Every city has its own flavor of local art. From pop-up galleries in Seattle to Santa Fe Drive in Denver, art is a meaningful part of a city’s unique culture. Eventbrite, an online marketplace for events, found out which U.S. cities have the highest proclivity for the arts looking at population, number of art events and amount of cash locals spent on art events in each. Not sure where you’re going for summer vacay still? Here are Eventbrite’s to 10 most “artsy” U.S. cities. See you there!?
1. Palm Springs: With beautiful warm weather year-round, some of the best art in Palm Springs is outdoors. You don’t have to visit a museum to see beautiful sculpture, architecture and local artists selling their work in outdoor art shows. (Image via Palm Springs LUX)
2. Santa Monica: In Santa Monica, you are surrounded by art at all times. Street performers line up downtown and there are more than 90 art galleries and museums throughout. As home to many film and television studios, Santa Monica is a great place to catch the latest independent flick, too. (Image via Daniel Louis Krone)
3. San Francisco: San Francisco offers several well cultivated museums, but with visits from Banksy and its own incredible local artists, the street art is a must-see for art lovers. Clarion Alley in the Mission district is a favorite, but for a complete listing, visit StreetArtSF.com. (Image via Unurth)
4. Atlanta: Aside from its strong network of galleries for local artists, Atlanta is big on performing arts. Dance, comedy, theatre — Atlanta loves a live performance! The city has resident opera, ballet, music and theatre companies, making it one of very few U.S. cities to have all major performing arts categories covered. (Image via Atlanta Ballet)
5. Washington D.C.: As a hub for international politics, D.C. has a culturally rich arts scene. Programs such as the cultural exchange program at The International Arts and Artists Organization gives D.C. residents an opportunity to experience art on a global scale. (Image via CollabCubed)
6. Seattle: Home to one of the most famous pieces of architecture, the Space Needle, and the birthplace of grunge rock, the Seattle arts scene is avant-garde and experimental. It is a great place to experience poetry and spoken word arts; for more than 15 years Seattle has chosen a Poet Populist, similar to a Poet Laureate but chosen by a city-wide popular vote. (Image via The Onion)
7. Boston: Some of the countries most prestigious schools are in the Boston area: MIT, Harvard, Berklee College of Music, the list goes on. This is the perfect city to see up-and-coming artists in before they make it big. (Image via Ingenius Prep)
8. Miami: The city of Miami is all about festivals and fashion. Carnival, held each October, with its cooking contest, Miss Carnival pageant and beautiful artwork on display, is a one-of-a-kind experience. Additionally, you can check out some avant-garde garb, as the city is home to top modeling agencies and has multiple fashion weeks. (Image via The Wall Street Journal)
9. Orlando: Orlando has several world-class museums and amazing theme parks, but if you want to take a stroll and soak in some amazing art, visit the sculptures around Lake Eola curated by See Art Orlando. If you stroll long enough, you might find yourself unexpectedly in the middle of a performance with the Creative City Project. (Image via Orlando Weekly)
10. Denver: Denver’s art district on Santa Fe Drive always has incredible events and gallery showings. The best time to go is during their Friday art walks when there are more than 60 galleries, studios and restaurants open to enjoy. (Image via Beautiful Places)
Any cities you’re surprised to see on the list or think are missing? Let us know in the comments below!