100 towns with one thing in common: strong community support for the visual arts, performing arts, and music.
From Shakespeare in the Park to weekend art gallery strolls, and from summer arts festivals to concert halls showcasing orchestras and operas, there's been an unprecedented explosion of arts activities in communities far removed from North America's urban centers.
At the same time, more of us are making art and culture the focal points of our travel. Cultural tourism, which combines the impacts of these trends, has emerged as one of the most powerful influences in travel planning.
The 100 Best Art Towns in America is the nation's top cultural tourism guidebook. Communities ranging in size from several hundred residents to cities with populations nudging 100,000 are profiled from the perspective of their arts and cultural offerings. These towns and others like them are experiencing revitalization through arts-driven economic development -- and garnering accolades in the process.
