This exhibition explores the notions of social and economic class within various societies and cultures as evidenced in artworks selected from the Western Illinois University Art Gallery Permanent Collection. The artworks range from formal portraits to social satire and genre scenes, depictions of people in interior scenes and outside environments, works showing people in situations or engaged in activities that reveal societal class distinctions. The works represent a range of time periods and cultures, including works by Rembrandt Van Rijn, (Dutch), William Hogarth, (English) Francisco Goya, (Spanish), Honoré Daumier, (French), Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi and Kunisada Toyokuni , (Japanese). American artists included are L. R. (Rowley) Jacobs, Macena Barton, Aaron Bohrod, J. Theodore Johnson, Gregory Orloff, Charles M. Turzak and several others from the WPA era in particular, as well as more contemporary American artists.

This exhibit is held in conjunction with and in support of Western Illinois University's "American Democracy Project" and the 2006-2007 Campus Theme: "Global Challenges, Personal Responsibility -
Cultural Diversity," and it supports the First Year Experience common reading topic based on the book, "Class Matters."