Best cities for artists

[cityskip]

What are the best cities for artists? Most of the nation's largest cities are becoming less and less affordable, making it harder for artists to live on a budget and find workspace. Moreover, modern communications make learning about new artists easier than ever, taking away some of the traditional roles of museums and galleries.

Smaller cities are noticing, and making an effort to attract artists - which ones do you know of?


Read about Providence, R.I., New Orleans, Cleveland and Minneapolis

(Dan) Fixed the link. HTML isn't enabled on Cyburbia, but you can use bbCode. Because you posted a URL, and you have less than five posts, your message was sent to a moderation queue; it's a spam prevention feature. Once you have five posts, you can post URLs with no moderation.

[The One]

Some smaller towns that seem to be artist havens would be:

Evergreen Colorado
Jerome Arizona
Waterford Virginia would be perfect
Burkettsville Maryland would be perfect
Paonia Colorado
Grasmere England
Naples Florida
Santa Fe NM
Taos NM
Boulder Colorado

[TexanOkie]

These may not be small cities, but they've both got outstanding arts cultures and access to excellent museums and galleries. More importantly they're less expensive than places like Taos, Boulder, and especially Santa Fe:

Fort Worth, Texas
Tucson, Arizona

[Plan 9]

One that has many tourist, but cheap housing/studio space.

[Dan]

One thing about artist colonies: after they're "discovered", they usually become quite unaffordable. Since artists aren't exactly known for thier bulging wallets, many can no longer afford to live in the very places they helped to transform.

I can see Grand Junction, Salida and Trinidad, Colorado; and Las Cruces, New Mexico becoming very popular among artists in the near future. They seem to have the right combination of "funkiness", affordability, relative isolation, and mountainout terrain; a common formula seen in other artist's havens.

[Coragus]

I don't know about going out of their way to attract artists, but what about Ann Arbor as an artist haven? Lots of beautiful architecture, plenty of art supply stores, and lots of local stores and coffee shops to get your stuff shown.

[TexanOkie]

I can see Grand Junction, Salida and Trinidad, Colorado; and Las Cruces, New Mexico becoming very popular among artists in the near future. They seem to have the right combination of "funkiness", affordability, relative isolation, and mountainout terrain; a common formula seen in other artist's havens.

I agree with you. Las Cruces will catch on soon.

[The One]

One thing about artist colonies: after they're "discovered", they usually become quite unaffordable. Since artists aren; exactly known for thier bulging wallets, many can no longer afford to live in the very places they helped to transform.

I can see Grand Junction, Salida and Trinidad, Colorado; and Las Cruces, New Mexico becoming very popular among artists in the near future. They seem to have the right combination of "funkiness", affordability, relative isolation, and mountainout terrain; a common formula seen in other artist's havens.

As ALWAYS Dan nails it with these picks, but I would caution that I'm not sure Grand Junction is "ready" for live in artists, I think Palisade is much more unique and well positioned with the wineries and close proximity to the grand mesa. Palisade could be "taken over" much more quickly and be a better fit as a quaint artists community. I love the place. Trinidad is the sleeper pick of Colorado towns....that place is cool, if I had an extra 1/4 mil laying around, I'd buy property there. Pretty much anyplace in New Mexico could be an artists town

[cityskip]

I've also read about Cleveland (zoning to promote live-work conversions) and Pittsburgh, and somewhere in Kentucky - Louisville maybe?

I think maybe the (relative) isolation you guys mentioned is key to real estate not blowing up, although it isn't uncommon for small, remote touristy places to be wildly expensive.

Also - there is a difference between an art scene, and an arts and crafts colony that caters mostly to tourists. An art scene may require a bigger town/city.

Btw, I lived in Ann Arbor and loved it, although it's not all that affordable. If I would have stayed in the area, I probably would have gotten a space in Detroit. You still have access to the region's resources and you can get big, cheap, raw spaces.

[otterpop]

Helena was recently recognized as one the the best small cities for art. We have the Archie Bray Foundation, which has artists coming from around the world to hone their skills in the ceramic arts. We have many art galleries. Recently the Western Rendezvous of Art had their fund raiser, which include a Quick Draw competion - where artists have a few hours to produce a painting from start to finish. Then people bid on it.

[wahday]

One of the tricky issues with this is that areas that are affordable and have communities open to artists in their midst may not be places that are easy to get ahead as a professional working artist.

That being said, I would offer that Pittsburgh has been very active in recruiting artists to be major players in the revitalization of certain areas, providing low interest loans and other incentives. Check out the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative:

http://www.pennavenuearts.org/

Also, I would qualify some of what The One said about New Mexico, since I know it more intimately. Santa Fe is no longer friendly to artists, or really anyone not making lots of money. The median house value there is in excess of $400,000 now and the majority of New Mexico artists that show in private galleries there do not (and can not) live in Santa Fe. Taos is in a similar position, also because of very high housing costs, though it was, from the 1920's through the 1970's, a bastion of several notable "schools" of art (not literal schools, but movements).

Albuquerque has really become a much more attractive place for artists in New Mexico, especially as it is the state's largest city and centrally located. Indeed, if you include literary, performance (theater, dance and music), media (film and video) and visual arts, we are swimming in them (which is good for my job).

