrims seeking a And a special year-end thanks is
ofdirectors,IllinoisCenterfortheBook.Springfield.
better life. In fact, immigrants and due Charlene Lambert andToni
MEMBERS theirchildren account formore than Langdon, ourcirculation, marketing
MarySueBarrett,president.MetropolitanPlanning a quarterofthe state's population and financeteam, withoutwhom
Council,Chicago. now. And last year, the number nothing could happen.
Margaret Blaekshere.president,IllinoisAFL-CIO,
Chicago. offoreign-born Illinoisans rose, We hope you'll take the time
RobertJ.Christie, vicepresident,governmentrelations. reaching a double-digit percentage to savor the diverse cultural
NorthwesternMemorialHospital,Chicago.
DarcyDavidsmeyer,director,stategovernment increase from 2000. contributions ofIllinoisans. As
relations.MotorolaInc..Schaumbiirg. That reality helped inspire Urrea says, "I know how much color
KathleenDunn,vicepresident,government
relations.IllinoisHospitalAssociation,Springfield. Managing EditorMaureen Foertsch and beauty we add to theAmerican
JimEdgar,.seniorfellow,InstihiteofGovernment McKinney to focus this year's arts mix."
andPublicAffairs, UniversityofIllinois.
SharonGistGilliam,chairperson,ChicagoHousing issue, the magazine's 1 1th, on I would add that sometimes, like
Authority. the theme ofethnicity. Illinois' Urrea, artists also show us a vision
LawrenceX.Hansen,vicepresident,JoyceFoundation.
Chicago. multicultural history, she writes, has ofthe darker side ofourselves.
DorisB.Holleh.professoriallecturer. University enrichedthe artistic heritage.
ofChicago. PeggyBoyerLongcanbereached
JReotbtearMtoJr.riKlsaJuosn,epsr,eastitdoernnteya.nCdhCiEcaOg.o.OralHealth theWreesotwoeftthheanekdistotroihaleraanndddteosign atpeggyboy(cv,aol.com
America,Chicago.
MikeLawrence,director,PaulSimonPublicPolicy
Institute.SouthernIllinoisUniversityatCarbondale. The Hummingbird's Daughter
JoanIf.Levy,educationconsultant.Northbrook.
MiliumE.Lowry.vicepresidentforHumanResources A novelbyLuisAlberto Urrea
andAdministration,JohnD.andCatherineT.
MacArthurFoundation.Chicago. Magic realism,writes LuisAlbertoUrreainhis 1998 autobiographynobody's
RobertaLynch,deputydirector,AmericanFederation son, is"basicallyreality,"thoughheaddsthatmostofusprobablywon'tbelieve
ofState,Count}-andMunicipalEmployees,Chicago.
JeffMays,president.IllinoisBusinessRoundtahle. it. "Gringoshaveastrangely difficulttimewith thebizarredetailsofthedaily life
Chicago. ofLatinos. People scoffatpersonal testimonialsofwonders,butthey lovetoread
AbnerJ.Mikva. visitingprofessoroflaw. University
ofChicago. them innovelsfromColombia."
LaurenceJ.Msull,president, TheCivicFederation, Nowhis2005 TheHummingbird'sDaughter, anovel abouthis"aunt"Teresita
Chicago.
DawnClarkNetsch,professoroflawemeritus. Urrea, a Mexicanrevolutionaryandpeople'ssaint, hasbeencomparedtoGabriel
NorthwesternUniversitySchoolofLaw,Chicago. GarciaMarquez's OneHundred YearsofSolitude. Butthisbook isgroundedin
FeliciaF.Norwood,headofMedicaid,Aetna,Inc.,
Chicago. Urreahistory. His family'smemories,hewrites,are"full ofghosts," including
AuriePennick,executivedirector.FieldFoundation onethatmayormaynothavewatchedoverhisownbabycrib.
ofIllinois,Chicago.
