Top 25 Small Cities for Art

The top 25 small cities for art for 2012 are:

1. Sarasota, Fla.

“Lygia and the Bull,” a sculpture based on characters in the 1895 novel Quo Vadis, stands at the entrance to the Ringling Museum of Art.

No one had a bigger impact on Sarasota than John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus fame. Today the Ringling estate includes the Venetian-inspired house, a fine art museum, two circus museums and a theater. This summer, the Ringling features art quilts by Sanford Biggers (through Oct. 14), and “Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920-1945,” opening on July 13.

If you want to get out in the sunshine, there are numerous opportunities to do so. The first Wednesday of each month, St. Armands Circle, a shopping destination with more than 130 galleries and restaurants, comes alive with an evening of visual and performing arts. On Thursdays until Aug. 30, the Ringling Museum opens after hours with “Art After 5.” And on Friday night, downtown Sarasota celebrates the arts with shopping, dining and live performances.

2. Bradenton, Fla.

The Boabab Tree Gallery occupies one of the colorful bungalows in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts.

Bradenton, a sunny locale 45 miles south of Tampa, may not be on your radar for arts destinations yet, but it should be. It’s home to Florida’s largest art colony, the Village of the Arts.

Within a designated 42 acres, the Village of the Arts includes 35 galleries and studios including Divine Excess, featuring colorful Florida folk art, and Baobab Tree Gallery & Studio, which celebrates handmade whimsy. The complex also includes three restaurants and an independent bookseller. Many of the buildings are refurbished historic bungalows, making the village a unique arts tourism attraction. Numbers of studios open their doors for ArtWalk on the first Friday evening and Saturday afternoon of every month, as well as for garden tours and other events throughout the year.

2. Asheville, N.C.

Visitors stroll among the open studios and galleries in Asheville’s lively River Arts District. CREDIT: John D’Addario

With its winning combination of scenic beauty and historic charm, Asheville is a long-time favorite arts destination. The Asheville Art Museum opens its brand-new gallery spaces this summer with an installation by Hoss Haley, a local sculptor and painter. If you hurry, you can still see “Fire on the Mountain: Studio Glass in Western North Carolina,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the studio glass movement, though July 8.

The River Arts District, a turn-of-the-century industrial hub that’s now a thriving arts-oriented neighborhood along the French Broad River, holds its “Second Saturday Initiative, Collect Art Asheville,” including studio open houses, on the second Saturday of every month. And don’t miss the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, featuring work by more than 200 juried artisans, on July 19-22.

4. Key West, Fla.
5. Santa Fe, N.M.
6. Gloucester, Mass.
7. Sedona, Ariz.
8. Eureka Springs, Ark.
9. Naples, Fla.
10. Berkeley Springs, W.Va.
11. Taos, N.M.
12. Frederick, Md.
13. Carmel, Calif.
14. Annapolis, Md.
15. Burlington, Vt.
16. Laguna Beach, Calif.
17. Aspen, Colo.
18. Chapel Hill, N.C.
19. New Hope, Pa.
20. Northampton, Mass.
21. Berea, Ky.
22. Beaufort, S.C.
23. Corning, N.Y.
24. Brattleboro, Vt.
25. Saugatuck, Mich.