Mayor Ras J. Baraka today announced that SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, released its annual ranking of the 40 most arts-vibrant communities in the United States, identifying Newark as number eight on its annual list of the top 20 large communities across the nation.

The center’s 2024 Arts Vibrancy Index is a data-driven analysis of supply, demand, and government support levels for the arts, using details from more than 900 communities across the country. It reflects fluctuations in arts activity, participation, funding, access and employment that occurs in communities dispersed broadly throughout the U.S. with findings that arise naturally without any attempt to achieve geographic representation.

“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,” said Mayor Baraka.  “Investing in the arts checks all those boxes, and goes beyond that, to unify us with common reference points as Newarkers. 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.”

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. 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.

In 2020, Mayor Baraka launched an ambitious arts agenda stemming from the Newark Creates cultural plan, appointing community arts leader fayemi shakur as Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs and founding the city’s first-ever arts grant program, which provided local artists and cultural groups with critical support during the early days of the pandemic. Since its launch, the Creative Catalyst Fund has awarded over 500 grants totaling $3.1 million to artists and organizations for programs serving hundreds of thousands of Newark residents and visitors, and hiring thousands of additional artists for their work supporting the projects. In 2023, Newark’s public art program achieved national prominence with the City’s commission of a new monument honoring Harriet Tubman designed by New Jersey artist Nina Cooke John, putting the state at the forefront of a nationwide movement to design a more inclusive, diverse, and community-centered approach to commissioning civic public art.

“Our city is defined by its artists, said 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.”

“In the face of rising costs, shifting funding sources and long-standing inequities in access, funding and employment, arts communities have continued to demonstrate their resilience and the undeniable richness they bring to towns and cities across the country,” stated Dr. Jennifer Benoit-Bryan, Director of SMU DataArts. “The Arts Vibrancy Index helps the arts community – leaders, businesses, governments, funders – better understand the dynamics of arts activities that occur in local areas. Over the years, its been rewarding to see the diverse ways the reports have been used: from funders who use date to analyze how their investments can increase arts vibrancy in the communities they serve to arts leaders who use the reports and interactive maps in their decision-making for relocating their operation or determining markets for touring shows. The Index has been indispensable in shining light on the arts in communities all across the country.”

In addition to the top arts-vibrant communities listed in the rankings, all 50 states are compiled in a separate ranking, where New York remains in the top position for 2024. Arts-vibrancy scores for every county in the United States can be viewed on an interactive map that identifies arts and cultural strengths that are present in every community.

The Arts Vibrancy Index is composed of 13 unique measures that 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 https://www.culturaldata.org/what-we-do/arts-vibrancy-index.

For a photo sampling of Newark’s art vibrancy, click here.

ABOUT SMU DATAARTS

SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, is a project of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. The mission of SMU DataArts is to provide the evidence-based insights needed to collectively build strong, vibrant, and equitable arts communities. Its research efforts range from academic papers published in leading journals, applied research undertaken with community partners, and actionable insights shared directly with arts practitioners. Its programs provide business intelligence tools and resources to help arts leaders leverage data to answer critical management questions and connect research analyses to their own work. Recent publications include research reports on the scope of federal COVID-19 relief funding for the arts; national operating trends for arts and cultural organizations the alchemy that drives high performing arts organizations of color; audience diversity, equity and inclusion in large performing arts organizations; impact of investments made in diverse creative communities; and more.

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