Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville ranked 7th among most arts-vibrant communities in the nation

Lauren LaRocca, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·3 min read

Oct. 29—SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, released its annual Arts Vibrancy Index on Oct. 26, which identifies Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville as No. 7 in the list of 20 large communities in the U.S. through an analysis of the level of supply, demand and government support for the arts in more than 900 communities across the country.

Organized into three lists based on community population size, totaling 40 communities across the country, this year's Arts Vibrancy Index is the first to include numerical rankings since 2020, a reflection of arts organizations returning to in-person activities and performances following the easing of pandemic restrictions.

Frederick, along with its neighbors Gaithersburg and Rockville, has consistently appeared on the Arts Vibrancy Rankings since the launch of the rankings in 2015.

"We feel that the arts are vibrant here in Frederick, and now we have some data to prove the ways in which that is true," said Frederick Arts Council executive director Louise Kennelly. "This achievement is a testament to the passion, creativity and dedication that our arts organizations and artists bring to the community."

Fluctuations in a community's ranking occur from year to year for a variety of reasons, including the opening of an arts district or closing of a performance space, as well as local economic conditions. Arts-vibrant communities can be found in every region of the country.

"The arts and culture sector was hit hard by the pandemic, and some organizations and communities are still recovering," said Zannie Voss, director of SMU DataArts. "For organizations, funders, local citizens and public officials, the Arts Vibrancy Index is a ... resource that leverages data-driven evidence to illuminate how the arts contribute to an area's economy and public life."

----LARGE COMMUNITIES (population 1 million or more)

On the list of the most arts-vibrant communities with populations of 1 million or more, one city is new to the list: Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wisconsin. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California, sits at the top of the list for the first time since 2018, and Philadelphia has moved into the top 5 for the first time ever. After debuting in the 20th spot in 2020, Cincinnati has skyrocketed to the 11th spot.

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

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

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

4. Boston, MA

5. Philadelphia, PA

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

7. Frederick-Gaithersburg-Rockville, MD

8. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN

9. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA

10. New Orleans-Metairie, LA

11. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

12. Cleveland-Elyria, OH

13. Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, MA

14. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

15. Pittsburgh, PA

16. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

17. Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA

18. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

19. Chicago-Naperville-Evanston, IL

20. St. Louis, MO-IL

----MEDIUM COMMUNITIES (population: 100,000 to 1 million)

1. Pittsfield, MA

2. Santa Fe, NM

3. Ithaca, NY

4. San Rafael, CA

5. Kalamazoo-Portage, MI

6. Boulder, CO

7. Missoula, MT

8. Canton-Massillon, OH

9. Burlington-South Burlington, VT

10. Ann Arbor, MI

----SMALL COMMUNITIES (population under 100,000)

1. Jackson, WY-ID

2. Brevard, NC

3. Steamboat Springs, CO

4. Bennington, VT

5. Easton, MD

6. Glenwood Springs, CO

7. Hailey, ID

8. Juneau, AK

9. Brookings, SD

10. Oneonta, NY