Boulder Named Among Most Vibrant Arts Cities In Country

BOULDER, CO — Boulder has become one of the top cities in the country for supply, demand and public support for the arts, according to a new report. SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, recently released its annual Arts Vibrancy Index Report. For the first time in the study’s five-year history, Boulder was named on the top ten list for medium cities.

Using per capita data, analysts looked at cities' total arts providers and nonprofit arts dollars in the community. The study used local, state and federal arts funding data to gauge public support for the arts.

“The support from Boulder’s municipal government is significant, providing government spending of about $13 per resident that mostly returns to the community through grants and other spending on public art," SMU DataArts said in a statement. "There is also much support from the regional Scientific and Cultural Facilities District tax.”

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The study also commended Boulder’s “Experiments in Public Art” series for providing a platform for artists to connect with the community.

Public art, along with grants to nonprofits and programs for artists, are the foundation for the city’s cultural affairs strategy, “The Community Cultural Plan,” city officials said.

“I am enormously proud of our cultural community,” Matt Chasansky, manager of the city's Office of Arts and Culture, said in a statement. “Boulder making the top ten list for the first time tells me that our observations of the past few years of growth in the city’s arts scene is real. This research compliments a series of other studies we’ve done on economic impact, the lives of artists, and the creative economy. All the data shows that, though we have challenges to overcome, the direction of our cultural community is encouraging.”