Ulster County Named #5 Best Place for Artists in US

A national study confirmed what local residents and tourists already know about Ulster County--there is a thriving community of arts and culture. The Kingston, New York area was named as the 5th best place for artists in the entire US according to Business Week and Sperling's Best Places. The ranking was given based on a high number of artists per capita and the cultural resources available in the community. The professional artist category included visual artists (sculptors, painters, designers), writers, screenwriters, dancers, musicians and actors. To gauge cultural resources, the study considered the number and size of local area resources such as museums, philharmonic orchestras, dance companies, theater troupes, library resources, and college arts programs. The study named Los Angeles as the top artistic metro area and placed Kingston ahead of large urban areas like San Francisco.