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I will say this and then I MUST shut down my computer and clean my house!
1) I am surprised to see Denver ranked as high as it is, though come to think of it, there is a lot of tax supported arts stuff going on around here.
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Pittnurse
The city of Aurora was trying to put together housing for artists, a kind of live/work project. I thought it was so cool. Yeah, it's Aurora, but more power to them for trying to do something like this. Aurora Arts District
Plaidmom
I love your interesting choices. Have heard great things about Nashville.
Gizmo
Carmel is one of the most gorgeous and inspiring places I've seen, but the cost of living there must be a bit prohibitive for an *undiscovered* artist.
Yet artists have their ways...sometimes it seems like all they need is beautiful light to get by.
As soon as I get just a little more organised, I'll check out the North Side Mattress Factory area.
I've seen the two others and attended one of the best puppet theatre events I've ever seen several years ago at the space in the South Side. We are talking extraordinary, life sized and magical. I talked to one of the puppet masters for about 2 hours, first before and then after the show. I'd rate that conversation at the top of a long list of intelligent conversations on art and its process.
Pittnurse
The city of Aurora was trying to put together housing for artists, a kind of live/work project. I thought it was so cool. Yeah, it's Aurora, but more power to them for trying to do something like this. Aurora Arts District
I have heard of the Aurora Arts District. I do not live near Aurora, so I don't know anything about it. There is also the Arvada Center For the Arts, and many, many smaller arts centers in the suburbs (which are almost all actually cities here), The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Art Museum, and several arts districts in Denver. One of the benefits of the SCFD tax (scientific and cultural facilites district) is that the first Saturday of every month is free day at the DAM. On April 7, my husband and I, our daughter in Denver and our niece and husband in Colorado Springs are going to go.
I lived outside Northampton and can attest to its appeal. I'd place it in my top 5 choices to consider as a possible nirvana. What Hampshire County has most cities can't compete with--kulture aplenty.
Newburyport is a perty town; and I will stop by again but I've only visited and not done much looking around at an art scene--although I have been many of the galleries. I'll check out Lenox and Provincetown during the summer and see how they feel, but after my disappointment with Taos, I'm not much for tourist towns.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatless Wonder
In Massachusetts, we have Northampton, Provincetown, Newburyport, and Lenox.
Can you tell us a little about Yellow Springs, Crew Chief? I know from some watercolour friends that Ohio has many workshop opportunities, and one acquaintance in particular takes regular classes with one of the popular watercolour artist/writers for a pittance.
And, although this might not come to mind, Ohio has a reputation for good libraries, doesn't it? Libraries are one of my must haves in a community!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crew Chief
Yellow Springs, OH (East of Dayton) is what we've got in this neck of the woods!
Hello fellow artists and art lovers, :-)
I have the John Villani books, the new edition and the older one, about the 100 Best Art towns. I've read them back and forth. The first book had 2 towns in NJ for example. Red Bank was one,and I live near there, and it's ok, but not what we'd consider really artist-friendly. It's no longer in the second book. Actually ,there are no towns in NJ in the new book.
I don't think you can make a living as an artist in many of the towns in the books...they're just not affordable, (like NYC, Santa Fe, & Carmel.)
Of all the art magazines I read, Sunshine Artist and Art Calendar have lists of the best art shows to sell at, and creative articles on how to increase your art sales.
One thing I got from those mags is that Florida and California have the most outdoor art shows, and the most successful ones too.
I mean, how can you sell your work here in NJ when there's only a few yearly shows? It has to do with the weather,obviously you can't have an art fair outside in the snowy winter.
That's one reason I don't want to move to a cold state and why I think I want to concentrate on FL & CA. You gotta have some people with money, tourists or not, expensive houses to fill with art, and people with a genuine love of art. Ideally, I'd love to be part of an art community where local people (&tourists) come to look at, and buy art.
I agree about the place--the sales--the weather--the buyers. And trust you to have those books.
I had a really hard learning, but important lesson in selling art in Rhode Island. In Newport, it is a breeze to sell art, especially if it is not your own. In Providence, RI (which appears in Category 2, I believe) you can barely make a living selling anyone's art, especially your own.
Although there is a wonderful art community in Providence (including and excluding all of the RISD grads), no one seems to buy locally. So everyone sits around cafes and eats good Italian food, enjoys cold drinks in Spring and Summer on the Wharf, and bemoans the lack of a market.
Right now, though, I'd be happy to be on the wharf.
I live in Helena, MT, and we're promoting ourselves as "The Best Small Art Town" in America. We have a very vibrant performing arts scene and a great modern art museum. We also have a unique and prestigous center where artists come and live to work on ceramic arts (the Archie Bray). There's also another artists' community in the area called Montana Artists' Refuge. We have art walks regularly, hold the Western Rendezvous of Art, and have various galleries and resident artists. We have jazz & blue grass festivals in the summer and a great restored territorial jail that is now a center for the performing arts. One of my neighbors makes fine Shaker furniture and ships it all over the world from his gallery. The cost of living is great, and there are many Victorian homes and mansions for sale or for rent. Come stay in Helena for a while! The natural surroundings will inspire you.
I also think Port Townsend, Washington, is a great little art community. However, prices have really skyrocketed there in the last few years.
Can you tell us a little about Yellow Springs, Crew Chief? I know from some watercolour friends that Ohio has many workshop opportunities, and one acquaintance in particular takes regular classes with one of the popular watercolour artist/writers for a pittance.
And, although this might not come to mind, Ohio has a reputation for good libraries, doesn't it? Libraries are one of my must haves in a community!
Ontheroad, unfortunately, I can't even tell you what color our house is (I say it's "green"; wife sez it's "grey") so I'm probably not the best person to ask about what goes on in Yellow Springs, art-wise... But I do know that it's the home of very liberal Antioch College, they have a number of artist-oriented programs and festivals (Sorry, you'll have to Google around since I'm almost brain-dead at the moment) Yellow Springs is in the Dayton area, but many of the folks over there seem to be able to think a little better for themselves than some of the rest of us, IMHO
As for libraries, I'm married to a teacher, so we have a vested interest in quality libraries. Our local (Washington Twp) has two good ones, I believe!
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But I do know that it's the home of very liberal Antioch College, they have a number of artist-oriented programs and festivals (Sorry, you'll have to Google around since I'm almost brain-dead at the moment) Yellow Springs is in the Dayton area, but many of the folks over there seem to be able to think a little better for themselves than some of the rest of us, IMHO
