Children from Sioux City and Des Moines showcased their talents this morning at a special statehouse event. The Sioux City Middle School orchestra performed with Miss Iowa, Jennifer Caudle, who is a cellist.Concetta Morales, president of the group “Iowa Citizens for the Arts,” says the goal today is to convince legislators to spend more state tax dollars on the arts.Iowa ranks 35th among the states in state spending on the arts.By comparison, Minnesota ranks 4th in per capita state spending on the arts. Missouri ranks 8th. Illionis ranks 12th. Nebraska ranks 28th.Other activities today at the statehouse included an energetic performance by the Hawkeye Elks Rose Temple Drum and Drill corps, which sent its powerful drum beat throughout the capital. Morales says their stepping was better than Tae Bo.The group’s selling red t-shirts which say “Back the Arts” — on the back, of course.
