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I read Santa Fe and Taos being dissed above, which i do not agree with, but a pure art community thereabouts is Galisteo NM. Very small, however. There may only be 50 artists down there.
I guess my question is . . . do you mean . . . best place to acquire works by local/regional artists - for your own investment? Or do you mean . . . best place for artists themselves to locate in order to be part of a supportive community?
Or . . . where have artists gravitated to (artist colony, more or less) and established studios that are open to the public?
All those things mean something very different to me, as an artist. Even plein air painters may choose to visit a particular area for their subject matter, rather than live there year round. But, their works may be in galleries in that region.
So I guess I don't understand what the question is . . . sounds like OP wants to acquire and invest in art, not necessarily produce art. Or just live around artists . . . ?
I guess my question is . . . do you mean . . . best place to acquire works by local/regional artists - for your own investment? Or do you mean . . . best place for artists themselves to locate in order to be part of a supportive community?
Or . . . where have artists gravitated to (artist colony, more or less) and established studios that are open to the public?
All those things mean something very different to me, as an artist. Even plein air painters may choose to visit a particular area for their subject matter, rather than live there year round. But, their works may be in galleries in that region.
So I guess I don't understand what the question is . . . sounds like OP wants to acquire and invest in art, not necessarily produce art. Or just live around artists . . . ?
A lot of people/retirees want to live in an artsy area even though they're not artists themselves and not likely to be. It's kind of a classy affiliation that people like to have. And, artsy places are also pricey places, after they've gotten discovered. NewYorkers "discovered" the sleepy artist town of Northampton (home of Smith College) in the early 80s, drove up the cost of real estate by bringing in and adding to the native wealth, and in large part driving out many lower-income artists from their inexpensive downtown studios. Now those upper floors of downtown above pricey specialty shops and galleries are high-end apartments and office suites, and the occasional studio for the wealthier artists. People come from all over the area to visit "artsy" Northampton, not realizing that the original artists that made is so great can no longer afford to work their art there. Same with Provincetown, etc.
The best place for working artists are places that have not been discovered and are not likely to be. But anywhere there is a concentration of artists is likely already discovered.
A lot of people/retirees want to live in an artsy area even though they're not artists themselves and not likely to be. It's kind of a classy affiliation that people like to have. And, artsy places are also pricey places, after they've gotten discovered. NewYorkers "discovered" the sleepy artist town of Northampton (home of Smith College) in the early 80s, drove up the cost of real estate by bringing in and adding to the native wealth, and in large part driving out many lower-income artists from their inexpensive downtown studios. Now those upper floors of downtown above pricey specialty shops and galleries are high-end apartments and office suites, and the occasional studio for the wealthier artists. People come from all over the area to visit "artsy" Northampton, not realizing that the original artists that made is so great can no longer afford to work their art there. Same with Provincetown, etc.
The best place for working artists are places that have not been discovered and are not likely to be. But anywhere there is a concentration of artists is likely already discovered.
Your explanation makes total sense to me. It is a double-edged sword . . . for the artist.
Glad I found this site! We're pondering our next move, and would like to find an art town that also has a nice climate....not too hot or too humid. It also has to be affordable for semi-retired folks, so I'm afraid Santa Fe is out. Unfortunately....LOL. We are gardeners, husband is a woodworker/guitarmaker and I'm an artist/writer.
We're in central TX right now, and although places like Kerrville are nice, the climate is getting way too hot for me.
They say Floyd, VA is quite artsy and although I'm not interested in such, I'm surely interested in Floyd County. I, too, find living in the Texas summers more than I want anymore and am looking forward to my great escape.
I live in a town that was once considered artsy, however, with the real estate boom coupled with the tourist industry, real estate prices soared to the extent that starving artists, and even service people could no longer afford to live in this environment.
The town did do some redevelopment and converted some commercial buildings to mixed-use environments particularly for artists to be able to continue to stay in the town. But overall, what once was an art town is now not so much because of expensive real estate.
I wrote all of that to say that I believe communities, no matter what the real estate market is doing, should set aside real estate for artists.
I live in a town that was once considered artsy, however, with the real estate boom coupled with the tourist industry, real estate prices soared to the extent that starving artists, and even service people could no longer afford to live in this environment.
The town did do some redevelopment and converted some commercial buildings to mixed-use environments particularly for artists to be able to continue to stay in the town. But overall, what once was an art town is now not so much because of expensive real estate.
I wrote all of that to say that I believe communities, no matter what the real estate market is doing, should set aside real estate for artists.
The problem with that is . . . who gets to determine who is a bonafide artist? Looks like a potential lawsuit for any city that would attempt to set up qualifications that allow only a preferred group access to governmentally subsidized property (and if subsidized is not the right word . . . "rent controlled," "price fixed" etc).
The problem with that is . . . who gets to determine who is a bonafide artist? Looks like a potential lawsuit for any city that would attempt to set up qualifications that allow only a preferred group access to governmentally subsidized property (and if subsidized is not the right word . . . "rent controlled," "price fixed" etc).
Well, it is being done. I don't know what the criteria is but there is criteria and people are meeting it.
I find this "fear of lawsuit" in terms of every aspect of life very disturbing. It's what drives everything.
Liability insurance rules Western culture, to its detriment.
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