Newark Among ‘Most Vibrant Arts Communities’ In Nation, Study Says

NEWARK, NJ — Newark recently made a triumphant return to the top 10 of a national ranking list of the “most vibrant arts communities” in America.

Last week, the National Center for Arts Research (MU DataArts) released its annual ranking of the “most arts-vibrant communities in the United States.” The 2024 ranking – which analyzed data from more than 900 communities – is divided into three separate lists based on community size (view the interactive map here).

Newark landed on the list of “Large Communities,” ranking 8th on the list.

The top three slots were filled by San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA (1st); New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ (2nd); and Boston, MA (3rd).

Here’s how researchers reached their conclusions:

“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 www.culturaldata.org/what-we-do/arts-vibrancy-index.”

The arts are a major economic driver in Newark, city officials said.

“Newark’s creative community makes vital contributions to civic economy, neighborhood revitalization, education, tourism, and an overall improvement in health and quality of life for city residents,” local officials said in response to landing on this year’s list.

“The arts are estimated to contribute more than $178 million to Newark’s economy, support roughly 5,000 local jobs and generate $15.5 million in local and state taxes,” officials added.

“The City of Newark makes choices every day about what facets of our life need better funding and more support to uplift residents in ways ranging from emotional enjoyment, safety and health, to household financial security and citywide economic vibrancy,” Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“Investing in the arts checks all those boxes, and goes beyond that, to unify us with common reference points as Newarkers,” the mayor added. “I’m proud we have been recognized as a large city that places great value on art as a social short hand for who we are and what we want.”

“Our city is defined by its artists,” agreed fayemi shakur, City of Newark Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs.

“Newark has a long history of fostering creativity and activism, and the local cultural community keeps the city a vibrant and welcoming place to live, work and recreate,” shakur said.

• See Related: Public Art In Newark Tells Powerful Stories About Social Justice
• See Related: Newark Arts Groups Earn ‘Creative Catalyst’ Grants From City
• See Related: Find Some Of Newark’s Best Public Art With This Digital Map
• See Related: Iconic Art Mural That Stretches Along Newark Highway Gets Big Facelift

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