Top 25 Arts Destinations

June 3, 2003 9:56 AM

The Top 25 Arts Destinations.AmericanStyle magazine asked its readers to "list their top choices for arts travel destinations" in the United States. The winner was not New York. Sacrilege? Or not? A list of the best galleries is included for each of the top ten. (via ArtsJournal)
posted by Ljubljana (14 comments total)

The winner was not New York. Sacrilege? Or not?

Yes, it is, but I suspect it's because many of these so-called art lovers don't have the *balls* to go to New York Fuckin' City.

Aside from the Met, MOMA, the Guggenhiem (sp?), Frick, and Cooper Union, there is all of SoHo and the Village. But that's, you know, *scary*.


Friggin' art pussies.
posted by Ayn Marx at 10:22 AM on June 3, 2003

It seems Chicago ranked first for several reasons, one of which is the tendacy of some to think of a herd of cow statues as art.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 10:34 AM on June 3, 2003

MetaFilter: Friggin' art pussies.
posted by xmutex at 10:40 AM on June 3, 2003

The list is pretty dubious. The magazine is pretty folky and design-centric, which may account for the high ranking of places like Boston (which has a very conservative art scene).

I'd also be skeptical of a top-25 list that doesn't include New Haven and Providence, home of the top-ranked art schools in the country
posted by PrinceValium at 10:55 AM on June 3, 2003

The cool thing about DC is that most of the galleries are free. One of the galleries listed on the DC page is next door to my office, so I printed out the article and gave it to them.
I hope they didn't think I was a friggin' art pussy.
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:05 AM on June 3, 2003

I suspect it's because many of these so-called art lovers don't have the *balls* to go to New York Fuckin' City.

What a baseless, weird supposition, but oooo-kay. Some would perhaps argue the less boo-ya! point that this is a silly, meaningless little survey thrown together for the hell of it.
posted by Skot at 11:09 AM on June 3, 2003

As a Chicago resident, I have to admit I go to NYC when I want to see great modern or contemporary art. The Art Institute is arguably the third best art museum in the states, but it's hard to ignore the fact that the best two are in Manhattan and Queens (temporarily).

That said, I think that the mag was trying to make a bit of a counterintuitive argument in order to get Chicago the exposure it deserves. Judging by the posts on this board, many people seem to think the arts scene doesn't get much deeper than our infamous "Cows on Parade" (then again, said posters probably shouldn't turn to Time and the Today Show as their primary sources of arts coverage). Chicago does have the best collection of modern architecture in the world, one of the best theater scenes, an amazing jazz scene, the Art Institute (including its top-ranked arts school) and decent local outlets for contemporary, modern and ethnic art.

Its laughable to say that Chicago is a better arts city than NY. But it's just as laughable to think that any other city can beat it for the #2 spot.
posted by spotmeter at 11:33 AM on June 3, 2003

Saugatuck and Sedona beat out my home town (and maybe yours)?!?!
posted by kozad at 11:54 AM on June 3, 2003

This is useless. Their L.A. page for example starts out with MOCA (duh), a couple of big museums, and then Bergamot Station. Ooo. How avante. Honestly, as a guide this is the least useful thing anyone could do. What's wrong with picking five or ten great famous-in-the-art-world but obscure in the real world galleries (including of course in Bergamot Station), actually visiting them, and actually writing about them? Oh right: that would be work. Cobbling together impressions of places you're not familiar with via Google is lazy. And New York's "Museum Mile"? Come on! There are 200 free to the public contemporary art galleries open every damn day within a 8 block radius in West Chelsea.

I'm suprpised American Style isn't hosted on BlogSpot.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 1:26 PM on June 3, 2003

Buffalo art iz goood.
posted by oflinkey at 2:13 PM on June 3, 2003

(Postscript: no insult intended to BlogSpot, which is a fine, worthwhile product which I have in the past enjoyed using.)
posted by RJ Reynolds at 2:22 PM on June 3, 2003

Hey, Ayn Marx, I hate to break it to you but DC has regained its rightful title as the nation's murder capitol, meaning that according to your thinking if it wasn't for that NY would have been third. Hell, NY is a pathetic #25 on the murder list. What, did they run out of assholes all of a sudden?
posted by NortonDC at 2:32 PM on June 3, 2003

DC has regained its rightful title as the nation's murder capitol

Maybe, but New York can stil beat up D.C.

Just for laughs, they should team up and go moiderize the City of the Broad-Sholdered Art Pussies.

Note to Skot: Imagine there's a smiley face after all of this.
Like conceptual art or something.
posted by Ayn Marx at 3:31 PM on June 3, 2003

We can dicker over #1 or #2 all we want, or #6 and #7 for all it's worth, but can this list be taken seriously without Houston? I'm really asking because I am not sure -- never been there -- just going on what I've heard.
posted by Dick Paris at 1:34 AM on June 4, 2003