These Pretty Cities In America Are A Dream Come True For Art Lovers

Inspiration is all around us, but it's no secret that some cities in America inspire more creativity in others. While some locales offer little else besides dull concrete buildings and endless tarmac highways, others are overflowing with colorful street murals and eye-catching sculpture parks. Not only is public art good for a city's reputation, but it's also an all-around mood and money booster. In 2024, Kristin Luna, founder of public art nonprofit DMA-events, told Morningstar, "Public art is proven to drive economic activity, boost mental health and instill a sense of public safety."

For the more art-inclined folk out there, visiting a city that celebrates local creatives and prioritizes artistic institutions like galleries and museums can be a great way to learn more about your craft. From festivals where DIY artists are invited to sell their wares on Main Street to museum events or city-sanctioned displays of local graffiti artists, understanding which cities in the U.S. are the biggest art lovers and what sort of events they offer can expand your artistic horizons. It could even bolster your portfolio if you're lucky enough to make a sale or two — not to mention the simple joy of discovering new corners of the country. These are the pretty cities in America that are a dream come true for art lovers. 

Charleston, South Carolina, is known for its old Southern charm. If this city is on your vacation bucket list, expect to experience weeping willow-lined streets, gorgeous Georgian houses, and a mean plate of shrimp and grits. However, what many don't realize about Charleston is that it is also buzzing with a growing arts scene. And the best part about it is that some of the premium art Charleston has to offer isn't cloistered away in a brick-and-mortar museum. 

No, the best way to experience the city's vibrant arts scene is to walk the streets. Specifically, walk down Gallery Row on Broad Street, home to over 50 art displays. Dare Gallery, for instance, showcases art that centers on Southern coastal culture and also invites visitors to explore their unique sculpture garden. Adele's Pottery features clay works that are all hand thrown, each piece one of a kind. The Charleston Crafts Cooperative Gallery expands the city's horizons, fusing glassworks with photography, wood, jewelry, and more. The list of locally owned and operated galleries goes on and points to just how perfect a Charleston getaway would be for the art lover in your life. 

When most people think of Miami, they probably picture tanned bodies hanging out on lounge chairs in South Beach or the sound of champagne bottles popping in a neon-lit nightclub. But this South Florida city has much more to offer than Spring Break culture would have you believe. With a mix of traditional art museums and newer, boundary-pushing contemporary art spaces, Miami is also a dream come true for art aficionados. 

Wynwood Walls is an internationally recognized street art museum that features public murals, graffiti art, and irreverent pop-culture sculptures that reference everyone from The Incredible Hulk to John Lennon and more. Artist Tristan Eaton highlights the important work of Wynwood Walls. Its primary goal is to elevate the work of Black and Latin American artists, offering an outlet for creativity of all forms to roam free. 

On the flip side, The Wolfsonian at the Florida International University takes you on a journey through art history. One out-of-the-box 2024 exhibition at the Wolfsonian was "Smoke Signals: Cigar Cutters and Masculine Values," a look back at the cigar culture of the 19th century and the artwork and craftsmanship that helped to create it. Other artsy venues of note include the Pérez Art Museum Miami and The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse.

From a tourism perspective, New Orleans is one of the best American cities to visit. With its unique blend of African American, French, Spanish, and white American heritage, this Louisiana hotspot has a culture unlike any other. Think jazz, voodoo, Cajun culture, and Mardi Gras — this port city is ideal for foodies and history buffs alike. However, no kind of traveler feels more at home in New Orleans than an art lover. 

Thanks to the NOLA Mural Project and Arts Council New Orleans, street murals and roadside art stands have been woven into the fabric of the city. There's also the New Orleans Museum of Art, which has been collecting French and American art, photography, glass, African art, and more since 1911. Alongside their historical works, the museum has also made room for contemporary artworks in its collection. One 2024 exhibition titled "Afropolitan: Contemporary African Arts at NOMA," shines a spotlight on pioneering African artists of the past two centuries. And while New Orleans remains drenched in art year-round, the city transforms into an art mecca every three years for the New Orleans art triennial.

If you're not just an art lover but someone interested in art history, then you'll need to book your ticket to Savannah, Georgia, as soon as possible. The Southern city is not only known for its 22 parks full of Antebellum architecture, mossy streets, and horse-drawn carriages, but Savannah is also home to the oldest public art museum in the region — Telfair Museums. Now comprised of three different museums, the Telfair umbrella includes the Jepson Center & Telfair Children's Art Museum, Telfair Academy, and the Owens–Thomas House & Slave Quarters. 