BetsyA.Plank,principal,BetsyPlankPublic AsforTeresita,wholivedfrom 1873 to 1906, shealsois Mexican history.
Relations,Chicago. Legendhas itthatLaSantadeCaboracameback fromthedead,performed
SylviaPuente.director,MetropolitanChicago
Initiative,InstituteforLatinoStudies, University healingamongthepoorwho flockedtoherlather'sranch, preachedtothe
PhiolfiNpoJt.reRoDcakm,ea.ttorney.Rock,Fusco&Associates, pilgrimsandpennednewspaperarticlesdenouncingthegovernment, thechurch
LLC,Chicago. and the landowners. Thisdid notmaketheofficialsorthepriestshappy,orher
TomRyder,attorney, W.ThomasRyder,LTD,Springfield. father,therichandpowerful DonTomasUrrea,whocouldonlysputterwhen she
AnnaEleanorRoosevelt, vicepresident,communityand
educationrelations.BoeingCoi-p..Chicago. sat upatherwake.
PaulaWolff,seniorexecutive.ChicagoMetropolis2020. "She said, T amtired. Ihavecomealongway. Haveyoubeenthereyet?'
Tomascoughed. Howwasonetobeafathertoadeadgirl? Didonescold her?
EX-OFFICIOMEMBERS
Correcther?"
AnthonyP.Halter,executivedirector,CenterforState
PolicyandLeadership, UniversityofIllinois Who istosaywhetherTeresita,still honored inpartsofMexico,didordidn't
RoabteSrptriFn.gRfiicelhd,.directorandprofessor.Instituteof do thesethings. Butherstory,researchedandreimaginedby Urreaoverthe
GovernmentandPublicAffairs. UniversityofIllinois courseo—f20years,hasmuchtosayaboutpovertyandoppression, rebellionand
healing whetherwedoubtthedetailsofthemiraclesornot.
FOUNDINGMEMBER Urrea,whoalsowritespoetryandnonfiction, heardaboutthe SaintofCabora
SamuelK.Gove,professoremeritusofpoliticalscience,
UniversityofIllinois. atfamilygatherings inTijuana.
Thehistorical recordonTeresitaisextensive,butinan interviewincluded in
MEMBERSEMERITUS the2006paperbackedition, Urreasayshewroteanovelbecause"Iquickly
M(yiecarhsaseelrvJe.dBonakbaolairdsi(n1p9ar8e3n-t2he0s0e1s)),JamesM.Banovetz realizedthatyoucan'tfootnoteadream." Itwas,hesays,throughthe"intuitive"
(1986-2005),JamesL.Fletcher(1983-2000),David thathecametoknowTeresita. "Finally, I feltthatanovelwasawaytoarriveat
Kennev(1978-90),LouisH.Masotti(1978-92),
JamesT.Otis(1975-94).DavidJ.Paulus(1988-94), thedeepesttruth about theeventsofherlife."
CarlShier(1978-87). PeggyBoyerLong
4 December2006 IllinoisIssues http://illinoisissues.uis.edu
Issues
Illinois
Apublication ofthe University ofIllinois at Springfield
December 2006 VolumeXXXII, No. 12
Journeys,page28 Bluespoet,page24 Rightstoaculture,page 15
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
14 Art and ethnicity 3 EDITOR'SNOTEBOOK
Illinois'culture is a vividtapestrywoven bya multitude An Illinois writer's view
ofartists whoseethnicityiscentralto theirwork. by Peggy BoyerLong
6 STATEOFTHESTATE
15 Rights to a culture byVera Leopold Paintremovalrevealshistory.
Illinois'experiencescastrepatriation ofcultural
by Bethany Carson
items in a betterlight, butthestatesmuseum
policiesvaryon issuesofownership. 8 BRIEFLY
34 PEOPLE
1 8 Photo essay Barrio by Paul D'Amato 30 II INKS
Photographsdepict Chicagos Pilsen 37 ENDSANDMEANS
andLittle Villageneighborhoods. GOP'sa biggerloserthan the Cubs.
by Charles N.Wheeler III
24 Blues poet by Maureen
Chicago writerSterlingPlumppgives thelowdown. Foertsch McKinney STAFF
Director/ExecutiveEditor,CenterPublications
28 Profiles Journeys by Beverley Scobell PeggyBoyerLong
Artistsfollowtheirvisionsdown individualpaths.
