The Arts play in Peoria and the head of the National Endowment for the Arts certainly discovered that Friday.

N.E.A. Chairman Rocco Landesman was invited to the river city earlier this year after questioning the merit of theatre in Peoria during a published interview.

Rocco Landesman created a little bit of controversy among some members of the local Arts community a few months ago when he questioned whether or not Peoria even had a theatre.

Friday morning, Landesman got a personal tour of the river city arts community by several people including, developer Pat Sullivan, Arts Partners Executive Director Suzette Boulais and Eastlight Theatre Executive Director Kathy Chitwood.

Landesman took questions from people during a program taping inside WTVP studios Friday afternoon.

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.

Landesman kicked off his Arts Works tour across America with his visit to Peoria.

He says he is hoping to get a better understanding of how the Arts impacts communities.

He is urging residents to write letters to their congressional representatives to push for money for arts programs.

Landesman last stop is Friday night at Eastlight Theatre where he will watch a performance of Rent.