He says his comment was not made in a mean spirited way and he was getting answers during his visit. "There's three different very interesting and productive theatres, there's a symphony, there are all kinds of arts activities that I really didn't know anything about" said Landesman. "I think people have a view of Peoria and places like Peoria that it's some sort of back water, some kind of cornfield where nothing can happen, that we're hicks and that we don't know about culture or fine arts and that's just not the case," said Eric Yetter with Peoria Ballet. Full Article at WEEK NBC Peoria