MAGAZINEEDITORIAL
ManagingEditor:MaureenFoertschMcKinney
ProjectsEditor:BeverleyScobell
StatehouseBureauChief:BethanyCarson
Columnist:CharlesN.WheelerIII
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photographfeatured, isfromPaulD'Amato'sbookBarrio:PhotographsfromChicago'sPilsenandLittle EditorialAssistant:DebiEdmund
Village, whichtheUofCpublishedearlierthisyear.D'Amato'spicture,shotin 1990.depictsnotonly
theworksthathanginsidetheshop,butalsotheartontheothersideofthewindow. BUSINESS
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Q
http://illinoisissues.uis.edu IllinoisIssues December2006 5
STATE OF THE STATE
/^va^Cxbu^
A
century of the Capitol's history
revealed as paint scraped away
is is
by Bethany Carson
take the scenic route towork every Original, detailed murals disappeared
Imorning. I walk up three flightsofthe Ws hard to imagine how such beneath morethan adozen layersof
Illinois Capitol's grand staircasethat paintorwhite drop-downceilings, he
an elaborate architecturalplan
leadto atoweringpiece ofartabovethe says. "Therewasafeelingthat we'vegot
Press Room door. could have been built in 1868. tomakethisbuilding lookmore modern
It'sa20-foot-by-40-foot painting and useful, and that's why somuchof
ofa 1778 peace treaty with George But that's when Illinois this gotcovered up." Besides, itwas less
Rogers Clark and NativeAmericans at brokeground in Springfield expensivetomaintainauniformlypainted
Fort Kaskaskia, and italmost looks small wall than itwastomaintain decorative
comparedto the impressive depth and for its sixth state Capitol. murals.
ornatedetail ofthe stainedglass dome "Finally," McLarty says, "people woke
soaringabove the Capitol alavish art museumasmuch as a up and realizedtheseare reallytreasures
rotunda. functional Statehouse. thatwe have, andweneedtopreserve
It's hardto imagine how such an Butovertheyears, style, function and them."
elaborate architectural plan could have budgetschange. Unfortunately, historic Since May, hundredsofworkers have
been built in 1868. But that's when preservation hasn'talwaysbeena beenrenovatingthe Illinois House and
Illinois brokeground in Springfield for priority, says Illinois'current Capitol Senate chambersandthe first-floor
its sixth state Capitol. Ittook 20 years architect, Donald McLarty.A 23-year rotunda.True artisans have been hiredto
and $4.3 million to build, andoriginal veteran ofhistoric buildingrestoration, bringblack-and-white photographs to
architectsJohn Cochrane ofChicago he came fromVirginiato head the life in vibrantcolorsthroughresearch
andAlfred Piquenard ofFrance designed recently created Office oftheArchitect. and interpretation ofhistory.
TimMapes,IllinoisHouseDemocrats'chiefofstaff,overseesworkinthe Thelaylight,aglasspanellitfromabove,isbracedbyanewmolding. The
chamber.Scaffoldingwasconstructedtorecreateanornateceilinglight. goldleafingaccentsthegarlandandwillreflecttheartificiallight.
