Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale Ranked #12 In Top 20 Most Arts-Vibrant Large Communities In The U.S.

SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, has released its annual ranking of the 40 most arts-vibrant small, medium and large communities in the United States with Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale ranking at number 12 in the list of 20 most arts-vibrant large communities in the nation.

The list is based on the 2024 Arts Vibrancy Index, which is developed through a data-driven approach that analyzes the level of supply, demand and government support for the arts using data available in more than 900 communities across the country. The City of Glendale, along with its neighbors Los Angeles and Long Beach, has consistently appeared on the Arts Vibrancy Index since the launch of the rankings in 2015, thanks to the programming efforts of the Glendale Library, Arts and Culture (GLAC) department.

"We are deeply honored to see Glendale recognized as part of the nation's most arts-vibrant communities," said Acting Director of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture, Lessa Pelayo-Lozada. "This acknowledgment reflects the dedication of our team and the unwavering support of our community in championing the arts. Through innovative programming and partnerships, we continue to celebrate creativity and culture, enriching lives and fostering connection across Glendale and beyond."

GLAC, founded in 1907, includes eight neighborhood libraries, notably the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional arts and music hub housed in a historic mansion, and the Central Library, a 93,000-square-foot community center. It also features the ReflectSpace Gallery, amongst others, an exhibition space at Central Library dedicated to exploring genocides and human rights issues as part of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Over the past year, Glendale Library, Arts & Culture has demonstrated its commitment to creativity and cultural dialogue through a series of groundbreaking arts programs that underscore its designation as part of one of the most arts-vibrant communities in the United States. The ReflectSpace Gallery hosted the impactful exhibition Peace is Radical by renowned street artist and activist Shepard Fairey, featuring works that address themes of democracy, equality, environmental justice and peace where Fairey's use of screen printing as a medium highlights the transformative power of accessible art. In collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Glendale Library, Arts & Culture also presented Blended Worlds: Experiments In Interplanetary Imagination at the Brand Library & Art Center, exploring the intersection of art, science and the world's connection to the cosmos, part of Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide regional art initiative. These exhibitions reflect Glendale's unique approach to arts programming and its dedication to promoting a culturally enriched, engaged community. Additional programs included the 52nd Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper (Brand 52), (Be)Longing: Asian Diasporic Crossings, Before, After: Reflections on the Armenian Genocide, Projecting L.A. 2024, Jewel City Concert Series 2024 and more.

SMU DataArts' Arts Vibrancy Index reflects fluctuations in arts activity, participation, funding, access and employment that occurs in each community; however, the Index has consistently shown that highly arts-vibrant communities are dispersed broadly throughout the U.S., with every region of the country represented in the top rankings. This finding arises naturally out of objective analysis of the data, not from any selection of communities to achieve geographic representation. From Ohio to Colorado, New York to Alaska, arts vibrant communities recognize regional artistic diversity and community success.

“In the face of rising costs, shifting funding sources and long-standing inequities in access, funding and employment, arts communities have continued to demonstrate their resilience and the undeniable richness they bring to towns and cities across the country,” stated Dr. Jennifer Benoit-Bryan, Director of SMU DataArts. “The Arts Vibrancy Index helps the arts community – leaders, businesses, governments, funders – better understand the dynamics of arts activities that occur in local areas. Over the years, it's been rewarding to see the diverse ways the reports have been used: from funders who use data to analyze how their investments can increase arts vibrancy in the communities they serve to arts leaders who use the reports and interactive maps in their decision-making for relocating their operations or determining markets for touring shows. The Index has been indispensable in shining light on the arts in communities across the country.”

The top arts-vibrant communities were listed in the rankings of small, medium and large communities, where the City of Glendale was placed. Arts-vibrancy scores for every county in the United States can be viewed on an interactive map that identifies arts and cultural strengths that are present in every community.

Large Communities (population: 1 million +)

1. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA

2. New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ

3. Boston, MA

4. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

5. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

6. Philadelphia, PA

7. Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

8. Newark, NJ-PA

9. Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville, MD

10. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX

11. Chicago-Naperville-Evanston, IL

12. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA

13. Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA

14. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

15. Rochester, NY

16. New Orleans-Metairie, LA

17. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

18. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

19. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

20. Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA

The Arts Vibrancy Index is composed of 13 unique measures which cover aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture, and are adjusted for cost of living and population differences among communities. For more information on how the Arts Vibrancy Index is calculated, metrics, data sources, more detail on specific communities and the interactive map, please visit culturaldata.org/what-we-do/arts-vibrancy-index.

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