For those who are interested in not just observing art but also picking up a paintbrush one day themselves, this riverside city is also home to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Not only does the presence of SCAD ensure that Savannah is always buzzing with artsy college kids carting their canvases across the city squares, but SCAD is also home to a permanent collection that includes the Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art, the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection, the 19th- and 20th-Century Photography Collection, the Costume Collection, and the Earle W. Newton Collection of British and American Art.

As with many big urban centers in America, many Chicago tourist traps aren't worth your time, according to travel experts. However, one big draw to the Windy City is its collection of art museums. With over 60 museums and art galleries in total, this Illinois mecca has everything from a Museum of Contemporary Photography to the famous public sculpture, "The Picasso," a 50-foot-tall, 160-ton sculpture gifted to the city by the Cubist master himself. 

The Art Institute of Chicago also has one of the world's largest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including "The Bedroom" by Vincent van Gogh and "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, which even had a starring role in the Chicago-based film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." If you're interested in checking out more experimental gallery spaces, Chicago's Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in the trendy Wicker Park area exhibits folk art and pieces from "outside artists" like Henry Darger. Outsider art is defined as art produced by people outside the art machine from an untrained perspective.

Change is afoot in Portland, Oregon. After taking a big hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's arts scene is starting to come back in a big way. With social distancing now a thing of the past, this rainy Pacific Northwest city is back in the business of hosting its usual quirky arts events, including monthly art walks. On the first Thursday of every month, art lovers spill into the streets to peruse local arts and crafts from the street level. Portland's brick-and-mortar museums also often open new exhibitions on these days, complete with late-night events like dinners and soirees. 

Ever the eccentric hub, Portland also hosts the Portland Open Studios program, where participants are invited to take tours of the homes, workshops, and studios of more than 100 local artists. Acrylic painter and art therapist Amy Ponteri describes this one-in-a-million program by saying to Travel Portland, "Open Studios is like a glimpse into another secret world that exists right under our noses."

For the more traditionally inclined art tourist, this beautiful city is also home to the Portland Art Museum – the oldest art museum in the region that is undergoing an expansive renovation project scheduled to be completed in 2025. The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) also has a reputation for pushing the envelope with its line-up of groundbreaking performance artists and visual artists. 

It's no secret that Austin, Texas, is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," but did you know that this quirky city is also bursting at the seams with a visual arts culture as well? Forget SXSW; this progressive city with deep Latino roots has much more to offer than just rocking out in front of a stage. A few notable artsy gems in Austin include the Mexic-Arte Museum, a celebration of both traditional and contemporary Mexican and Latin American art, and the George Washington Carver Museum, which highlights the city's African-American history through four galleries, a theater, dance studio, library, and more.

The Art in Public Places (AIPP) program has also seen an increase in street murals and public sculpture works in recent years, with city leaders commissioning artists to create works of art that honor Austin's diverse history and melting pot culture. If it's art history you're into, then you're in for a treat visiting Austin, as this Texas town is surprisingly home to the first photograph ever taken, The Niépce Heliograph, housed at the Harry Ransom Center.

Some cities become just as important to an artist's legacy as the artwork itself. Edward Hopper has the lonely cafés of New York, Edgar Degas has the bustling nightlife of Paris, and Georgia O'Keeffe has the arid deserts of Santa Fe. If you're visiting this capital of New Mexico, whether you're an art lover or not, it will be hard to miss the influence of this pioneering female painter. 

Inspired by the region's deep ties to Native American and Hispanic cultures, O'Keeffe spent two decades building her artist colony in the city and became but one star of many in a constellation of Santa Fe's artistic greats. So, for the artsy traveler who finds themselves upon the sands of Santa Fe, no trip would be complete without a visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. 

For traditional art lovers, the New Mexico Museum of Art is an unmissable spot with its extensive collection of American, European, and Native American works of art. Other extraordinary places in Santa Fe, unrelated to the O'Keeffe legacy, include the Adobe Gallery, which specializes in pottery and Native American craftsmanship, the Santa Fe Artists Market, which hosts busy arts fairs in the city's Railyard Arts District, and the Institute of American Indian Arts, which is home to America's only museum for contemporary Native artists.

One of Arizona's oldest towns has a unique, thriving art scene and endless outdoor activities. That's right; Tucson is the place for quirky travelers wishing to explore the American Southwest. In addition to the mountains, deserts, and gorgeous national parks that surround the city, the sun-drenched city is also home to several off-beat visual art galleries. 

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, for example, spans 10 acres and dates back to the mid-1900s when Arizona-born artist Ted DeGrazia made it his studio. Now open to the public, it includes an adobe chapel, a ceramics display, and several of DeGrazia's famous paintings depicting the Sonoran desert. The Philabaum Glass Gallery is also the only all-glass gallery in the region, featuring freshly blown perfume bottles, jewelry, and more. Having long been a place where the demographics merge, Tucson continues to champion diverse artists. This is evidenced by the Southwest Black Arts Collective, now located in downtown Tucson in a venue called The Projects.