Check out the Sawmill Lofts, an affordable housing project for working artists that is a spinoff of the Sawmill Community Land Trust: http://www.sawmilllofts.org/

The Land Trust also just finished building a number of live/work single family units (the lofts are apartments) geared toward artists, among others.
http://www.sawmillclt.org/

The sleepy town of Truth or Consequences, NM has also seen a recent boom in galleries and working artists, many of whom have moved from other parts of the country, purchased downtown property in a failing (but very quaint) business area, revitalizing it as galleries and studios. Its becoming a pretty cool place - I stop there periodically when traveling south.

http://www.truthorconsequencesnm.net...ll_museums.htm

Also check out Silver City, a community in southwestern New Mexico with a similar story to T or C:

http://www.gilanet.com/silverweb/Art.html

If I think of more, I will post again. I think I recall hearing that Oklahoma City and Kansas City both have burgeoning art scenes. Maybe folks from thse areas can confirm this.

[DecaturHawk]

I'd put in my vote for Quincy, IL, which is dedicated to serving the arts, is affordable, and is one of the best preserved historic cities in the Midwest, and Paducah, KY, another river town that has made attracting artists a civic goal.

[The One]

Also, I would qualify some of what The One said about New Mexico, since I know it more intimately. Santa Fe is no longer friendly to artists, or really anyone not making lots of money. The median house value there is in excess of $400,000 now and the majority of New Mexico artists that show in private galleries there do not (and can not) live in Santa Fe. Taos is in a similar position, also because of very high housing costs, though it was, from the 1920's through the 1970's, a bastion of several notable "schools" of art (not literal schools, but movements).
.

Yeah.....that would seem to disuade any new artistic tallent from entering those places......sad....very sad.....since they both seem so perfect for the "artist" thing Maybe Questa and Chama can help pick up some of the slack?

[JNA]

I'd put in my vote for .... Paducah, KY, another river town that has made attracting artists a civic goal.

I second that vote.
Here is their website: http://www.paducaharts.com/

[The One]

I second that vote.
Here is their website: http://www.paducaharts.com/

I really liked Paducah.....I'm glad to hear they are pushing for some identity Another great choice!

[michaelskis]

Saugatuck Michigan should be on the list, among several other locations in SW Michigan. In the summer the streets of Saugatuck are lined with art and sculpture galleries. Kalamazoo has the National Animation Fesival which brings in some of the best animators in the county.

[Cardinal]

One thing about artist colonies: after they're "discovered", they usually become quite unaffordable. Since artists aren; exactly known for thier bulging wallets, many can no longer afford to live in the very places they helped to transform.

I can see Grand Junction, Salida and Trinidad, Colorado; and Las Cruces, New Mexico becoming very popular among artists in the near future. They seem to have the right combination of "funkiness", affordability, relative isolation, and mountainout terrain; a common formula seen in other artist's havens.

SHUT UP. We do not need people finding out about these place.


The One - Some of your choices were certainly arts towns, but really are not anymore. Boulder comes to mind. It has very few galleries or artists living there. New artists are not moving into Taos or Santa Fe because of the costs, even though the galleries are there. The artists are out in the countryside.

Rural places often fit the bill, and are less likely to become unaffordable. Nashville, Indiana is one such place. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi has always had an artist population, but I wonder if Katrina has changed that.

[wahday]

Yeah.....that would seem to disuade any new artistic tallent from entering those places......sad....very sad.....since they both seem so perfect for the "artist" thing. Maybe Questa and Chama can help pick up some of the slack?

This kind of thing does seem to be leapfrogging around the state. I don't know about Chama and Questa in particular, but in New Mexico generally, things have followed a fairly typical path: artists seek out places that are affordable and where (hopefully) the local community is open to their presence. Their work begins to pick up, tourists become attracted to the area. Soon, people with money want to "own" a piece of the action and start buying up ranches and other properties. Housing prices rise, the wealthier move in (either full-time or seasonally as is often the case here) and soon the very environment that attracted these people in the first place (locally-rooted, traditional cultures, artists, whatever) is altered as people are driven out by a rising cost of living. It applies to SoHo and it applies to Santa Fe as well.

This is one of the reasons the Sawmill Lofts project excites me - its a land trust, so the properties will be perpetually affordable, no matter how much prices in the area soar.

Sometimes I wish people were not so intent on "owning" a piece of places they find valuable and could just be content visiting.

Cest la vie en America!

[MSUplanner]

I agree with above Michigan places and want to add East Lansing/Lansing to the list. The greater area is struggling old industrial but I believe struggling areas tend to churn out some great art! East Lansing is a beautiful city (a college town though) with many art galleries and theatre groups. Worth a look anyway!!!

[jmello]

I would add Asheville, NC, Northampton-Amherst, MA and Woodstock, VT to the list.

[ctman987]

Would definitly have to agree with Northampton-Amherst, MA.

[hilldweller]

Would definitly have to agree with Northampton-Amherst, MA.

Yup, a lot of artists from NYC and Boston settle there.

[zman]

Loveland, Colorado has a good community for sculptors, along with civic sculpture displays and some good galleries.

[Linda_D]

I'll add Buffalo, NY to this list. There is a very energetic and lively arts community here, and there are several funky and very affordable city neighborhoods like Allentown and the Elmwood Village where artists can feel at home (Buffalo has some of the most affordable housing in the country).

There are numerous galleries (the Albright Knox) and venues for the performing arts as well as the nationally famous Allentown Art Festival every June, and the city is filled with beautiful and awe-inspiring architecture, including Louis Sullivan's Guaranty Building and several Frank Lloyd Wright homes like the recently restored Darwin Martin House in the beautiful Parkside Neighborhood.

Buffalo also has easy access to Toronto and good access to the big East Coast cities.

[wilwould]

I have lived in Logan, UT for a while and this place is gorgeous. Rent and real estate are pretty cheap. This place is an undiscovered gem. Maybe I shouldn't even be posting this.