6 December2006 IllinoisIssues http://illinoisissues.uis.edu
Theirchallengeis to integrate modern weeverwould have gotten it done." was installed in the 1970s. It's completely
building codes, fire safety standards, It all startedas anecessary upgrade ofa different fromthe othersideofthe
—
conveniences andtechnolo—gies heatingandair-conditioning system that room, where the public, lobbyists and
Internet, air-conditioning without had exceeded its 30-year life spanby five reporters sit undera mural that looks like
destroyingthehistoric fabric ofthe years. Buttheproject grew in scope as aVictorian skylight. Painters recreated
building, McLarty says, andtodo it Mapes and top state lawmakers daredto gold flowers thatwrap around white
within thetime and space available, ask, "While we're at it, could we...?" latticework surrounding what looks like
which is notmuch. That's an expensive question, says natural blue sky.
The Senatework is on scheduletobe Hawker. But the devil's advocate asks, if In the House chamber, a former
finishedbeforeJanuary, saysLinda not now, when would it be appropriate to skylight had been filled in.Afire in the
Hawker, secretaryofthatchamber. spend millions ofdollars to unmaskthe 1930s damaged the ceiling, whichwas
Though the House is not expectedto be historyofthe Statehouse? replacedby anornamental plasterone.
completedbythe timethe 95th General That'swhere such contractors as No longer. What usedto be a
Assemblyconvenes next month, saysTim Edward Magee come in. He'sasuper- skylight is now a 7,500-piece lay light, a
Mapes, chiefofstaffforHouse Speaker visorfortheNewYork-based EverGreene glasspanel with artificial lightingabove.
Michael Madigan, itwill bedoneby Painting Studios Inc. andhas worked on The cathedral andhand-spun, 36-color
February. the Illinois Capitol formonths.The antique glass has become thecenterpiece
Hawker, Mapes andtheirnewvoiceof company analyzes chips ofpaint, uses ofthe chamber.
experience, McLarty, haveoverseen a scientific processto determinethe Steve Brooks, ownerofBrooksArt
problem-solving on upgrades of original dimensions ofcoloranddeduces Glass Inc. in Springfield, fabricatedthe
lighting, security, sound and legislative history. Mageehasphotocopied black- lay light designedby two Illinois firms.
voting systemswhilerestoringhistoric and-whitepictures ofthe original rooms Philip Hamp ofChicago'sVinci-Hamp
treasuresdiscovered in theprocess. and, voila, he interprets whatthe spaces Architects Inc. worked with Northbrook's
In the Senate chamber, workers wouldhave looked like inthe late 1800s. Wiss, Janney ElstnerAssociates todesign
strippedthe wall behind the pressbox and "It'snotaboutthe moneybeing spent," the lay light and artglass, which is based
foundan original pattern resemblingthe Magee says. "It'saboutdoingthe right on theoriginal space'smid-19th-century
federal shield, with 13 stars and 13 stripes job." French style.
symbolizingthe colonies. Theoriginal So far, asbestosremoval has cost Hamp's firm also designedthe entire
pattern isbeingrestored, as are such $7.5 million, accordingto Steve Brown, House and Senate renovation.
details as thehand-sewn carpets in spokesman forthe House speaker. "Ourhope is thatthechambers will
eachchamberandroll-down desks in Upgrading the heatingand air- have a 19th-century-effective lookto
the Senate. Theyconveniently hide conditioning system couldcostanother them, basedon EverGreene'spainting
microphones, laptop computers $22 million, andrehabilitatingthe and Brooks'artglass andall the artisan
and legislative voting systemswired Houseand Senate chambers could near workthatwill givethem acredibility and
throughoutthe chambers. $10 million. a dignitythat they haven'thad fora long
"You havetomake changes that are Thetransformation is monumental. It's time," Hamp says.
Q
reasonable andcan fit the function," still visible in afirst-floorcommittee "And I thinkwe'll succeed in that."
Mapes says. "Youcan'tdo everything. room.Abovetherepresentatives' seats BethanyCarsoncanbereachedat
Would havebeen nice, but I'm not sure remains awhitedrop-down ceiling that [email protected].
