Arts town

Certain towns or cities have deliberately attempted to put forward a presence in which culture ranged high above other achievements in military strength, or in manufacturing, or in strategic importance.

Alexandria, Constantinople, and many medieval Italian city-states, such as Ferrara, Naples, Palermo, Bologna and Perugia are examples of Arts towns.

Such a list would include towns famous for theatrical events (Stratford, Niagara on the Lake), musical events (Tanglewood, Woodstock), high concentrations of artisans working in one artistic area (Nelsonville, Ohio; Northport, Alabama; Portland, Maine; Oxford, Mississippi; Brattleboro, Vermont); or which host large numbers of artists, actors, or writers (Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Northampton, Provincetown, in Massachusetts).

Certain university towns that are in rural areas, through sheer number of cultural events, as well have achieved world reputations as arts towns (Ithaca, NY; Chapel Hill, NC; Taos, New Mexico; Yellow Springs, Ohio; and Jackson, Wyoming).

The most recognized arts towns in Canada are: Stratford, Ontario, home of the Stratford Festival of Canada and a large Shakespearean theatrical community; and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, home of the Shaw Festival, preserving the work of George Bernard Shaw and other Edwardian playwrights, such as Galsworthy, restored 18th and 19th century buildings with historical interpretation; and classes in costume and drama, academic conferences, and year-round arts initiatives, all in a town with five museums and a population under 14,000.