If you want to know more about American art history, where better to go than the nation's capital, Washington D.C.? Even better, if you want to make a vacation out of your educational field trip, try to book your D.C. adventure sometime around late March and early April. Although the weather may not be as warm as you'd like, this is the peak time to see the capital's iconic cherry blossoms. 

Canopying the city in pastel pink, these delicate spring blooms liven up a city that has already been made gorgeous by centuries-old public monuments and statues commemorating past presidents and landmark moments in American history. However, if you feel your bones growing a bit too cold in the early spring air, head inside to discover some of the dozens of fine art museums the city has to offer. One first-rate option in Washington, D.C., includes the National Gallery of Art, which includes everything from 13th-century Italian masterpieces to Civil Rights-era photography. The Renwick Gallery displays more non-traditional works of art, including women's fiber arts and contemporary arts, while The National Portrait Gallery comprises portraits of America's presidents, pop culture shakers, and everyone in between.

Dramatic cliff views, rushing rivers, and gaping canyons await you at Colorado's endless number of national parks. However, if you're interested in something a bit more refined than hiking a mountain, then Boulder, Colorado, is the place for you. The city offers the best of both worlds, with breathtaking mountain views from afar and a thriving arts and culture scene right on your doorstep. 

Boulder was crowned one of "America's Most Artistic Towns" by Expedia in 2018 and has continued to live up to that legacy. North Boulder, nicknamed by locals as "NoBo," is the place to begin your art journey in the city. Every first Friday of the month from February to December, gallery spaces in NoBo take turns hosting "First Friday," an art extravaganza that includes live music, performance art, and art demos. Artists also often open up their studios on this special day to allow visitors to tour their workshop spaces. 

There's also the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA), which has been amassing a collection of boundary-pushing modern art since 1972, and the CU Art Museum, located on the campus of the University of Colorado. But for those of you who are looking for an especially unique experience of the Boulder arts scene, head to University Bicycles, a local bike shop turned historical site known for its impressive collection of vintage bikes dangling from the rafters. 

San Francisco is a city like no other; with the architectural marvel of the Golden Gate Bridge and the iconic tilted houses that line the streets, it's no secret that the City of the Bay is a picturesque vacation spot. However, what many don't realize about San Fran is that it's also an art lovers' paradise. The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has over 18,000 pieces in its permanent collection, some as old as 6,000 years. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) has one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the country. 

Public art also plays a huge role in the city's art scene. Check out Mission District, where colorful murals and graffiti art line the walls of the alleyways. Alternatively, the Exploratorium Museum is home to experimental sculpture work like the Buckyball, a dynamic light sculpture made of 4,500 LED nodes and uses a unique software system to light up the San Francisco sky with millions of colors. Day or night, this California city has something to offer the artist in your life. 

Forget the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates. Pittsburgh isn't just one of the biggest sport-loving cities in America; it also has an up-and-coming arts scene that needs to be seen and believed. An excellent place to start your art journey in Pittsburgh is the Carnegie Museum of Art, where one of the world's most famous paintings, "Water Lilies" by Claude Monet, resides. One of 250 paintings in the French impressionist's Giverny flower garden series, this gigantic canvas, bathed in the most delicate of paint strokes, is sure to take your breath away. 

Not only that, but The Steel City is also home to the Andy Warhol Museum, where even the most novice art enjoyer can get lost exploring the vast collections and archives of the pioneer of pop art. Not only does this museum house Warhol's famous soup can paintings, but it also offers visitors the chance to look at rare drawings by Julia Warhola, Warhol's mother. 

If you're interested in something more modern, Carnegie International sees the Carnegie Museum of Art bring together contemporary artists from all over the world for one specially curated show, which is the longest-running show of its kind in North America. Better mark your calendars for 2026, when the 59th Carnegie International will officially kick off. 

Rhode Island is home to truly extravagant passport-free experiences, especially if you or your traveling companion is invested in the art world. Take WaterFire, for instance. It is an art show experience unique to the city of Providence that sees the city's major basins and rivers light up with fire sculpture installations. Downtown Providence becomes alight with over 100 river bonfires and boats carrying performers. From the sound of the crackling embers to the heat on your face, WaterFire awakens all five senses.

If you can't make it to Providence in time for WaterFire, you'll still be able to take in the sights of the city's art scenes by exploring the South End and West End, where Providence pulls out all the artistic stops with over 400 public art installations. For a whistle-stop tour, check out the "Misty Blue" mural by Andrew Hem, painted in honor of the Cambodian community in the city, and the "Still Here" mural by the mononymous artist Gaia, located on 32 Custom House Street.