PhotographsbyBethanyCars
GlennBrownofEverGreenePaintingStudiospaintsthespokesofthelaylight.Hehelpedpaintthemolding, whichwasjustwhiteplasterwhenhe
startedthejob.BrooksArtGlassInc.inSpringfieldmadethelaylightwith36colors, 7,500piecesandcathedralandhand-spunantiqueglass.
Q
http://illinoisissues.uis.edu IllinoisIssues December2006 7
BRIEFLY
DUST MEMORIES PhotographbyL.BrianStauffer,courtesyojtheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign
Distance gives veteran
his artistic perspective
aron Hughes spent 15 months
drivingthe same desertroads,
seeingthe samedevastating scenes and
feelingthe same sense ofhelplessness
as hepassedchildren begging forbread.
Now24, Hughescarries ambivalent
memories ofhis time asa soldier in
Kuwaitand Iraq. His tourofduty and
repeatedextensionswiththe IllinoisArmy
NationalGuardsupportedOperation Iraqi
Freedom in 2003 and '04.
It hastaken nearly two yearstocome
toterms with the monotony andanxiety
that became commonplaceduring his
missions, which ranged from 24 hours
tothree weeks, with the 1244th
Transportation Company, based in
North Riverside.
Whenhereturnedto Illinois,heexpected
everythingto bedifferent, buthesayshe
realized nothingwas, except forhim.
Inanattempttounderstandhischanged Iraqiveteran andVofIstudentAaron Hughestranslatedhisexperiencesinto worksofart.
relationshipsandemotions,herevisited
photographs he had taken during affectit.Thatmademefeelveryheartless." raising funds forothers, he sayshehopes
deployment.Thatmentalprocessturned But intertwined in the series is an theartwork spurs dialogue. "I wasn't
into a physical one as he translated his image ofa small flower, an arabesque tryingto tell people what they should
memories intoapersonalwarnarrative, a pattern that Hughes says is a cultural think aboutit, but I wastryingto say,
collection ofartcalled Dust Memories. indicatorand a metaphorforthe cycle 'Hey,think about it.'"
The experience inthe Middle East oflife. Buttohim, italsorepresents his Viewers,particularlyhisArmyfriends,
changed his focus.An industrial design effortto avoidcynicism. "Finding these saw his worknotjust as art but asa
majorbeforehis deployment, he expects small momentsthatallowmetoconsider documentaryoftheirexperiences, says
to graduate from the University ofIllinois notonly thequestionsofhumanity and Christine Catanzarite, associate director
atUrbana-Champaign as apaintingmajor therealizationofdeath, butalsoa space oftheIllinoisProgramforResearchinthe
thismonth. to havethat beauty in yourlife foran Humanities. Hughes'personal account
DustMemories is a collection ofdraw- instant. Something that's notcompletely remindsviewersthatwarisnotremoteor
ings, paintings andcollages using photo about destruction, death and dust." somethingthat happens thousands of
transfers, ink on paper, charcoal and Hughes, who presented more ofhis milesaway, but a sharedexperience
watercolor. His solo exhibit includes artworkatChicago's National Vietnam among soldiers.
Iraqi Triptych, apaneledoil paintingthat VeteransArt Museumthis pastVeterans Italso provides acontext untold by
stretches 8 feet tall. The images show Day, donates all proceedsofhisartwork statistics and media interpretations,
shoeless children lininga desolateroad to such charitiesasAmnesty International Hughessays,particularlythevictimization
with theirhands extended. and the Global Medical ReliefFund, a ofchildren. "It'sone ofthe things that
"There's this huge need," Hughes says, NewYork-based nonprofitthat provides affected meas muchasthehumancost
"andyou're standing there looking them prostheticsto children in war-torn ofthiswhole occupation, andthatdoesn't
inthefaceforayearandahalf.Youdon't countries. justcome intheform ofU.S. casualties."
change it. Youcan'thelp it. Youcan't Beyondbeing therapeutic forhim and BethanyCarson
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8 December2006 IllinoisIssues http://illinoisissues.uis.edu